Innovation and Collaboration
Innovation and collaboration set the stage for the second annual School of Medicine Graduate and Medical Student Research Day on Oct. 22, at the Tinkham Veale University Center. The combined day of research exploration brings graduate and medical students together to showcase research accomplishments and facilitate cross-program collaboration.
Congratulations to Graduate and Medical Student Research Day 2024 winners!
Outstanding Mentors:
- Jason A Mears, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
- Antoine Louveau, PhD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Tani Malhotra, MD, University Hospitals
- Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, University Hospitals
Outstanding Student Presenters:
- Bijoya Basu, Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
- Nicholas Beattie, MD program
- Elizabeth Bryson, PhD program
- Elaine Cheng, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine MD program
- Nikita Das, MD program, Outstanding Oral Presentation
- Nancy Dunbar-Abbaei, MD program
- Scott Fong, MD program
- Claire Fritz, MSTP
- Abby Grier, MD program
- Fayez Kanj, MD program
- Brian Kim, MSTP, Outstanding Oral Presentation
- Bailey Klein, PhD program, Outstanding Oral Presentation
- Gabrielle Labrozzi, PhD program
- Suzhou Li, PhD program
- Jevin Litwiler, MD program
- Mingda Liu, PhD program
- Ronae McLin, MD program
- Oscar Ose, MD program
- Sajan Patel, MD program
- Samhitha Rai, MD program
- Beck Schur, MD program
- Hanna Suh, MD program
- Avianna Thompson, PREP Scholar
- Manu Vohra, MD program
- Soon Yi, MSTP
Get to know students involved in Graduate and Medical Student Research Day
Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Brianna Busscher
PhD, Pathology
Class of 2025 (January)
In simple terms, what is your research project about?
My research focuses on understanding how a viral protein (ORF3a) from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic coronavirus interacts with human proteins (TRAFs and VPS39) to modulate host anti-viral strategies. In the broadest sense, I want to understand what this viral protein is doing during coronavirus infection, and I'm investigating that from a structural biology perspective.
What are you looking forward to at Graduate and Medical Student Research Day?
I'm looking forward to hearing the oral presentations! Last year, I was impressed by the diversity of projects the presenters shared, and I learned about topics that I wouldn't normally encounter in my field of study.
How does a program like this help you achieve your long-term goals?
I've had the pleasure of serving on the organizing committee this year and last year, which has helped me to develop interpersonal, communication, leadership and practical/logistics planning skills. These will all be useful regardless of my long-term career path.
What advice do you have for students who may be interested in participating in Graduate and Medical Student Research Day next year?
Research Day is a great opportunity to share your work in a low-stakes environment and to meet fellow graduate students. I highly recommend that students at any stage in their program participate to practice presenting. (And don't forget that you can add it to your CV!) I also encourage any students who are interested to volunteer on the Research Day organizing committee--you'll get an inside look at what it takes to put on a large event, develop translational skills and work on a team with students and faculty in other fields.
NaShea Kendrick
PhD, Pharmacology
Class of 2025
How are you involved in this year’s Graduate and Medical Student Research Day?
I am on the planning committee. Tessianna Misko, PhD, and other faculty and staff planning Research Day made sure students took the reins on choosing a keynote speaker. They trusted us to choose an engaging, insightful speaker who would resonate with both medical and graduate students.
What are you looking forward to at Graduate and Medical Student Research Day?
I'm looking forward to hearing an inspiring presentation from Dr. Sidney Whiteheart, our keynote speaker this year. I'm also looking forward to hearing presentations from my friends and to see how their research has progressed over the last year.
What advice do you have for students who may be interested in participating in Graduate and Medical Student Research Day next year?
Research Day is a fantastic opportunity to tell your scientific story, whatever stage it's at. Your peers and mentors are outstanding resources for new perspectives and ideas on how to move your project forward, and they're rooting for your success. Make the most of it!
