Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Medical students, residents, and undergraduates who conduct research under a Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) biomedical or clinical faculty member gathered on Friday, January 13, 2023, at the Center for Medical and Health Science building at Liberty University to present their research.
Research Day is an annual meeting that celebrates the research endeavors of Liberty University students and faculty, as well as healthcare professionals from regional academic institutions and practice sites. The event provides a forum to disseminate research findings with oral and poster presentations that facilitate interactions and promote new collaborations between participating institutions.
Dr. Don Raleigh, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Operations noted, “Research Day is a tremendous opportunity for our students to showcase the high-level research in which they have been involved and is so important in their development as a physician to help them understand the value of research throughout their future.”
LUCOM Professor of Microbiology, Michael Price, Ph.D., organized the event for approximately 53 students, one Research Fellow, and 12 judges. Research Day provides a forum for and gives students valuable experience in sharing their work with the university community.
“It is an excellent opportunity for students to practice the dissemination of research findings which is especially important with the recent changes in licensing exams and residency applications. Our students must be able to differentiate themselves from their peers and engaging in productive research supports those efforts,” said Dr. Price. Research Day not only strengthens postgraduate residency applications for LUCOM students but also boosts residency match rates for LUCOM.
Evaluations submitted by judges were used to award two prizes: the Best Oral Presentation was awarded to McClain Vail (OMS-II), Austin Le Vey (OMS-II), Thuy-Linh Nguyen (OMS-II), Aaron Rodriguez (OMS-II),Nathaniel Spears (Senior, B.S. Biomedical Sciences, Liberty University), Jeffrey Houghton (Research Tech III, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine), and Joseph C. Gigliotti, PhD (Associate Professor of Physiology and Director of Research, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine). They presented: Interrelationship Between Diet and Exercise, Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress, and Metabolic Dysfunction: What Causes What? The award for Best Poster Presentation was presented to John N. Pignataro (OMS-III) and Lynnett L. Schindler, MD, Women’s Health of Central Virginia). They presented: Isolated fallopian tube torsion: A case report.
Price added, “I think this year’s Research Day was a strong return from the pandemic in terms of numbers attending. The oral presentations were excellent, with much discussion for every talk during the question/answer time. Likewise, the poster presentations were extremely well done and well attended, with many conversations extending past the official end of the event. Overall, I think Research Day 2023 was a resounding success and I look forward to expanding participation by our residents and fellow medical schools in the Commonwealth in the years to come.”