SMHS Highlights Scholarship at Annual Medical Student Research Day

Poster presentation and abstract winners for medical student research day were judged by an independent panel of faculty.

June 21, 2022

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By Thomas Kohout

More than 150 students from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) medical doctor program presented abstracts, poster sessions and selected oral presentations on a range of disciplines, such as clinical and translational science, clinical public health and medical education-related research during the 2022 SMHS Medical Student Research Day.

The event, distinct from the university-wide research days, offered an opportunity for medical students to highlight their breadth of research and scholarly activities.

This year’s event at the end of April kicked off with a keynote address from Julie E. Bauman, director of the GW Cancer Center, associate dean of cancer and professor of medicine at SMHS, followed by poster sessions and awards presentations.

Bauman joined GW SMHS in April, coming from University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine-Tucson, where she served as professor of medicine, chief of hematology/oncology and medical director of oncology services. She also was the deputy director of the UA Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-leader of its Clinical and Translational Oncology Program, bringing together basic and clinical scientists to transform scientific discoveries into clinical applications.

She is a nationally recognized leader in cancer therapeutics for both prevention and treatment with more than 150 publications and a long track record of funding from the National Institutes of Health. Bauman’s clinical research work earned her the prestigious NCI Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award.

The 2022 recipient of the annual Doris DeFord Speck, B.A. ’41, and George Speck, M.D. ’41, Endowed Prize for outstanding accomplishments in medical student research was Eric Chalif. He boasts an impressive record of research accomplishments during his time at SMHS, including several comprehensive database analyses of factors that affect brain tumor outcomes, as well as more basic studies related to developing immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of glioblastoma.

He produced seven peer-reviewed manuscripts, two invited reviews, and has several other manuscripts under review, all predominantly related to neurosurgery and neuro-oncology. In addition, Chalif received competitive fellowships from both the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation and the Carolyn Kuckein student fellowship from the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society.

Paul Boyd, received the 2022 Donald H. Glew Prize for his abstract and poster, titled “The Impact of Magnetoencephalography-Directed Stereo-Encephalographic Depth Electrode Implantation on Seizure Control Outcome: A Single Institution’s Experience.” The Glew prize, established by William B. Glew, M.D. '53, in honor of his brother, Donald H. Glew, M.D. ’48, is presented each year to the medical student with the best abstract and poster presentation at Medical Student Research Day. Chima Oluigbo, associate professor of neurological surgery and of pediatrics at SMHS and Children's National Hospital, served as Boyd’s mentor on the project.

The William Beaumont Research Awards were presented to three students for outstanding research accomplishments from work submitted for publication in Fusion, the student-run research magazine at GW SMHS.

The recipients of the 2022 William Beaumont Research Awards:

  • Jacob Bjork: The Effects of Parenting Stress Between Poverty and Language Outcomes at One and Two Years
  • Wayde Dazelle: Tranexamic Acid for the Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
  • Alisa Malyavko: Single-Level Cervical Disc Replacement Associated with Increased Anterior Revision at 1-Year, 2-Years, and 5-Years Compared to Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

The abstracts and poster presentations for medical student research day were judged by an independent panel of faculty reviewers, and outstanding submissions were selected from each of the three major subject area categories: Clinical and Translational Research, Public Health Research and Medical Education Research.

Below are the recipients of these awards.

The recipients of the 2022 Awards for Best Abstract/Poster:

  • Michael Berrigan: Exogenous Reprogramming of Macrophages with HDAC6 Inhibitors Improves Macrophage-Based Cell Therapy in Melanoma
  • Rishika Bheem: Clinical Epidemiology of Candidemia in Hospitalized Children
  • Nick Jennings: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical School Pathway Programs
  • Andrea Klein, MSIV: Impact of Cochlear Dose on Hearing Preservation Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Treatment of Vestibular Schwannomas: A Multi-center Study 
  • Isabella Lipkin: Artificial Intelligence in Heart Disease: Diagnostic Accuracy of Next Generation Coronary Imaging to Improve Patient Outcomes
  • Katherine Maehl: Preliminary Qualitative Analysis of a Novel Produce Prescription Pilot Program
  • Jordan Pizzaro: Overweight BMI and Its Impact on Lumbar Fusion Complications in the Elderly US Population
  • Natalie D’Souza: Impact of Ransomware Attack on System Operations at a Major Tertiary Medical Center
  • Prasantha Vemu: Telehealth Services in an Outpatient Nephrology Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Patient Perspective Natalie D’Souza: Impact of Ransomware Attack on System Operations at a Major Tertiary Medical Center