Logan's Dr. Cheryl Hawk Awarded Major Standard Process Grant; Director of Clinical Research Earns Honor in Strong Competition

December 4, 2012

Logan College of Chiropractic/University Programs has been awarded a Standard Process competitive research grant totaling $700,000. The recipient of the two-year grant is Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD, CHES, CWP, FICC, Logan’s director of clinical research. Her research project is entitled “Chiropractic Care and a Specific Regimen of Nutritional Supplementation for Patients with Acute Ankle Sprain: a Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial.” Thirteen chiropractic schools submitted applications to Standard Process and seven were invited to submit proposals. This is the first research grant awarded by Standard Process Inc.

Although this research project will specifically addresses ankle sprains its results will be applicable to the healing of any ligamentous injuries, which are among the most common conditions treated by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs), and other musculoskeletal practitioners, and extremity joint dysfunction and sprain of any joint are seen routinely by DCs, nearly as frequently as headaches and osteoarthritis. The study will compare the short- and long-term effect of chiropractic care combined with a specific nutritional supplement regimen to chiropractic care with a placebo supplement for patients with ankle sprains, in terms of improvement in physical function and pain. The study will be conducted at three sites: four of Logan’s out-patient rehabilitation clinics; Performance Health Care, a sports and rehabilitation clinic in St. Louis Mo., and Sport and Spine Rehab, Washington D.C., a group of seven chiropractic clinics.

In addition to Dr. Hawk, who is the principal investigator, research team coinvestigators include: Weiwen Chai, MS, PhD, director of Logan’s Nutrition and Human Performance MS program; Dennis Enix, DC, MBA, Logan associate professor; Harrison Ndetan, MSc, MPH, DrPH, associate professor at Parker University; Laney Nelson, DC, DACBSP, director of Logan’s sports and rehabilitation center; Jay Greenstein, DC, CCSP; Clint Daniels, DC, MS; and project coordinator Michelle Anderson.

“We are extremely proud of Dr. Hawk’s accomplishment is competing for and securing this major research grant. She has assembled a strong collaborative team to conduct this study,” said George A. Goodman, DC, FICC, Logan president. “Being selected for this research is a major accomplishment for Logan and builds on the strength of our study of nutrition and our Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Human Performance.”

Dr. Hawk has 35 years of experience in chiropractic and nearly 20 years in clinical research, including 26 clinical studies and more than 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She serves as the Chair of the Scientific Commission of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP), as well as the Team Lead for non-musculoskeletal conditions, health promotion and special populations. In 2010, CCGPP named her the “Person of the Year” and The Integrator named her as one of Top 10 People in Integrative Medicine/Integrated Health Care.” In that same year, she added the Certified Wellness Practitioner certification from the National Wellness Institute to her credentials. She has been named “Researcher of the Year” by both the American Chiropractic Association (2003) and the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She received her Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1976 from the National University of Health Sciences and practiced full-time for 12 years.

About Logan
Since 1935, Logan College of Chiropractic/University Programs has been preparing students to enter the health care marketplace to become successful Doctors of Chiropractic. To fulfill individual professional goals, Logan also offers its students, graduates and other professionals a choice of two academic master’s programs, offered both online and in an on-campus format, a Master of Science in Sports Science and Rehabilitation, and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Human Performance. Other program offerings include undergraduate coursework including an Accelerated Science Program to help students complete their basic science coursework at an accelerated pace, offered in both online and on-campus formats, and two baccalaureate degrees -- a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Life Science.