The 2020 Summer Research Program, an opportunity for students to conduct funded research between their M1 and M2 years, concluded on Friday, August 28, following the two-day Summer Research Forum. This year’s program was conducted virtually for the first time, as students and their faculty mentors and cluster group leaders—including frontline clinicians—weathered the COVID surge and our nation’s struggles with police violence and systemic and structural racism while completing their projects. Throughout the spring, participants and faculty worked diligently to salvage research proposals and transition to socially distanced projects that could be completed remotely. With the support of the Scholarship & Discovery team, students completed virtual basic and translational research, clinical trial enrollments, and even projects in community and global health.
"We are exceptionally proud of the fact that everyone in the program not only persevered, but excelled in the face of extraordinary hardship," said Vineet Arora, MD, MAPP, Herbert T. Abelson Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Scholarship and Discovery. "This year’s papers were truly exceptional. I was personally overwhelmed by what our students accomplished given the backdrop of what was happening in our country and locally in Chicago."
SRP by the Numbers
Student Participants
Faculty Mentors
Summer Research Forum Judges
Cluster Group Leaders
2020 Award Winners
The Joseph B. Kirsner Research Award for Excellence
| Student | Project | Mentors |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Sun | Recorded Bias: Patient Descriptors as a Potential Source for Bias Transmission in the Electronic Health Record |
Elizabeth Tung, MD, MS Monica Peek, MD, MPH |
The Brain Research Foundation Award for Neuroscience
| Student | Project | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Du | Clinical Characteristics of Progressive Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury on Head Computed Tomography Post-Cardiac Arrest | Fernando Goldenberg, MD |
The Sigma Xi Award for Impact on Society
| Student | Project | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Louisa Baidoo | Police Reporting and Access to Resources for Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place Order in Chicago | Elizabeth Tung, MD, MS |
Healthcare Delivery Science Award
| Student | Project | Mentors |
|---|---|---|
| Sukarn Chokkara | Quality of Care for Patients Hospitalized for Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
Valerie Press, MD, MPH Juan Rojas, MD, MS |
Overall Excellence in Scientific Quality, Content and Ability to Respond to Questions in the Performance of Applied Research
| Student | Project | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Maya McKee | The Impact of Race and Ethnicity on the Incidence of Inpatient Palliative Care for Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients | Sarah Hoehn, MD, MBe |
| Julia Ran | Geographical Variations in the Response to 2018 Heart Transplant Allocation Policy | William Parker, MD |
Overall Excellence in Scientific Quality, Content and Ability to Respond to Questions in the Performance of Research in Clinical or Social Sciences
| Student | Project | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Ellen Goldberg | Differences in Sociodemographic Disparities in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Advanced Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer | Oliver Eng, MD |
| Gabriel Kaufmann | Are Social and Sexual Behaviors Mediated by the Human Chemosignal Androstadienone via Genetic Variation in OR7D4, its Receptor? | Jay Pinto, MD |
Overall Excellence in Scientific Quality, Content and Ability to Respond to Questions in the Performance of Research in Basic Science
| Student | Project | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Mohan Chennakesavalu | Identifying Drivers of Aggressive Neuroblastoma from 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Profiles in Cell-Free DNA | Mark Applebaum, MD |
| Willa Li | A Solid Mechanics Approach to Modeling Coarctation of the Aorta |
Narutoshi Hibino, MD, PhD & Luka Pocivavsek MD, PhD |
Honorable Mention for Excellence
| Student | Project | Mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Max Ackerman | The Need for Re-Intervention Following Intra-Abdominal Drainage in Patients with Colorectal Disease | Benjamin Shogan, MD |
| Kevin Ashi | Validation of the Nigerian Breast Cancer Study Model for Predicting Individual Breast Cancer Risk in Uganda and Cameroon |
Funmi Olopade, MD, FACP |
| Karina Grullon Perez | A Randomized Controlled Trial of An Early Childhood Educators Online Professional Development Curriculum | Dana Suskind, MD |
| Manizha Kholmatov | Measurement Methods and Patient Outcomes in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma | Samuel Armato, PhD |
| Aaditya Manirajan | Total Hip Arthroplasty After Acetabular Fractures in the Older Population: Timing of Intervention May Be Everything for Success | Jason Strelzow, MD |
| Leslie McCauley | Examining the Relationship Between Contraceptive Use, Sexual Orientation, and Race: Results From the Pittsburgh Girls Study | Kathryn Keenan, PhD |
| Joseph Riehm | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nighttime Room Entries and Sleep Disruptions for Pediatric Patients | Nicola Orlov, MD, MPH |
| Teresa Xiao | Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Development of Vascular Disease in Older Adults | Jay Pinto, MD |
| Amanda Zhang | Characterizing No-Show Risk Factors to Inform Intervention Strategies to Improve Appointment Attendance | David Meltzer, MD, PhD |
"We are particularly proud of the fact that we were able to preserve and maintain funding from most of our funding sources, including obtaining new funding to ensure every student who desired funding was funded," said Arora. The following organizations provided funding for 2020 projects: