Trainees gain experience, garner awards at 2024 Research Symposia
Seventy-four trainee researchers shared findings from their most promising scientific and clinical investigations at SIU School of Medicine’s 34th Annual Trainee Research Symposium April 16 and 19, 2024.
The two-day symposium offered trainees from across the SOM system an opportunity to gain experience in making formal presentations of their research and clinical discoveries. Faculty mentors provided assistance for the projects. Presenting trainees included 18 graduate students, 42 medical students, and 14 residents and fellows.
“The symposia illustrate the innovation and dedication of our graduate students, medical students, residents, fellows and our faculty at the School of Medicine,” said Don Torry, PhD, professor and associate dean for research. “Two full days of presentations reflect the amazing breadth and depth of scholarly pursuits being done in Springfield and Carbondale.”
The trainees’ advances challenge current thinking about disease understanding, detection, treatment and prevention. “It highlights our commitment to “Championing Medicine through Research,” Torry said. The mission of SIU School of Medicine is to optimize the health and health care for the people of central and southern Illinois.
The prizewinning studies were:
Medical Students
FULL ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PLACE | NAME | MENTOR & DEPARTMENT |
1st | Anjali Patel M1 | Andrew Wilber, PhD, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology |
2nd | Imadh Khan M2
| Karen Ho, MD, Vascular Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (SIU sponsor; Diana Sarko, PhD) |
2nd | Devin Compton M2 | Andrew Wilber, PhD, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology |
3rd | Zach Settelmyer M3
| Michael Buhnerkempe, PhD, Internal Medicine |
3rd | Lauren Kee M2 | Mohamed Ahamed, MD, Pediatrics – Neonatology |
3rd | Annah Carney M3 | Michael Buhnerkempe, PhD, Internal Medicine |
3rd | Taylor Badger M4 | Andrea Braundmeier-Fleming, PhD, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology & OB/GYN |
LIGHTNING ROUND ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PLACE | NAME | MENTOR & DEPARTMENT |
1st | Yiyi Ma M2
| Gina M. Sizemore, PhD, Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University (SIU sponsor: Don Torry, PhD) |
2nd | Georgia Graham M2 | Khalil Qato, MD, Vascular Surgery |
2nd | Hannah Johnson M2 | Brandon Cox, PhD, Pharmacology and Otolaryngology |
3rd | Michael Brown M3 | Traves Crabtree, MD, Surgery - Cardiothoracic Surgery |
3rd | Chris Rossi M2 | Phil Rossi, MD, Hopedale Medical Complex (SIU sponsor; Don Torry, PhD) |
3rd | Kyle Cole M2 | Myto Duong, MD, Emergency Medicine |
Residents/Fellows
FULL ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PLACE | NAME | MENTOR & DEPARTMENT |
1st | Grace Welp | Ricardo Loret de Mola, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology |
2nd | Fiyinfoluwa Soluade | Subhash Chaudhary, MD, Pediatrics |
2nd | Bredesen Hartmann | Brittany Blaise, MD, Dermatology |
3rd | Miranda Smith | Jacqueline Vardaros, PharmD, FCM Quincy |
LIGHTNING ROUND ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PLACE | NAME | MENTOR & DEPARTMENT |
1st | Jeffrey Baker (geniculate artery) | Sowmy Thuppal, MD/PhD, Surgery |
2nd | Jeffrey Baker (environmental impacts) | Sowmy Thuppal, MD/PhD, Surgery |
2nd | Kerrilyn Hewell | Yahia Zeino, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology |
3rd | Celina Chapman | Jacqueline Vardaros, PharmD, FCM Quincy |
3rd | Kayla Adams | Clare Zimmerman, MD, Pediatrics |
3rd | Cecelia Lai | Marcela Rodriguez, MD, Pediatrics - Infectious Disease |
Graduate Students
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PLACE | NAME | MENTOR & DEPARTMENT |
1st | Shaswati Athaiya
| Sophia Ran, PhD, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology |
2nd | Rajaram Kshetri | Ben Richardson, PhD, Pharmacology |
2nd | Oluwatosin Tewogbola | Phil Jensik, PhD, Physiology |
2nd | Savannah Brannan | Ben Richardson, PhD, Pharmacology |
3rd | Emmanuel Ojo | Shelley Tischkau, PhD, Pharmacology Department of Pharmacology |
3rd | Xiangwei Fang | Daotai Nie, PhD, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology |
3rd | Synda Boumediene | Gabriel Tobón, MD/PhD, Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology |
