Focus on Faculty
V
Kelechi appointed endowed chair
T
eresa Kelechi’s,
and this will be the college’s third
University to develop a device that
PhD, RN, FAAN
endowed chair. The appointment of Dr.
measures minute foot movements,
early experience
Kelechi will allow MUSC to continue
which strengthen the calf muscle in
with the Future
its leadership role as innovators,
patients with leg ulcers, and promote
Nurses of America
knowledge brokers and community
better lower leg functioning in hopes
Society blossomed
partners,” said Dean Gail Stuart.
that it will promote ulcer healing. She
into her successful
With a solid record of funding by the
also is developing an innovative heat
career as a nurse scientist and has
National Institute of Nursing Research,
sensing device to detect heat changes
culminated with her appointment as
Dr. Kelechi’s primary research focus is
in the skin on the lower legs affected
the College of Nursing’s David R. and
venous leg ulcer prevention. She also
by chronic venous disease. The device
Margaret C. Clare Endowed Chair in
studies self-monitoring methods using
will be used by patients to monitor the
Nursing.
infrared thermometry technology to
skin for a temperature increase, which
detect subclinical evidence of ulcer
can be a signal of an impending ulcer.
development.
She also designed a novel cooling
Endowed chairs hold tremendous prestige in the academic community. To be named to an endowed chair
As a member of the Future Nurses
prevention strategy that targets the
means that one has achieved national
of America Society in the late 1970s,
elevated skin temperature with the
or international recognition for
Dr. Kelechi regularly visited a nursing
goal of preventing the ulcer. In another
excellence in their field. “I am proud
home in a small rural town in Ohio
collaborative effort with researchers
that MUSC had the first endowed chair
where residents received very few
at University of West Virginia, she is
in nursing in the state. Our second
visitors. An older man anxiously
studying biomarkers in chronic wound
endowed chair is with the SmartState
awaited her visit each week. She
fluid.
Centers of Economic Excellence,
explains, “His legs were very swollen
The appointment as the David R.
and bandaged, but he
and Margaret C. Clare Endowed Chair
never complained except
assures that she will be able to continue
to report that his legs
to study ways to prevent venous leg
didn’t work anymore. One
ulcers, which affect 1 to 2 percent of
day he asked me what
the population worldwide and account
kind of nurse I wanted to
for 600,000 new leg ulcers each year
be. I replied that I wasn’t
in the US alone. By interacting with
quite sure. He suggested
wound experts around the world
that I study treatments for
to share knowledge and research
leg sores to help people
opportunities, she also hopes to learn
like him be able to walk
more about the genetics and genomics
again. From the very
related to chronic venous ulcers and
beginning, now over 30
study ways to enhance wound healing
years ago, I sought to
through nutrition and small movement
unravel the mysteries of
exercises.
the healing complexities of leg ulcers associated with chronic venous disorders, also known as venous stasis or venous insufficiency.” Dr. Kelechi has garnered over $3 million in research funding to study chronic venous disorders. Currently she is collaborating with researchers from Clemson
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Lifelines
SPRING | SUMMER 2014
“The appointment of Dr. Kelechi will allow MUSC to continue its leadership role as innovators, knowledge brokers and community partners.” - DEAN STUART