From left: Dr. Mark Taylor, associate professor of physiology; Cristhiaan Ochoa, basic medical sciences graduate student; Glenda Parra-Bonilla, basic medical sciences graduate student; Dr. David Wood, chair of microbiology
Dr. Sarah Sayner (right), assistant professor of cell biology and neuroscience and Sukrutha Chettimada, basic medical sciences graduate student
------------------------------------------------------------------ The University of South Alabama College of Medicine's 4th annual Research Forum was held Nov. 19, 2010, at USA's main library.
According to Dr. Donna Cioffi, assistant professor of biochemistry at USA, the research forum is a great opportunity for basic medical scientists and clinicians to present their research projects to colleagues at the College of Medicine.
The forum consisted of two sessions - the morning session was comprised of nine oral presentations and the afternoon session hosted poster presentations. "This year we had 38 posters," Dr. Cioffi said. "We were also very excited to have clinical participation from the departments of surgery, internal medicine, gastroenterology and pathology."
Dr. Cioffi said graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and clinical fellows are especially encouraged to present their work in the forum. "Not only do they gain experience in presentation skills, but they also have the opportunity to share their research experiences with other students and faculty."
Cristhiaan Ochoa, a fourth-year graduate student in the basic medical sciences program, said it is important for students to participate in the research forum. "The forum allows you to share your research with people you don't interact with on a regular basis," he said. "Through this program, we are given the opportunity to share our knowledge with them to collaborate and come up with new ideas."
Ochoa's poster presentation involved the study of an exotoxin produced by pseudomonas aeruginosa, a dangerous bacterium. "Ninety percent of bacteria that you isolate from patients in the hospital produces this toxin, which can cause acute lung injury and sepsis, a deadly blood infection," Ochoa said. "In this research study, we are trying to understand how this toxin works."
According to Dr. Cioffi, the forum helps to achieve a strong integration between the basic medical science departments and the clinical departments. "Through this forum we hope that people will share their ideas, which in turn will foster new and exciting projects and collaborations."
To learn more about participating in the annual COM Research Forum, contact Dr. Cioffi at dlcioffi@usouthal.edu or Dr. Jody Brewer at jbrewer@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.
