When Connie Linardos ’22 first came to Texas Christian University, she wasn’t just choosing a college; she was setting the stage for her future career in medicine. From studying neuroscience at TCU’s College of Science & Engineering to entering her fourth year as a medical student at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, Linardos is preparing for her career in pediatrics.
As part of her work as a fourth-year medical student, Linardos is conducting research on how the viscosity, or thickness, of a liquid medication impacts a child’s willingness to take it.
“A significant factor behind medication noncompliance in pediatric populations is the actual administration of the medication,” Linardos said. “My mentor, Dr. Gregory Kearns (the medical school’s associate dean of research), inspired me to think about the logistical challenges behind effective treatment. It’s easy for us to prescribe an antibiotic, but to have a toddler successfully take a full dose when they don’t like the taste of it is a completely different challenge that parents often face. Our goal is to isolate viscosity as a factor in taste preference to identify potential areas of improvement in liquid medication development.”
In what has become a cross-disciplinary research project, Linardos is also collaborating closely with faculty in TCU’s Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Teresa Drulia, Harris College’s associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, is helping her refine the way the experiment is run. Ultimately, oral medication and its viscosity are related to swallowing and speech-related functions, so this made for a perfect partnership.
“Engaging in interdisciplinary research studies, such as this one, promotes growth and fosters innovation at TCU,” Drulia said. “I was eager to partner with Connie and Dr. Kearns once I heard their project would address the palatability of pediatric medication. Although the impact of viscosity has been examined in studies for persons experiencing difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), this study will add valuable insight into children’s perceptions of viscosity.”
Linardos’ inspiration for working with children comes from personal experience. Diagnosed with celiac disease at a young age, Linardos spent much of her childhood in doctors’ offices. What stood out to her most from these memories wasn’t the diagnoses or treatments, but the way her pediatricians made her and her family feel.
“I was inspired by how pediatricians spoke to patients and parents, making them feel
comfortable and safe,” Linardos, also a graduate of TCU’s John V. Roach Honors College, said.
That inspiration, combined with her curiosity about neuroscience and sparked by her grandfather’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease, set her on a path toward caring for young patients.
Karen Hennington, director of TCU’s Miller Speech & Hearing Clinic, is helping Linardos reach people to participate in the study by sharing information with those who visit the clinic, but Linardos hopes to add even more families.
“I’m also hoping to reach a wider pool of participants before the end of October,” Linardos explained. “There is no medication in the liquid that’s provided in the study.”