A decade-long relationship with a Brazilian university has produced several reciprocal academic collaborations for the Spokane WSU campus—including a visiting postdoctoral fellow from Brazil.
Sterling McPherson, vice dean of research at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, said a memorandum of understanding was signed with the University of São Paulo and has benefitted both universities with cooperative exchange of students, faculty, and research data.
“You need to anchor relationships like this with an MOU, in order to then begin taking advantage of mutually beneficial opportunities,” McPherson said. “Being able to share data, fellowships, students, and ideas can be powerful for driving research and innovation.”
The partnership also expanded to include a Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) -sponsored postdoctoral researcher to work with WSU researchers on substance abuse.
“It continues to blow my mind that I get a free postdoctoral fellow that they pay for,” McPherson said.
Paola Palombo began working at the Spokane campus this year, continuing her focus on neurobiology and the treatment of substance use disorders. The position allows Palombo to see how the US treats substance use disorders, and in turn, Palombo can provide her expertise on Brazil’s treatment efforts to WSU colleagues.
“I shifted my focus exclusively to clinical studies, exploring adjuvant therapies—particularly mindfulness—to enhance patient adherence and retention,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned experts in my field, learn new research methodologies, and experience a different approach to clinical studies.”
For decades, Brazil has been besieged by a crack/cocaine epidemic, similar but distinct to the US grappling with its own national opioid epidemic. Both countries can learn how each has tried to counter substance abuse, and the cooperation between WSU and UNIFESP has been invaluable, McPherson said.
“If you ask someone from Brazil about ‘the opioid crisis,’ they will explain that this is a crisis that does not hit Brazil in the same way, as they are struggling with a crack/cocaine epidemic,” he said. “Still, there are some similarities.”
Palombo echoed this cultural difference but noted that her time in the US has been beneficial to repurpose drug treatment regimens designed for opioid abuse to serve people in Brazil. Her past work has been on identifying reasons people drop out of substance use treatment. Her current work is on identifying tools like meditation and other mindfulness techniques paired with formal substance treatment to maintain retention. She said she is preparing two manuscripts based on her research at WSU about clinical protocols and wants to contribute to the research efforts of the WSU team. She said her time in the US has been enriching.
“I am fully committed to working towards this goal—to maintain my collaboration with Dr. (McPherson’s) research group and to seek funding opportunities that would allow the development of this research in Brazil,” she said. “I will dedicate myself to this, as the topic is of great relevance, encompassing significant social and economic challenges that demand further attention and continued investigation. Contributing—even if it means helping a single patient—holds immense value for me.”