Get ready to enjoy an enlightening, educational and enjoyable afternoon of exploring a wide range of scientific topics at the virtual DMU Research Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 2, beginning at noon. Now in its 12th year, the symposium will feature all the aspects that have made the annual event a growing success since 2010 – poster and oral presentations of exciting discoveries, a visionary keynote speaker and provocative discussions.
Students and scientists from DMU, Drake University, the University of Iowa and Waukee, IA, High School’s Aspiring Professional Experience program, or APEX, will present 85 research posters and give six five-minute oral presentations. Posters will be available online starting Nov. 30, 2021, for viewing in advance of the symposium; during the event, discussion breakout sessions will allow participants to discuss topic areas with poster presenters and other attendees.
“In a broad sense, research, and the systematic investigation it embodies, is a power avenue to broaden the mind,” says Abigail Amissah-Arthur, Ph.D., senior director of research administration at DMU. “This is something everyone can do, although the form and approach may vary. That is why at Des Moines University, we encourage the active involvement of our students and faculty in the creation and promotion of innovative research and scholarly activities.”
Dr. Amissah-Arthur will open the symposium with a welcome, followed by a keynote address, “39 Years of Coronavirus Research: Insights into COVID-19,” by Stanley Perlman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa.
Dr. Perlman received his Ph.D. in biophysics from M.I.T. and his M.D. from the University of Miami. Trained in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases, he is a member of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration and the COVID-19 Advisory Committee of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Dr. Perlman’s current research efforts are focused on coronavirus pathogenesis, including virus-induced demyelination and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and COVID-19. His laboratory has developed several novel animal models useful for studying pathogenesis and evaluating vaccines and anti-viral therapies.
Among other topics, Dr. Perlman’s research is now focusing on the loss of sense of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia) observed in patients with COVID-19. He has been interviewed by numerous local, state and national media outlets, including the Washington Post, CBS News, Salon.com, Iowa Public Radio and WBUR Radio’s “On Point.”
The Research Symposium is free to attend, but registration is requested by logging in or creating an account via DMU’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) Program’s website. Questions? Contact the Office of Research at ResearchSymposium@dmu.edu or 515-271-1037.
