Students present at annual Research Symposium

On Monday, Nov. 10, students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered at the University of Georgia Coverdell Center for the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership’s Class of 2028 to present their research findings at the 15th annual Research Symposium.

The Medical Scholars Program (MSP) offers students the opportunity to expand their scholarly experiences and learn how medical knowledge is derived by participating in summer research programs worldwide. They also learn how to frame a testable hypothesis, write a research proposal, conduct a project, evaluate scientific and medical data, and present their results. It provides them with an opportunity to communicate their findings through presentations at local, regional, and sometimes national scientific meetings. Their findings are then presented at the annual Research Symposium in the fall.

The majority of participants are second-year medical students who completed research in the summer between their first and second years. This year’s Research Symposium featured 41 posters.

The event began with Dr. Kent Nilsson, a professor of medicine at the Medical Partnership, providing the keynote address. Nilsson presented Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Challenges and Next-Generation Approaches.

Following the keynote, the finalists for the elevator pitch competition presented their pitches to attendees, and Krishie Desia, Nidhi Shah, and Sarah Miller were awarded the top three prizes for their presentations. Dhruv Bhagat, Ashley Duong, Marielle Quinn, David Tran, and David Ryu participated in the oral presentation portion of the event. To conclude the event, students participated in a poster session, where guests could view the projects on display and ask questions about the research.

Award Winners

Elevator Pitch

1. Krishie Desai
2. Nidhi Shah
3. Sarah Miller

Poster Competition

1. Nidhi Shah
2. Alex Branch
3. Joanne Choi
4. Chris Kopreski

For a complete list of presentations and abstracts, please visit our website.