Can fossils from millions of years ago shed light on climate change occurring today? Can the consumption of certain fruits suppress cancer cell growth? Would changes in standard ankle fracture surgery enhance patient outcomes? Should standardized instruction of health policy be part of the medical curriculum?
These are just some of the many questions DMU students and faculty have asked and investigated in the University’s diverse research enterprise. Their latest research findings will be showcased at the annual DMU Research Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 1.
For the first time since 2019, the event will be held in person in the Student Education Center on DMU’s campus, 3200 Grand Ave. DMU faculty, staff, students, alumni, medical residents, external researchers, health professionals and members of the medical and scientific community in the region are invited to participate and present at the event.
Now in its 13th year, the symposium is a forum for student and faculty scholars to present what they have learned and discovered through their research and to engage the larger community in discussion on cutting-edge health topics. The event will include oral and poster presentation sessions and an award ceremony.
This year’s symposium also will feature as keynote speaker Balaji Narasimhan, Ph.D., the Anson Marston distinguished professor and the Vlasta Klima Balloun faculty chair in chemical and biological engineering at Iowa State University. He directs the Nanovaccine Institute, an interdisciplinary consortium of universities, national laboratories, research institutes, companies and hospitals that focuses on the design and development of next-generation nanovaccines and nanotherapeutics. The vision of the institute’s researchers, according to its website, is that “nanovaccines and nanotherapeutics will revolutionize how we prevent and treat disease.” He is a co-founder of a startup called ImmunoNanoMed Inc.
The recipient of several scientific awards, Dr. Narasimhan has received funding from entities including the National Institutes of Health, the USDA, Department of Defense, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and industry. He has co-authored more than 300 refereed articles, co-invented 10 patents, edited three textbooks and delivered more than 400 invited and contributed lectures.
For more information about the DMU Research Symposium, including the deadline for submitting an abstract, visit its website.
