The first and second floors of the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus were bursting with knowledge on Thursday, April 3, as WMed faculty, residents, employees, students, and guests took part in the 43rd Annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Research Day.
The theme of Research Day 2025 was “Advancing Therapies, Expanding Access: Pharmaceutical Advances in a New Era,” and the event showcased projects involving breakthroughs in basic and translational sciences, clinical, public health, medical education, social and behavioral sciences, and quality improvement.
MORE: Research Day 2025 photos
Research Day offers an opportunity to highlight the breadth of research and scholarly activity in Kalamazoo’s scientific community through oral presentations and poster presentations. In all, this year’s event featured 113 research abstracts that were presented in various formats, and about 300 people attended. In addition, 10.5 continuing education credits were available for AMA PRA Category 1.
“This year’s Research Day was a powerful reminder of the innovation and curiosity that fuel our medical community,” said Nancy Bjorklund, EdD, MPA, assistant dean for Global and Continuing Education and co-chair of the planning committee for Research Day. “Seeing our students, residents, and faculty present such diverse and impactful work — ranging from basic science to community health — reinforces the vital role research plays in shaping the future of medicine. I was incredibly proud of the collaborative spirit and dedication on display.”
Roger D. Cone, PhD, presented the keynote address, "Understanding How the Brain Regulates Body Weight." Dr. Cone serves as the Mary Sue Coleman Director of the Life Sciences Institute and vice provost and director of the Biosciences Initiative at the University of Michigan.
In supporting the future of research, 14 WMed students, residents and fellows received awards for poster and oral presentations in categories including basic science and translational science, clinical, public health, social/behavioral, and medical education.
Next year, Research Day will be held on Thursday, April 2, at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus.
“I would like to thank the planning committee, scientific committee, reviewers, judges, authors, presenters, and attendees for a successful Research Day. Such a large event takes a community to plan and implement it well,” said Josh Mastenbrook, MD, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and co-chair of the planning committee for Research Day. “Walking around the venue viewing the posters and listening to the oral presentations, I was so impressed by the research with which the students and residents were involved. It was also great to see authors from outside of WMed such as Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, and even a high school student, among others.”
Here is a complete list of the winners at the 43rd Annual Research Day. Congratulations to each of them:
Best Basic Science & Translational Science Research Poster Presentation
- First Place: Ethan Poupard; David Richter; Megan Moore; Sheridan Hayes; Kristi Bailey, HTL; Robert Sawyer, MD; Yong Li, MD | “Autologous blood clots improve healing and angiogenesis following cutaneous burns in a rat model”
- First Place: Shun Yonehara; Michihiro Kobayashi, MD; Momoko Yoshimoto, MD | “3D Cultured Organoids as an Insight to Stem Cell Therapy”
- Second Place: Lauren Herschelman; Sasank Sakhamuri; Ali Vural, PhD | “Use of Formulated Thymoquinone as a Novel Adjuvant Antineoplastic for the Treatment of Follicular Lymphoma”
- Third Place: Grace Manske, BS; Mitchell Kenter, MS; Robert Sawyer, MD; Adil Akkouch, PhD | “Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Silver Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites”
Best Clinical, Public Health, and Social/Behavioral Research Poster Presentation
- First Place: Matthew Hickson; Dean VanLoo, PharmD; Nathan Punt, PharmD | “Prophylactic Dexamethasone Dosing and incidence of hypersensitivity reactions in the setting of Paclitaxel/Carboplatin chemotherapy regimens”
- Second Place: Daniel VanZweden, MD; Conor Dillon, DO; Saad Shebrain, MD | “Hartmann Procedure or Anastomosis with Diversion for Sigmoid Colon Volvulus?”
- Third Place: Amanda Hunt; Sam Coster, DO; Mason Gonzales; Megan Baxter; Christine Schmitt, MD; Kent Grosh, MD; Austin Brubaker; Laurence McCahill, MD | “The Impact of Social Vulnerability on Time to Diagnosis and Disease Stage of Cutaneous Melanoma”
Best Medical Education Poster Presentation
- First Place: Jacob Raiten; Maria L. Sheakley, PhD; Timothy J. Bauler, PhD | “Does Taking a Gap Year Impact Success in Medical School?”
- Second Place: Piper Cramer; Peter Vollbrecht, PhD; Laura Bauler, PhD | “Impact of a Brief Health Literacy-Focused Communication Curriculum on Pre-Clinical Medical Student Communication Skills”
- Third Place: Omar Shaikh, BS; Freddy Jacome, BS; Hardik Dabas, BS; Mariam Banoub, BS; Will Reiser, BS; Owen Lema; Sia Cho, BA | “Enhancing Residency Transparency: A Comprehensive Methodology for Collecting and Analyzing Data on Orthopedic Surgery Residents in the United States”
Best Oral Presentation
- First Place: Nicolas A. Kostelecky, MD; Hunter N. Berger, BS; Abigail J. Grande, MPH | “Peripartum & Postpartum Manners of Death in Western Michigan, 2016 – 2024”
- Second Place: Aiswarya Lakshmi Nandakumar, MBBS; Rajasumi Rajalingam, MD, MSc; Madhavi Latha Nagalla, MBBS | “The Role of Educational Strategies in Psychiatry In-Training Exam (PRITE) performance: A Quality Improvement Project”
- Third Place: Mahmoud Ajine, BS; Rami Madani, BS; John Henriquez, MD; Talal Al-Assil, BS; Gitonga Munene, MD | “Linking Socioeconomic Factors to Intraoperative Outcomes in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma”
Best Community Engagement Project
- Marie Freudenburg; Jeffrey Greene, PhD; Sage Bilsland; Gillian Erickson; Chris Fouch; Noelle Fukuda; Mohamed Hussein, MD; Rebecca Kusko, MD; Mallory Ruvina; David Overton, MD; Joshua Mastenbrook, MD | “Thematic Analysis of Prehospital Provider Narratives involving 911-Responses with Reported Violence”