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Screenshot of a slide presentation. Text: Introduction to Systematic Reviews.

Do you have questions about systematic reviews? Ever wonder what the difference is between a systematic review and other types of literature reviews? Not sure what the steps are to conduct your own systematic review? Himmelfarb Library has a new Introduction to Systematic Reviews video series that can help answer these questions! Tom Harrod, Himmelfarb’s Associate Director of Reference and Instruction, breaks down key aspects of systematic reviews in five short videos (6 minutes or less), each covering easily digestible aspects of systematic reviews to help you learn the basics.

Types of Literature Reviews

Part 1 covers the different kinds of literature reviews and what makes systematic reviews unique. You’ll learn about the time frame, purpose, methodology, search strategy, article searches, and protocols of systematic reviews and how they compare to other types of literature reviews.

Systematic Review Steps

In Part 2, you’ll learn the steps involved in conducting a systematic review. Systematic reviews follow a well-defined methodology intended to minimize bias and ensure a high level of reproducibility. Learn more about this methodology in this video!

Effective Search Strategies

Part 3 examines how to create effective search strategies. Learn how to convert a research question into a PICO or PEO framework, use the PICO or PEO framework to create an initial search strategy, test and refine your search, and use your search in other databases in this video.

Overcoming Common Search Problems

Part 4 of this series explores common issues that arise with search strategies and how to address them. You’ll learn strategies for what to do when your initial search strategy doesn’t work as planned and you don’t get the results you expected.

Covidence

In Part 5, you’ll learn how to streamline the process of conducting systematic reviews with the Covidence software, available to GW Affiliates through Himmelfarb Library. Covidence is designed to guide you through the process of conducting a systematic review, facilitate teamwork, and help you document and maintain the records needed to write your systematic review. In this video, you’ll learn how to access Covidence through Himmelfarb and how to use the key features of this software.

Take the mystery out of systematic reviews and watch these easy and approachable videos!

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Himmelfarb Library has three new anatomy models that are available and on display in the Bloedorn Technology Center on Himmelfarb’s third floor. These additions to our physical anatomical model collection are available for in-library use (they cannot be checked out of the library). The new models are: Human male pelvis skeleton with ligaments, vessels, nerves, pelvic floor muscles and organs (7 part), Mini-muscled joint set, and Male pelvis BPH.

7 part anatomical model in accurate detail showing how bones, ligaments, vessels and nerves as well as pelvic floor muscles and external sex organs are connected to each other.
Human male pelvis skeleton model with ligaments, vessels, nerves, pelvic floor muscles and organs, 7 part
Near full size model of male pelvis, mid-sagittal section
Male Pelvis BPH
Anatomical model of four reduced size joint models of the hip, elbow, shoulder and knee.
Mini-Muscled joint set

 Himmelfarb also has many other anatomy materials available for in-library use, including bone boxes!

Bloedorn is a great place to study in groups and work with these models. Collaborative tables are available so you can move bones and models to use them for study in a way that works best for you!

Want to learn more about Himmelfarb’s anatomy resources? 

 

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DynaAI Logo, Text: DynaAI Trial Now Available!

Himmelfarb Library is offering a limited-time trial of Dyna AI, available through April 22, 2025! Test this resource for yourself and send us your feedback! Please send any questions, comments, or feedback about this resource to Ian Roberts (imroberts@gwu.edu).

Want to give Dyna AI a try? Follow these steps to access the free trial:

  1. Access DynaMed (also linked from Himmelfarb's homepage)
  2. If you haven't already created a personal account, you'll see a screen that offers you the opportunity to personalize DynaMed. Click the blue button to personalize and complete the brief form with your name, speciality, physician role, etc.
  3. Once you've created your personalized DynaMed account, you'll have access to the Dyna AI trial and can simply ask a question in the search bar.

What is DynaAI? Dyna AI combines trusted, expert-curated, evidence-based content with advanced AI technology to generate clinical responses to questions. It integrates DynaMed content with a large language model (LLM) using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approach. Dyna AI summarizes evidence-based content from peer-reviewed journals and high-quality clinical practice guidelines included in DynaMed. It does not pull from sources outside of DynaMed or unvetted sources.

To use Dyna AI, enter a query in the search bar. Dyna AI is automatically enabled for Himmelfarb users during our trial (through April 22, 2025). Dyna AI can be disabled in the "Dyna AI Settings" at the top right of the page by selecting "Do not show Dyna AI" to disable AI-generated responses.

Screenshot of Dyna AI Settings
Screenshot of Dyna AI Settings disable pop up screen.

