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The 4th Annual Medical Sciences Poster Fair 

April 19, 2023—The 4th Annual Medical Sciences Poster Fair today showcased the biomedical research and health and community service-learning endeavors of students in the Undergraduate Program in Medical Sciences Links to an external site.. One hundred students presented posters at the event held in the atrium of the CARE/Crawley Building and Medical Sciences Building. Among them was graduating senior Indraneel Kulkarni who said, “It was amazing talking with so many people with varied academic backgrounds. I’m glad that I wasn’t simply presenting my project but having constructive conversations and sharing my excitement of scientific discoveries.”

Poster judges and visitors comprised graduate students, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and community service partners. “Many thanks to the 100 judges who provided our students with excellent critical feedback and an appreciation of their work,” said Bryan Mackenzie, PhD, Professor and Director of Research Experiences for the program.

At the conclusion of the event David Askew, PhD, Professor and Director of Service-Learning Experiences, and Dr Mackenzie presented certificates and modest cash prizes to the top-placed students in each category.

“I am in awe of the breadth and depth of our students’ research and service projects,” said Anil Menon, PhD, Distinguished Teaching Professor and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education. “The confidence and knowledge that the students demonstrate in explaining their work, and the effort that each and every one of them has invested is making a positive impact in the world.” Menon added, “None of this would be possible without the superb mentoring of Drs Mackenzie and Askew, and the assistance of Shawn Adkins, Corbin Azucenas, Jenny Benkert, Michele Glassmeyer, Maddy Kramer, Milan Parikh, and Danny Wu.”

“Presenting my research was a wonderful experience—one of the greatest joys of my undergraduate career,” said graduating senior Nick Shaw, “—and getting to see the incredible work my classmates have done.”

Medical Sciences Students in the News:

• Megan Smith Named AAC Rookie of the Week
• Benya Coleman Named First Marian Spencer Scholarship Recipient for Medical Sciences Program
• Adam Elzarka earns Truman Scholarship
• Nicholas Shaw earns Barry Goldwater Scholarship
• Shivane Chawla receives Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence

Congratulations College of Medicine Baccalaureate Programs Class of 2022!

A special commencement ceremony was held on Thursday, April 28 in Kresge Auditorium.  Dr. Chris Lewis addressed the graduating seniors.

Medical Sciences Poster Fair 2022
The third annual Medical Sciences Poster Fair, Friday, April 22, showcased the biomedical research and health & community service-learning endeavors of students in the college of medicine undergraduate program in Medical Sciences. Some 122 students presented or co-presented 109 posters at the event, which took place in the CARE/Crawley Atrium and Medical Sciences Building E-Level. View the program (PDF). “It was really nice to be able to share our research with peers, professors, and other researchers in-person,” said Marianne Emmert (Class of 2022). “Although I have shared my research for presentations in class and for virtual poster fairs, the Medical Sciences Poster Fair was my first time presenting my research at an in-person poster fair. I really enjoyed it!” Students and program leadership are grateful to the over 80 faculty, graduate students, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, program staff, and community partners who served as judges at the event and provided expert critical feedback. The following students were selected for special recognition and awarded modest cash prizes:
Biomedical Research
Place	Student Awardee	Mentor	Principal Investigator	Poster Title
1st	Maria Rich	Joseph Maciag, PhD	Tom C. Seegar, PhD	Isolation and imaging of the ADAM17 protein using electron microscopy
2nd	Indraneel Kulkarni	Corbin R. Azucenas, BS	Bryan Mackenzie, PhD	Towards identifying an organic anion driving ferroportin-mediated cellular iron efflux
3rd	Marianne Emmert	Qingnian Goh, PhD	Roger Cornwall, MD	Sex-specific role of myostatin signaling in denervation atrophy and neuromuscular contractures
Health & Community
Place	Student Awardee	Community Partner	Community Organization	Poster Title
1st	Rishi Mehta	Maria Jones	Crohn's and Colitis Foundation	Building effective fundraising infrastructure with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
2nd	Sachi Bhati	Sonya Carrico	Interact For Health	Addressing substance use disorder (SUD) stigma in health care
3rd	Sonali Doshi	Mentalla Ismail	Refuge-UC	Expanding mentorship for refugee adolescents in Cincinnati
Anusha Kalavacharla was awarded the Undergraduate Research Award in Physiology presented by the American Physiological Society (APS). The recognition is accompanied by a complimentary membership in APS, subscriptions to top-rate physiology journals including the topical review journal Physiology, and access to professional development and other resources. Anusha presented her capstone project “Atypical patterns of human cytomegalovirus infection in glioblastoma”, a collaboration with Matthew J. Beucler, BS and William E. Miller, PhD. After graduating this spring, Anusha will join a post-baccalaureate, research internship program at the National Cancer Institute–National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and work in the laboratory of Laurie Krug, PhD. Meanwhile Anusha plans to explore MD and PhD programs nationwide. Commenting on the event, Anil G. Menon, PhD, professor of molecular genetics, biochemistry and microbiology, and director of the Medical Sciences program, said, “I was utterly astonished at the depth, knowledge and passion of our students, and am comforted in knowing that they will go out into this tumultuous world and change it for the better.”
Submit Your Photos
We asked participants to take photos of the event for the photo album. Please submit your photos of the Medical Sciences Poster Fair.
Thank You
Thank you for your part in making the poster fair a success. The Organizing Committee

