PCOM hosts annual Research Day showcasing scholarly activity across the college’s 3 campuses

For the 13th year in a row, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) hosted their annual Research Day in May, providing an opportunity for all members of the PCOM community to showcase their research, innovation, scholarship and creativity through posters and presentations. This year’s event took place at the Philadelphia campus on May 1, with additional Research Day showcases held on May 7 at the Suwanee, Georgia, campus and on May 8 at the Moultrie, Georgia, campus.

The May 1 showcase featured 130 presentations covering a variety of topics, such as:

• An examination of the relationship between expected outcomes and anxiety severity in patients using medical marijuana
• Insights into a clinician-directed educational program about gun violence and prevention, and available resources in two community health centers in North and West Philadelphia
• Ongoing development of therapeutic approaches to block fibrosis associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

The posters were also accompanied by investigators who shared their research and studies to members of the PCOM community, guests and judges.

In addition to the diverse poster presentations, the event also featured a keynote address by Scott K. Dessain, MD, PhD, an oncologist, research scientist and professor at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research.

Mindy George-Weinstein, PhD, PCOM’S chief research and science officer, highlighted the importance of Research Day and its objectives: “Research Day is the premier event that showcases scholarly activity across all three PCOM campuses. Our goals are to promote health through basic, translational, clinical, community-based and education research, and engage students in these efforts to nurture their curiosity, creativity and commitment to generating new knowledge throughout their careers.”

The event concluded with the distribution of multiple awards, including the David Miller, DO, Memorial Endowed Research Day Awards. Jason Fink, OMS II, took home the Best in Show Award for his poster “Improving IOL Calculators’ Total Corneal Astigmatism Predictions with Deep Learning.”

Further highlighting the importance of science and research, PCOM president and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO, stated, “In the world we live in today, facts are more important than ever, and research drives facts in science. At the end of the day, we’re a science-based institution. … We can never underestimate the value and purpose of research.”

For more information on PCOM’s Research Day, including a full list of winners, please visit PCOM’s statement on the day’s events.