Dr. Kenneth Palmer, assistant dean for graduate programs, (center) congratulates the winners on their outstanding research.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine hosted the third annual Graduate Student Research Day, which provided a forum for nearly 60 students to showcase their research projects and facilitate collaborations across many departments and specialties.

In addition to research presentations, graduate students also organized a career workshop which included tips for post-doctoral applications and job opportunities. Keynote speaker Abigail Salyers, PhD, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shared a refreshing outlook on the future of science with her speech, entitled "Prepare to Be Surprised: The Future of Biology Is Brighter and Weirder Than You Think."

Finally, research awards were presented to the following graduate students, each of whom won a cash prize. The first-place winners received additional funding to attend a research meeting of their choice.

First Place: Amy Kitchen, physiology

Second Place: Steven Lundy, immunology/microbiology

Third Place: Bee Ching Ding, pharmacology

First Place: Sonia Hernandez-Barrantes, cancer biology

Second Place: Derek Lenz, immunology/microbiology

Third Place: Chris Pillar, immunology/microbiology