# Exercise and Biologic Fitness in Patients with Hematologic Malignancy

> **NIH NIH K23** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $171,828

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
This is a K23 career development award proposal from Ashley Rosko, MD, an Assistant Professor in the Division
of Hematology at The Ohio State University. The K23 mentored research award will be used to assist Dr. Rosko
in becoming an independently funded investigator to conduct research to improve treatment health outcomes of
older adults with hematologic malignancy. Dr. Rosko has a diverse mentoring team with a proven track record,
including Dr. John C. Byrd (translational science), Dr. Electra Paskett (population health), and Dr. Michelle
Naughton (outcomes assessment and behavioral science). Together this mentoring team will advise and support
Dr. Rosko in her research aims and career development plan. Dr. Rosko's career development plan includes
formal coursework to further her knowledge of aging, research methods and biostatistics, as well as professional
development activities to increase networking, paper and grant writing skills. Dr. Rosko's research interests are
in identifying occult geriatric factors that affect clinical outcomes in adults with hematologic malignancy in order
to develop effective interventions to improve survival and quality of life. Her research plan will test baseline
fitness metrics with an intervention of a structured exercise program, combined with select aging biomarkers, to
assess changes in physiologic fitness among patients with hematologic malignancies awaiting bone marrow
transplant. Maintaining physical function is an important part of cancer care. Patients with hematologic
malignancy are prone to deconditioning due to the toxicities associated with treatment and bone marrow
transplant. Exercise programs are a proven intervention to prevent functional decline and improve quality of life,
but are underutilized in patients with hematologic malignancy. Deconditioning is associated with serious adverse
consequences, such as falls, which are common and dangerous in this patient population. Thus, the objective
of the research project is to complete a feasibility study implementing a structured exercise program, the Otago
Exercise Program (OEP), to improve physical fitness in pre-transplant patients with hematologic malignancies.
The central hypothesis is that the OEP can be implemented safely and successfully in patients with hematologic
malignancies awaiting transplant. The rationale is that structured exercise programs can improve outcomes in
cancer patients, but feasibility, practicality and disease/treatment characteristics can be barriers to
implementation, and need to be evaluated first. The work accomplished here will provide preliminary data
regarding the safe implementation of the OEP and feasibility of recruitment, data collection, and patient
adherence. Data obtained from this study will be used to apply for an R21 grant to support a randomized clinical
trial to prevent physical decline and improve health and quality of life outcomes in adults with hematologic
malignancy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9991615
- **Project number:** 5K23CA208010-05
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashley E. Rosko
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $171,828
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-07-22 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9991615

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9991615, Exercise and Biologic Fitness in Patients with Hematologic Malignancy (5K23CA208010-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9991615. Licensed CC0.

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