The 2020 DMU Research Symposium, now in its 11th year, will occur virtually on Thursday, Dec. 3, and will feature all the important aspects of previous years’ symposia – poster and oral presentations of exciting scientific discoveries, a visionary keynote speaker, provocative discussions and stimulating interactions among students and scientists.
In short, the 2020 DMU Research Symposium offers something everyone can benefit from these days – constructive conversations about science and affirmation of its power to improve our quality of life. Equally beneficial: the symposium is free and accessible to anyone around the world with Internet access; all that’s required to participate is registration.
“The symposium allows students, faculty and staff to showcase the merits of their scientific and scholarly activities with their peers and members of the research community,” says Diane Ament, M.P.A., director of research and regulatory affairs. “It also provides a venue for faculty, staff and other researchers to interact and discuss current and future DMU research projects.”
Hosted by the University’s Office of Research and Continuing Medical Education (CME) Program, the event will begin at noon with a welcome and then a keynote address by DMU alumnus S. Vincent Grasso, D.O.’91, MSIS, M.B.A., titled “Utilization of AI Ecosystem Assets in Healthcare.” A surgeon, solution/software architect and medical informaticist, Dr. Grasso is the global practice lead for health care and life sciences with IPsoft, the global leader in enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) and the world’s largest privately owned AI company. He has amassed significant expertise and experience in this area beginning back in the 1990s. He also provides primary care in an inner-city clinic for medically underserved and economically disadvantaged people in New Jersey and is chief technology officer for a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves patients on the south side of Chicago.
After Dr. Grasso’s keynote address, students and scientists will present 76 abstracts during an hour of poster discussion breakout sessions. In the categories of clinical, anatomy/paleontology, movement science, education, public health, and biomedical science, poster topics range from bone sarcoma research, fall risk for older adults, and student perspectives on mental illness to the effects of chronic inflammatory pain, plantar heel pain, and student performance in the classroom.
The abstracts were submitted by students and faculty at DMU, Drake University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Missouri, Clarke University and Waukee, IA, High School’s APEX program. Presentations will be pre-recorded, available for viewing online and judged for prizes.
Before the symposium concludes with awards and closing remarks, six DMU students will give five-minute “lightning” oral presentations on topics relating to chronic heart failure, lymphoma, human osteosarcoma cells, cardiovascular disease, G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) expression, and interprofessional teamwork in a rural environment. The presentation format will allow students to demonstrate their communication skills in addition to sharing their research investigations and findings.
The DMU Research Symposium provides a forum for the collaboration of ideas and the production of new hypotheses, and it demonstrates to attendees the critical role that research plays in advancements in health care. Questions about the symposium? Visit here or contact DMU CME at cme@dmu.edu or 515-271-1596.