Sajan Patel
Program: Doctor of Medicine
Class of 2027
In simple terms, what is your research project about?
My research project seeks to assess the rates of eardrum perforations following ear tube insertion, the utilization of several unique revision procedures following a perforation and demographic variables associated with these procedures among the United States pediatric population.
What are you looking forward to at Graduate and Medical Student Research Day?
I look forward to sharing my passion for this project at Graduate and Medical Student Research Day. It combines my core interests of large database population health research and surgical subspecialties such as otolaryngology. I am equally excited to support my peers who are also showcasing their research, listening to their presentations, and learning more about their unique projects.
How does a program like this help you achieve your long-term goals?
This program serves as a great way for students like myself to become more comfortable presenting research and receiving real-time feedback from knowledgeable faculty. A program like this where I can refine my presentation and research skills can help me achieve my goals as a physician who delivers not only first-class patient care but also contributes to medical advancements through impactful research.
What advice do you have for students who may be interested in participating in Graduate and Medical Student Research Day next year?
I highly advise anyone interested in participating in Graduate and Medical Student Research Day to do so. Even if this is your first time conducting or presenting research, it is a great introductory platform. The student-centric nature of the event makes this an easy way to showcase your hard work. It can also connect you with other students and faculty who can help you improve upon existing research and potentially discuss new research ideas for the future.
Keynote Lecture
"Membrane trafficking in platelets both exo- and endocytosis, matters for hemostasis and beyond"
Presented by Sidney Whiteheart, PhD, FAHA, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Whiteheart earned his PhD at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Gerald W. Hart, in the field of glycosylation and glycosyltransferases. As a post-doctoral fellow with Dr. James E. Rothman, he was involved in the discovery of SNARE proteins that mediate membrane fusion events. This led to the formulation of the “SNARE Hypothesis” to explain intracellular trafficking.
At the University of Kentucky (UK), he is a full professor with tenure. In 2010, he was awarded a UK University Research Professorship, in 2013 the Kirwan Prize and in 2019 an endowed professorship. In the past 30+ years, his group has been a key contributor to dissecting the molecular mechanisms of platelet secretion. The team has been a leader in assigning SNAREs and SNARE regulators to specific platelet secretion events and in probing the roles of platelet exo- and endocytosis in hemostasis, innate immune responses and vascular integrity maintenance. This work has resulted in more than 150 publications. Whiteheart is strongly committed to training and mentoring graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and undergraduates; more than 60% have been women or underserved minorities. He was selected by trainees for the UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Award (2006), as a Women in Medical Sciences Mentor Award nominee (2019) and the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences Mentor Awardee (2023). He is the Director of the MD/Ph.D. training program at UK.
Abstract:
"Membrane trafficking in platelets both exo- and endocytosis, matters for hemostasis and beyond"
Platelets, as vascular sentries, are capable of bidirectional interactions with their microenvironment through basic cellular processes whose significance is largely underexplored. Despite significant advances in understanding the signaling from vascular damage detection, our view of how activated platelets execute the steps needed for vascular homeostasis is limited. Over the years, we have probed the mechanisms of platelet secretion using genetically altered models, defining many of the proteins and steps involved in platelet granule cargo release. Our work on platelet endocytosis led to the discovery that platelets can take up pathogens, e.g., viruses, and can be activated. Using this collection of genetically modified animals, we have expanded our studies of how platelets contribute to vascular integrity and health. In this presentation, I will review some of our basic mechanistic discoveries about platelet exocytosis and discuss the roles of a few new proteins that we have shown are contributors (i.e., Sec10/EXOC5, α synuclein, Cysteine String Protein α/DnaJC5). Also, I will discuss how platelet secretion and endocytosis affect hemostasis, aortic aneurysm formation, and surface wound healing. These examples illustrate the myriad roles that platelets play and how their bidirectional interactions with their microenvironment maintain vascular health.