In announcing the results of this year’s poster session at the 56th Annual Internal Medicine Research Day, Prajwal Gurung, PhD, and Michihiko Goto, MD, MSCI, wrote, “As in past years, the competition was very tough for the abstract awards. Congratulations to the award winners listed below.” With 65 posters presented in person, this year’s session has almost brought the annual event to pre-pandemic levels, in terms of participation.

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Best Clinical Research Poster

Amy O’Shea – 1st
The Association of Broadband Internet Service with Access to Mental Health Services Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alicia Eustes – 2nd
Crossroads of Immunity and Coagulation: Inhibition of an anticoagulant pathway by complement 1 in COVID-19

Best Basic Science Poster

Grace Ciampa – 1st
Exploring the function of a novel protein in the junctional membrane complex in cardiac muscle

Carley Stewart  – 2nd
Airway Structure Effects on Mucus Transport

Best Trainee Poster

Akansha Jain – 1st
Modulation of cellular ATP levels as a potential therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease

Jace Heath – 2nd
Transcriptional regulation of Cd5 in T cells

Best Poster by a Resident or Fellow

Miles Hagner – 1st
The role of airway epithelial cell responses in sarcoidosis

Jeff Rytlewski – 2nd
A Therapeutic Approach to Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors via Mast Cell Depletion with Imatinib as a Monotherapy and in Combination with Checkpoint Inhibition

Directors’ Choice Award Recipients

ASIC3 plays a protective role in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) via muscle acid sensation during maximal exercise
Tahsin Khataei, MSc, Graduate Fellow, Cardiovascular Medicine

Patterns of COVID-19 Vaccination Response Among Rheumatic Disease Patients Treated with Rituximab
Christopher Halbur, BS, Medical Student

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Gurung and Goto had more than congratulations for the winners on their message. They also expressed their thanks to all the department members who served as judges and to the organizers “who helped make Research Day such a success.”

Their message to the department noted that the day began with a keynote and short invited presentations, two of which were chosen from the submitted abstracts for the poster session. The keynote from Michael David, MD, PhD, walked attendees through the history of S. aureus, noting the dramatic increases over time in its various strains’ resistance to known antibiotics.

Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: From Body Colonization to Global Spread

Michael Z. David, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine and Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics
University of Pennsylvania

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David was followed by five short-but-rich presentations, three of which were from faculty from across the department and college, and two from trainees designated winners of Director’s Choice awards, from the nearly six dozen submissions.

Evaluating the causal impact of organ allocation policy
Tomohiro Tanaka, MD, MPH, Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

The role of airway epithelial responses in sarcoidosis
Alejandro Pezzulo, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine

Uncovering Preterm Immune Development
Jennifer Bermick, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics

ASIC3 plays a protective role in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) via muscle acid sensation during maximal exercise
Tahsin Khataei, MSc, Graduate Fellow, Cardiovascular Medicine

Patterns of COVID-19 Vaccination Response Among Rheumatic Disease Patients Treated with Rituximab
Christopher Halbur, BS, Medical Student

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And then it was time for the main event. While organizers set up takeaway box lunches in the center of the MERF Atrium, presenters stood ready to describe the research depicted on their posters. (Quick aside for special thanks to the Design Center’s Ann Armstrong, Teresa Ruggle, and Lisa Lee for their aid in preparing and printing many of the posters on display that afternoon.)

 

 

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The Department of Internal Medicine extends its thanks to Gurung, Goto, and the Division of Infectious Diseases, for their leadership for the last two years. Next year, the two-year directorship will pass to two new faculty members in a different division within the department.