Med Sci Students Greet President Pinto

July 15, 2021—Medical Sciences students were among those greeting UC President Neville Pinto in Kresge Circle on UC’s first fully-in-person day since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. President Pinto treated everyone to shaved ice from the Kona Ice truck. Pictured alongside President Pinto (center) are (left to right) Alexander Sprague (MSTP student), Corbin Azucenas (MedSci ’20 graduate), and MedSci students Indraneel Kulkarni (’23), Anish Sharma (’23), and (in front) Mariam Ranginwala (’23). Alex and Anish are studying epidemiological factors in the etiology of squamous-cell carcinomas in the laboratory of Scott Langevin, PhD, associate professor of environmental and public health sciences. Corbin (now a first-year PhD student in the Systems Biology & Physiology Program), Neel and Mariam are studying iron transport and homeostasis in the laboratory of Bryan Mackenzie, PhD, associate professor of physiology.

Schubert Awarded Advisor of the Year

The Student Activities and Leadership Development recently announced their 2021 Celebration of Student Involvement Award recipients.  We are proud to announce that Medical Sciences faculty member and advisor Dr. Charles Schubert was named the recipient of the Advisor of the Year Award.  He was nominated by his advisees for the award.

This particular award falls under the University of Cincinnati Student Organization Awards category of Celebration of Student Involvement - Individual Awards field.  According to the Student Activities & Leadership Development website, the Advisor of the Year Award "recognizes an outstanding student organization advisor.  Recipients for this award should demonstrate excellence in at least one of the following areas: inclusive community, leadership, engagement, advocacy, or discovery".

Dr. Schubert specializes in pediatric emergency medicine and global health.  He earned his MD at the University of Cincinnati in 1979 and currently serves as Director, Residency Global Child Health at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and as Professor in the UC Department of Pediatrics.  Congratulations Dr. Schubert on this well deserved achievement!

Elleman and Vemuru Awarded PLME

We are proud to announce Medical Sciences Class of 2021 students Chloe Elleman and Priyanka Vemuru have been recognized as recipients of the 2021 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence (PLME).  The PLME, established in 2002, is a prestigious honor awarded by the University President to exceptional undergraduate students.  These students exemplify scholarship, leadership, character, service, and the ideals of the University of Cincinnati.  Congratulations Chloe and Priyanka on this achievement!

Elleman

Vemuru