For best results when using Dyna AI:

  • Ask Detailed Questions: Dyna AI provides more relevant responses to more specific questions. For example, instead of using "atrial fibrillation treatment" as your search query, ask "rate vs rhythm control atrial fibrillation HFrEF."
  • Use Follow-Up Questions: After an initial question such as "What is the approach to evaluating a complicated urinary tract infection in female adults?" you might add "expected urine culture findings" or "first-line antibiotic options."
  • Revise Questions: Small changes to questions can lead to different responses.
  • Avoid Entering Protected Health Information

We want to hear what you think of Dyna AI! Give it a test drive through April 22, 2025, and send your feedback to Ian Roberts (imroberts@gwu.edu).

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Picture of 2 women of color studying in a library.

In May 2025, researchers who are applying for or receiving federal funding will be required to use the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) system to create and complete biographical sketches to attach to their applications for federal funding and support form. 

Biographical sketches, also known as biosketches, are documents that capture a researcher's background, including their education and previous professional history, a personal statement that describes their research interests and background and their publication or research product history. SciENcv is intended to reduce the amount of administrative time required to update and format biosketches. The system interfaces with other systems, such as ORCiD, allowing for a seamless transfer of information, such as previous publications, from one system to SciENcv. 

To prepare researchers for the change in policy and to help users learn more about SciENcv, Himmelfarb Library recently published the ‘SciENcv’ research guide. 

Image shows the homepage of the SciENcv research guide.

The SciENcv guide is a tool for researchers who are navigating the system for the first time or those who would like step-by-step instructions as they complete their biographical sketches or supporting documents. Each tab on the guide covers a specific aspect of the biosketch process. Users may start at the beginning and follow the instructions to create their SciENcv profile. Or, they may click through the tabs as needed to see detailed instructions and accompanying images to help guide them through the entire process.

Image show the 'Section A: Personal Statement' tab on the SciENcv research guide. On the page are numbered instructions, along with accompanying screenshots on how to complete the personal statement for a biographical sketch.

Himmelfarb staff are available to assist with navigating SciENcv. If you have questions about the SciENcv guide, contact Brittany Smith, the Scholarly Communications & Metadata Librarian, at bsmith91@gwu.edu. 

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Picture of black hands folded around a rainbow ribbon.
Photo by Anete Lusina

Himmelfarb Library’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEI Committee) is proud to announce the release of the new LGBTQ+ Health Research Guide! The guide features resources that address LBGTQ+ healthcare in clinical and research settings and explores sexual orientation and gender identity barriers to accessing healthcare. You’ll also find general resources including links to LGBTQ+ health organizations at GW and in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. Relevant books, e-books, and journals from Himmelfarb’s collection, educational resources about pronouns and preferred terminology, and podcasts to help you learn about LGBTQ+ healthcare are showcased in the guide. 

Featured books from Himmelfarb’s Diversity and Disparities in Health Care Collection include:

Highlighted journals on LGBTQ+ health include:

Please note that some resources, such as e-books and journal collections, may require GW credentials to access.

The Researchers tab of the guide provides insight into useful MeSH search terms, links to helpful research-related guides, and information about conducting research. This tab also features published works related to LGBTQ+ health by GW authors in Himmelfarb’s Health Sciences Research Commons (HSRC).

The DEI Committee wants this guide to be a high-quality resource relevant to our community, and we encourage our users to share relevant resources for inclusion in the LGBTQ+ Health Guide through our Resource Suggestion Form. If you are a member of a GW organization and would like your organization to be featured in this guide, or if you’re interested in partnering with the DEI Committee, please contact the current committee chair, Brittany Smith, at bsmith91@gwu.edu. 

Himmelfarb has more than books and articles! This article will highlight some of the exciting options available to you as SMHS, GWSPH, or GW Nursing students.
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Himmelfarb has more than books and articles! This article will highlight some of the exciting options available to you as SMHS, GWSPH, or GW Nursing students.

3D Printing: 

If you’ve stopped by the circulation desk, you may have noticed a slight scenery change: Himmelfarb has a new Bambu Lab 3-D printer! The Bambu Lab X-1 Carbon prints significantly faster than our older printers, greatly increasing our turnaround time and ability to process more jobs. Plus, it can print in multi-colors, leading to festive and interesting options. 

You can print as many curricular prints as the queue allows and one non-curricular print a month (full policy here). 

If you’re wondering where to find 3-D printer models, check out this article!

The applications for med students are vast: from stethoscope holders to molecular diagrams to model organs. 

Or fun friends, like this poseable turtle. 

