GA-PCOM students, residents and faculty members presented posters on topics such as obesity, cancer, addiction and more.
Forty two teams of Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) students, residents and faculty members exhibited research findings during the school’s eighth annual Research Day held May 15, 2018.
The research projects, in the areas of biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences and osteopathic medicine, covered such topics as obesity, cancer, addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, steroid exposure and more.
In addition, the event’s keynote presentation was delivered by Omer Kucuk, MD, FACN, a professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute, a part of Emory University School of Medicine. In his presentation, “Botanicals in Integrative Cancer Medicine and Health,” Dr. Kucuk discussed the benefits of soy and lycopene supplements in prostate cancer treatment.
The 2018 Research Day winners included:
Excellence in Research – Biomedical Sciences
First place: Anna Abbott (MS ’18), “Generation of a Sandwich Based 3D Hydrogel to Support Human Mammary Fibroblast Viability and Proliferation,” Faculty Advisor Abigail Hielscher, PhD
Second place: Meridith Hawkins (MS ’18), “Novel Anti-obesity Effects of Human Milk Oligosaccharide Lacto-N-Neotetraose (LNnT),” Faculty Advisor Srujana Rayalam, PhD
Honorable mention: Syara Slaughter (MS ’18), “Utilization of Semi-solid Agar Inoculation
in Microbial Co-culture Yields a Bacteria with Antibiotic Properties against MRSA,”
Faculty Advisor Valerie Cadet, PhD
Excellence in Research – Pharmaceutical Sciences
First place: Sirena Hu (PharmD ’18), “Using Educational Board Games Adjunct to Traditional Lectures for Pharmacy Students in Learning Infectious Disease,” Faculty Advisor Essie Samuel, PharmD, BCPS
Second place: Jonathan Park (PharmD ’20), “Inhibitory Effect of Resveratrol and its Derivative Pinostilbene on Multiple Myeloma Cell Growth,” Faculty Advisor Xinyu Wang, PhD
Honorable mention: Irandokht Najafabadi (PharmD ’18), “Preceptor’s Grading Scale Preference
for Student Pharmacy Practice Experiences and Assessment of the Common Grading Scale
among US Schools of Pharmacy,” Faculty Advisor Brent Rollins, PhD, Rph
Excellence in Research – DO Program
First place: Reshma Patel (DO ’20), “Examining Addiction Treatment Facilities: An Observational Study from the Perspective of Medical Students,” Faculty Advisor Ali Moradi, MD, MPH, Dr.PH
Second place: Loc Lam (DO ’20), “Does the Firing Rate of Purkinje Cell Change under Direct Current Stimulation?” Faculty Advisor Huo Lu, PhD
Honorable mention: Tawsif Nadir (DO ’20), “Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease Using Anti-Biofouling Magnetic Nanomaterials,” Faculty Advisor Harold Komiskey, PhD
Honorable mention: Hafez Golzarian (DO ’20), “Development of Novel Mitochondrially
Targeted Electrophiles (MTE) as Potential Anti-Metastatic Drugs in ER/PR-negative
Breast Cancer Cells,” Faculty Advisor Sadandandan Velu
Excellence in Research – Residents/Fellows
First place: Rashed Alfarra, MD, “Severe Drug Induced Cholestasis Five Weeks after Anabolic Steroids Exposure,” Faculty Advisor Kimberly Bates, MD
Honorable mention: Haris Hatic, DO, “Folate Deficiency in May-Thurner Syndrome,” Faculty Advisor Kimberly Bates, MD
Honorable mention: Cynthia Francis, PhD, “The Role of Renal Epithelial Cell Crosstalk in the Regulation of Cyclosporine A-Induced MMp-9 Production in Calcineurin Isoform-Specific Renal Fibroblasts,” Faculty Advisor Yun Bai, PhD
Fisher Scientific - Excellence in Research
Hyeon Jeong Park (DO '21), "Is 'BPA-Free Really Safe? A comparison of the Effects
of Bisphenol-A and its Analog Bisphenol-S on the Production of Biomarkers of Inflammation,
Neurodevelopment and Oxidative Stress," Faculty Advisor Morgan Peltier, PhD
Faculty members who participated as judges and/or on the Research Day planning committee included:
Srujana Rayalam, PhD; Rangaiah Shashidharamurthy, PhD; Brent Rollins, PhD, RPh; Phillip Palmer, PT, PhD; Lori Redmond, PhD; Abby Hielscher, PhD; Skye Bickett, DHSc, MLIS, AHIP; Valerie Cadet, PhD; Robert McAfee, PhD; Frank Jenney, PhD; Shu Zhu, MD, PhD; Kim Baker, PhD; Dennis Peffley, JD, PhD; Adwoa Aduonum, PhD; Brian Matayoshi, PhD; Mary Owen, JD, PhD; Mike Selby, PhD; Harry Komiskey, PhD; Desuo Wang, PhD, MD; Yun Bai, PhD; Vicky Mody, PhD; Caroline Champion, PharmD; Shirin Madzhidova, PharmD; Jay Lee, PharmD, BCACP, CACP; Vishakha Bhave, PhD; and Shari Allen, PharmD, BCPP
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
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