The 20th Annual Pritzker Summer Research Program proved to be another successful year of scholarship for a large number of second-year students. Funded in part by the NHLBI, NIDDK, NIA, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, the Summer Research Program allowed students to work closely with faculty mentors across the clinical, translational, and basic sciences. Thanks in large part to the continued guidance of Drs. Vineet Arora, Eugene Chang, William McDade, David Meltzer, and V. Leo Towle, the Summer Research Program has often given students a platform for ongoing research and a chance to present and publish their work on a national level.

After presenting their work to a panel of faculty judges, the following students were recognized for their excellence. The Pritzker School of Medicine would like to congratulate these second-year medical students:

The Joseph B. Kirsner Research Award for Excellence

Pamela Peters
Mentor: Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, & Hilary Kenny, PhD
Exposure to Chemotherapy Primes the Microenvironment for Disease Progression in Ovarian Cancer

The Sigma Xi Award for Impact on Society

Michael Kang
Mentor: Dana Edelson, MD, MS
Real-Time Risk Stratification on the Wards: A Prospective Study

The Brain Research Foundation Award for Neuroscience

Jacob Young
Mentor: Maciej Lesniak, MD
Designing Novel Treatments for Malignant Brain Cancer by Combining Virotherapy and Immunotherapy

Overall Excellence in Scientific Quality, Content and Ability to Respond to Questions in the Performance of Research in Clinical Science

Daniel Blech
Mentor: David Glick, MD
Perioperative Memory Formation and the Bispectral Index

Richard Newcomb
Mentor: David Meltzer, MD, PhD
Do Transfusions Improve Anemia-Related Fatigue?

Rebecca Wellmann
Mentor: Peter O'Donnell, MD
Analyzing the Clinical Actionability of Germline Pharmacogenomic Data in Oncology

Overall Excellence in Scientific Quality, Content andAbility to Respond to Questions in the Performance of Research in Basic Science

Joseph Bellairs
Mentor: James LaBelle, MD, PhD
BIM BH3 Peptide Amphiphiles Induce Apoptotic Cell Death in Hematologic Malignancies

James Luo
Mentor: John Alverdy, MD
Morphine Causes Anastomotic Leak Following Colorectal Surgery in Rats: Role of the Microbiota

Jane Rivas
Mentor: Russell Reid, MD, PhD
Poly (1,8-octanediol citrate)- ß-Tricalcium Phosphate Scaffolds in the Healing of Murine Calvarial Defects

Honorable Mention for Excellence

Oluseyi Fayanju
Mentor: Marshal Chin, MD, MPH, & Monica Peek, MD, MPH
Variation in Perceptions of Diabetes Quality Improvement Among Clinic Staff: A Case Study of Six Chicago Clinics

Sean Gaffney
Mentor:Vinny Arora, MD, MAPP, & Jeanne Farnan, MD, MHPE
Transitions of Care and Transitioning to Training: Teaching and Assessing a Core Entrustable Professional Activity for Entering Residency

Anupriya Gangal
Mentor: Issam Awad, MD
Correlating Peripheral Leukocyte Rho Kinase Activity with Clinical Manifestation of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations

David Hamilton
Mentor: Dana Edelson, MD, MS
Electronic Assessment of Mental Status: An Inpatient Pilot Study

Laurie Nosbusch
Mentor: Kristen Knutson, PhD
One Week of Sleep Extention in the Laboratory: Impact on Diabetes Risk

Michael Rydberg
Mentor: Sangtae Park, MD, MPH
Cost-Effective Care for Small Renal Masses: The Role of Tumor Biopsy

Megan Tusken
Mentor: Julie Chor, MD, MPH
Factors Shaping Women's Pre-Abortion Communication with Gynecologic Care Providers

Obioma Ukabiala
Mentor: Wei Wei Lee, MD, MPH
The Electronic Medical Record: A Patient's Perspective

Jack Weick
Mentor: Douglas Dirschl, MD
Does the Initiation of Anti-Osteoporosis Therapy Following a Fragility Fracture Decrease the Risk of Future Fractures?