A 3D printed turtle stands angled towards the camera.

VR:

Himmelfarb has two Oculus Quest VR headsets for checkout. 

A VR headset is displayed behind a glass case.

[Oculus headset on display at the Himmelfarb library - available for 4hr checkouts]

These are great for taking a study break with guided meditations or nature walks (although make sure you have the appropriate space) or, if you want to get serious with studies, you can take advantage of the preloaded Medicalholodeck Medical VR platform (which includes Anatomy Master XR, Medical Imaging XR, and Dissection Master XR). Somewhere between a textbook and a cadaver lab, Medicalholodeck allows you to inspect high-resolution dissections layer-by-layer alongside your research.

Check out the video below for a brief demonstration:

BodyViz

Like Medicalholodeck, BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that lets users view, study, and manipulate 3D anatomical structures. Although there's a bit of a learning curve, once you get a handle on it, the BodyViz slicing software allows you to digitally dissect models with great precision, allowing for intensive inspection.

Unlike the VR headsets - which can be used anywhere you find the space - BodyViz is best used in the Levine lounge (Himmelfarb 305A), adjacent to the Bloedorn Technology Center. All of these materials are available at our circulation desk. To learn more, explore our BodyViz Guide.

We hope these help take your studies to the next level.

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Picture of a person meditating in lotus pose on a yoga mat with a Virtual Reality headset nearby.
Photo by Eren Li

April is Stress Awareness Month. Himmelfarb Library’s Oculus Virtual Reality (VR) headsets now include healthy living apps that can help you manage your stress! These new apps help users meditate, alleviate anxiety, and generally relax. Take a few minutes to unwind and get recentered in virtual reality so you’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated in actual reality!

Our Oculus headsets can be checked out from the circulation desk on Himmelfarb’s first floor for four hours at a time. You’ll need some unobstructed space to use the headset since the apps allow you to move around within a virtual space. Our VR Headset Overview page includes recommended spaces within Himmelfarb to use the headsets that can accommodate the space needed to use these apps comfortably. 

Guided Meditation VR

The Guided Meditation VR app helps users detach and relax with guided or unguided meditation sessions with calming music and ambient noises from more than 40 digitally-generated environments. This app has over 30 hours of meditations geared toward alleviating anxiety, finding resilience, improving sleep, and even maternity meditations. If you’re unsure about VR but want to experience some of the sessions, you can try them out for free online! This app is available on both of Himmelfarb’s Oculus headsets. 

Nature Treks VR

The Nature Treks VR app lets users choose between nine different natural environments and lets them explore and play. You can choose to explore forests, beaches, or even outer space! You even get to choose your preferred weather and time of day and can summon animals. These individually designed spaces can be used as places to meditate or perform breathing exercises. This app is available on Himmelfarb’s “Walter” headset so that you can ask for it by name at the Circulation Desk. 

National Geographic Explore VR

The National Geographic Explore VR app lets users choose between two different ecosystems to explore: Machu Picchu and Antarctica! In Antarctica, you’ll get to navigate around icebergs in a kayak, climb a massive ice shelf, and survive a raging snowstorm while searching for a lost emperor penguin colony. Or you can visit Machu Picchu, Peru, and explore digital reconstructions of the ancient Inca citadel, raise a cup of sacred chicha, and encounter alpacas while you match Hiram Bingham’s photographs from when he rediscovered the Inca citadel. Not only can you experience the landscape, but you’ll get to take photographs as well. This app is a bit more physically strenuous and can need some additional room to navigate. This app is available on Himmelfarb’s “Paul” headset.

While the noises generated by all three of these apps are gentle and soothing, they are audible outside of the Oculus headset, so it’s best to use these apps in a quiet space away from others who may be studying or trying to concentrate. Himmelfarb study rooms are a great option for using this app and can be reserved in advance!

Other Stress Relief Resources at Himmelfarb

If Virtual Reality isn’t of interest to you, Himmelfarb’s healthy living collection has other stress relief resources that may suit your style. Take a look at our Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb Guide for a full list of resources. Check out the Wellness Apps page of this guide to find useful meditation and stress relief apps. Our healthy living collection also includes books on stress reduction including Stress, Cognition, and Health by Tony Cassidy, The Psychology of Meditation by Peter Sedlmeier, and Managing Stress by Brian Luke Seaward. As always, feel free to stop by the healthy living collection on Himmelfarb’s first floor to make use of our exercise equipment if you’d prefer to manage your stress with some physical activity and use our exercise balls, hand weights, hula hoops, or yoga mats. We also have plenty of games including chess, Sorry, Scrabble, Blokus, and Pandemic. As always, a jigsaw puzzle is in progress on our puzzle table, and we are waiting for your contributions! 

