College of Health Sciences Butterfly Fund
IDEAS, INNOVATION AND IMPACT
Connecting to the theme of the Tower at STAR, the College of Health Science is creating a Butterfly Fund to celebrate the innovation, energy and collaboration of the faculty, staff, students and clinicians.
The Tower at STAR is designed to enhance collisions and collaboration referred to as the butterfly effect from chaos theory. The Tower design reflects the idea that the smallest change or interaction in one location can prompt dramatic change in another. Similarly, the Butterfly Fund exists to support and invest in collisions that generate spontaneous ideas and foster innovation and impact.
Furthermore, the Butterfly Fund celebrates the belief that even a small investment can prompt dramatic changes, making the CHS community stronger and more impactful.
SUPPORT TO SPUR GROWTH
Under the direction of the dean of the College of Health Sciences, along with chairs of the departments, the Butterfly Fund exists to seed and support innovative interdisciplinary and translational research, teaching, clinical and community programs through annual awards.
The goal of these awards is to trigger a metamorphosis that will spawn new learning opportunities for students and grow cutting- edge research and collaboration.
For example, the Butterfly Fund will be used for:
• Pilot research projects and/or working groups focused on answering healthcare challenges and designing healthcare solutions
• Equipment and resources needed to help support promising cutting-edge research
• Teaching and training programs to meet the many healthcare workforce demands
• Collaborations with community partners throughout the State of Delaware and surrounding area
• Graduate and undergraduate student recruitment in new research and teaching areas, as well as recruitment of a more diverse student body
• Innovative outreach programs to inform and inspire the next generation of healthcare students
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Lighting up hope
July 09, 2025 | Written by Amy CherryResearchers in UD's Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology are studying whether infrared laser therapy, or photobiomodulation, can be used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease. -
June College of Health Sciences For the Record
July 09, 2025 | Written by CHS StaffCollege of Health Science community reports appointments, exhibitions, publications, and honors for June. -
Linked health risks
July 07, 2025 | Written by Amy CherryA new data analysis by epidemiology researcher Tarang Parekh finds that millions of Americans are unknowingly progressing through stages of a newly defined condition—cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. CKM links three of the most common chronic diseases in the U.S. and may better predict risk for heart attack, kidney failure, or diabetes-related complications than any one diagnosis alone. -
Catching Zzz
June 24, 2025 | Written by Amy CherryXiaopeng Ji, associate professor of nursing, has created a sleep chatbot for teens with autism using funding from the Maggie E. Neumann Health Sciences Research Fund. -
Firearm storage realities
June 20, 2025 | Written by Amy CherryRecently published research by Tarang Parekh, assistant professor of epidemiology, revealed that social factors drive decisions about firearm storage in the U.S.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Connect
Tower at STAR: 100 Discovery Blvd, Newark, DE 19713 | Health Sciences Complex: 540 S. College Ave, Newark, DE 19713 chs-info@udel.edu Phone: 302-831-1060