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WSU School of Medicine recognizes excellence in medical student research

“MSRD 1467”: Drs. Ken Palmer (far left) and Noreen Rossi (far right) congratulate the winners of this year’s Medical Student Research Symposium.

Presentations by Wayne State University medical students highlighted the annual Medical Student Research Symposium on Jan. 11. Students presented research findings to their peers as well as to a group of faculty judges.

The research presented at the annual symposium is conducted as part of the School of Medicine’s summer research fellowship program, which provides stipends for 20 students who spend their summer collaborating with established biomedical researchers.

Noreen Rossi, MD, WSU professor of internal medicine and staff physician at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, is director of the summer research program. Dr. Rossi and others who are actively involved have continually stressed the value of the fellowship program and the symposium in providing an opportunity for medical students to conduct and present research.

“The fellowship program provides a mechanism for students to experience the excitement of medical research, while offering support for students who really want to do research over the summer but, for financial reasons, may be forced to do something else,” said Dr. Rossi. “The symposium, itself, is important because it allows these students to share their research in a collegial setting and recognizes them for their efforts.”

The following four students received special recognition for their research presentations:

First Place (Poster Presentation)
Sid Kerkar, Year II
“Reactive oxygen metabolites induce a biphasic contractile response in microvascular lung pericytes”
Mentor: Christopher Steffes, MD

Second Place (Poster Presentation)
Maged Rizk, Year II
“Differentiation-dependent expression of EGFR related protein (ERRP) in Caco-2 cells and colonic and pancreatic cancers”
Mentors: Adhip Majumdar, MD, and Marc Basson, MD

First Place (Oral Presentation)
Ravi Shridhar, PhD, Year II
“Cystatin M reduces lung metastases on human breast carcinoma xenografts in SCID mice”
Mentor: Bonnie Sloane, PhD

Second Place (Oral Presentation)
Todd Francis, Year II
“The effect of traumatic brain injury on phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2-alpha in the rat”
Mentor: James McAllister, PhD

In addition to cash prizes for first and second place recognition, the student judged to have presented the best overall research received the Hershel and Lois Sandberg Prize for Excellence in Medical Research. This year’s recipient of the Sandberg award was Ravi Shridhar, PhD. Shridhar received a $1,200 travel award and will present his research at the National Student Research Forum in Galveston, Texas.

The Medical Alumni Association originally established the summer research fellowship program during the 1980s. An endowment from Dr. and Mrs. Hershel Sandberg will allow the program to expand. Dr. Sandberg (MD, '53) has maintained close ties to the school throughout his medical career. A long-time alumni association board member, Dr. Sandberg also served as the group’s president. The Sandbergs have been generous donors to the school and are members of the university’s Anthony Wayne Society. Formerly chief of endocrinology and metabolism at Sinai Hospital, Dr. Sandberg is currently associated with Royal Oak’s Beaumont Hospital. For information about making a gift, contact Elsa Silverman at (313) 577-6482.

Students who wish to participate in the summer fellowship program are asked to contact Dr. Noreen Rossi at (313) 576-4525. In addition to application materials, Dr. Rossi can counsel students on what types of research may be ongoing and available for student participation.

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