Picture of a jigsaw puzzle on a wooden table.

Want more resources to help you manage your stress? Check out the GW Resiliency and Well-Being Center’s Stress Management page for resources related to mindfulness practice, well-being, physical activity, healthy lifestyle tips, and student resources related to stress management. 

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Picture of anatomy models on display at Himmelfarb.

Himmelfarb Library recently purchased nine new anatomy models that are available and on display in the Bloedorn Technology Center on Himmelfarb’s third floor. These new additions to our physical anatomical model collection are available for in-library use (they cannot be checked out of the library). These new models are 3D-printed, lifelike replicas of human cadavers. 

The pictures below will give you an idea of what these models look like, but pictures can’t do these models justice. Next time you’re in the library, head to Himmelfarb’s 3rd floor and take a look at these models for yourself!

Picture of 3D Printed Head and Visceral Column of the Neck model.
3D Printed Head & Visceral Column of the Neck
Picture of Skull Kit model.
3B Scientific Skull Kit
Picture of human eye model.
Human Eye Model
Picture of human knee joint model.
Human Knee Joint Model with Removable Muscles
Picture of Human Elbow model.
Human Elbow Joint Model with Removable Muscles
Picture of muscle fiber model.
Human Muscle Fiber Model
Picture of Osteoporosis Didactic Model.
3B Scientific Osteoporosis Didactic Model

Not pictured:

In addition to these new models, Himmelfarb also has several other anatomy materials available for in-library use, including bone boxes! Bloedorn is a great place to study in groups and work with these models. Collaborative tables are available so you can move bones and models to use them for study in a way that works best for you!

Want to learn more about Himmelfarb’s anatomy resources? 

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Himmelfarb’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI Committee) is pleased to announce the release of the new Antiracism in Healthcare research guide! This guide is one of many ways Himmelfarb Library is showing its commitment to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment within the library. The guide features healthcare organizations, journal collections, virtual tutorials and more to help you learn about antiracism and racial biases in healthcare. Some of the resources listed include:

Please note that some of the resources, such as ebooks and journal collections, may require GW credentials to access. 

The DEI Committee envisions this guide growing over time and we are interested in community feedback and being transparent about the selection process. To show our commitment to community building and transparency, the resource selection criteria is featured on the guide’s homepage and the Committee will evaluate suggested resources based on the five listed categories and evaluation questions. Students, staff and faculty members are invited to submit resources they believe will make an excellent addition to the guide. If there is a book, documentary, podcast show/episode, online training, healthcare organization or other valuable resource that you believe should be included, please fill out the ‘Resource Suggestion Google Form’.

Additionally, if you are a member of a GWU organization and would like for your organization to be featured on the research guide or if you’re interested in partnering with the DEI Committee, please contact the current committee chair, Rachel Brill, at rgbrill@gwu.edu!

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Image of signs posted behind a chain link fence. Signs read: "Don't give up" "You are not alone" "You matter"
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Himmelfarb Library recently expanded our collection of suicide and suicidology books with the help of a generous gift from Dr.Seymour Perlin, MD, and his wife Ruth Perlin. Dr. Perlin was a professor of psychiatry and the director of GW’s psychiatry residency program from 1977 to 1998. Two books included in this collection were written by Dr. Perlin and were donated by Dr. Perlin.

Image of the book cover of A Handbook for the Understanding of Suicide by Dr. Seymour Perlin.

A Handbook for the Understanding of Suicide, written and donated by Dr. Perlin, is available in the book stacks on the basement level (call number: HV6545 .H27 1994). This book reviews a wide range of information from a variety of disciplines on suicide. It offers historical, literary, philosophical, and social science points of view in addition to a psychiatric discussion of suicidal behavior. A Handbook for the Study of Suicide, also written and donated by Dr. Perlin, is available in the books stacks (HV6545 .H27 1979). 

A full list of the items purchased for this collection is available on our New Books collection page. Here’s a brief overview of the available titles:

  • Advancing Suicide Research (Kairi Kõlves, Merike Sisask, Peeter Värnik, Airi Värnik, and Diego DeLeo): Written by leading researchers in the field, this is a comprehensive toolbox of current best practices in suicide research, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research in suicide prevention from a public health perspective. Proper use of epidemiological measures and study designs, definitional issues, historical background, and ethical aspects of suicide research are also discussed. Location: Book stacks. Call number: HV6545 .A38 2021
  • Alternatives to Suicide: Beyond Risk and Toward a Life Worth Living (Andrew C. Page and Werner Stritzke): This book illustrates how fostering resilience and a desire for life can broaden and advance an understanding of suicide. Summarizing the existing literature, this book outlines a new focus on the interplay of risk and resilience that leads to a life-focus approach to suicide prevention. Emerging technologies and advances in data analytics using real-time monitoring of suicide dynamics and their use in suicide research and prevention are also covered. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: HV6545 .A48 2020.
  • The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Suicide Risk Assessment and Management (written by Liza Gold, and Richard Frierson): This e-book offers new perspectives on suicide including medical and social use of destigmatizing and more precise language and covers issues related to suicide including suicide risk factors and their clinical implications, nonfatal, self-injurious behavior, physician-assisted suicide, and teaching suicide risk assessment and management as part of psychiatric residency programs. Increased suicide rates among specific populations are also examined.
  • Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir (Marsha Lienhan): In this memoir, author Marsha Lienhan details her journey from a suicidal teenager to a world-renowned developer of life-saving behavioral therapy dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), using her own struggle to develop life skills for others. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: RJ506.S9 L56 2020.
  • Community Interventions to Prevent Veteran Suicide: The role of Social Determinants (Laura Yoder, rapporteur): This electronic conference proceeding summarizes the presentations and discussion of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine March 2022 symposium with the same title. Relevant social, cultural, and economic factors that influence suicide risk among veterans are discussed. Applications for applying current suicide prevention best practices and treatment at a community level are also explored.
  • Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach (David A. Jobes and Marsha Linehan, foreward): This e-book provides essential tools and guidance for assessing and treating a suicidal patient. Step-by-step instructions and forms for evaluating suicidal risk, developing a suicide-specific outpatient treatment plan, and tracking clinical progress and outcomes are provided.
  • The Oxford Handbook of Suicide and Self-Injury (Matthew Nock): This book is available in print and electronically. This comprehensive handbook provides a summary of the most important and exciting advances in suicide and self-injury and the ability to predict and prevent it. Print Copy Location: New Book Shelf (Himmelfarb 1st Floor). Call Number: HV6545 .O9394 2014.
  • Physician Suicide: Cases and Commentaries (Peter Yellowlees): Available in print and electronically, this book explores the culture of medical training and practice, burnout, anxiety, depression, and addiction can lead to suicide among physicians through fictional cases. Ways to mitigate these factors and improve physician health and well-being are explored and case studies are accompanied by literature reviews with resources for further reading. Print Copy Location: New Book Shelf. Call Number: R690 .Y45 2019.
  • Preventing Suicide: The Solution Focused Approach (John Henden): This e-book explores secondary suicide prevention, evidence-based solution-focused brief therapy, risk assessment, management, and medication. This new edition takes an empathetic and validating approach to work with individuals considering suicide.
  • Suicidal Behavior (Richard T. McKeon): This new edition explores the latest approaches to the assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior. Topics covered include epidemiological data, the role of opioid use problems, personality disorders, and trauma play in suicide. Location: Book Stacks. Call Number: RC569 .M41 2022
  • Suicide Assessment and Treatment Planning: A Strengths-Based Approach (John Sommers-Flanagan, Rita Sommers-Flanagan): This e-book provides a holistic, wellness-oriented approach to understanding suicide and working effectively with individuals who are suicidal. A culturally sensitive, seven-dimension model offers methods to collaboratively integrate solution-focused and strengths-based strategies into clinical interactions and treatment planning. Case studies, practitioner guidance, personal and professional self-care techniques, ethical issues, and counselor competencies are included.
  • Suicide Prevention: An Ethically and Scientifically Informed Approach (Samuel Knapp): Offering essential information about assessing, managing, and providing mental health treatment for suicidal adult outpatients, this book guides the reader through the process of treating suicidal patients, from screening to relapse prevention. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: HV6545 .K537 2020.
  • Why People Die by Suicide (Thomas Joiner Jr.): Following a suicide, the most troubling questions are often the most difficult to answer. How could we have known? What could we have done? Why? Written by a clinical psychologist whose own life has been touched by suicide, this book offers a clear account of why some people choose to die. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: HV6545 .J65 2007.

For additional resources on suicide prevention, visit the GW Resiliency and Well-Being Center’s Suicide Prevention website. 

If you are having thoughts of suicide, reach out to GW Student Health Center Suicide Prevention Hotline (202-994-5300, press option 2), submit a CARE Report, or call the 988 24/7 Crisis and Support Lifeline. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, every day.

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