OFFICE of RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Director: Joseph K. Prinsen

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Office 585-415-9332

Direct 517-325-3613

Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology

B440 Life Sciences Building

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48910

SOMA and BIOMEA Abstract Competition

At OMED 2011, SOMA continued its collaboration with BIOMEA to offer students a venue to present their international experiences. This year's competition consisted of 2 categories: (1) research projects conducted internationally and (2) broad outreach experiences. There were 20 abstracts submitted in the outreach category and 7 in the research category. The winners, who were selected by BIOMEA members, were as follows:

Research

1st Place - Erin K. Philpott, OMS II, et al, for their abstract entitled, "Identifying Risk Factors Involved in the Spread of Dengue Virus in Guyana"

2nd Place - Karen Koto, OMS II, et al, for their abstract entitled, "Exposure to DEHP and Its Implications in the Pediatric Population of Taiwan"

Outreach

1st Place - Kesha Zaveri, OMS II, et al, for their abstract entitled, "Effect of the Continuity of Schistosomiasis Screenings on Disease Prevalence in Rural Tanzanian Villages"

2nd Place - Amanda Wu S. Liu, OMS II, et al, for their abstract entitled, "Holistic Patient-Centered Care in Taiwan Correlates With Osteopathy"

These winners were invited to present a summary of their research in Orlando, Florida, during the 13th Annual International Seminar, Osteopathic Medicine in the Global Community, which was held Sunday, November 30, at OMED 2011.

I congratulate all of the winners and abstract presenters on their achievements. It is my hope that their success will be a driving force for them and their colleagues to conduct cutting-edge osteopathic medical research throughout their careers.

SOMA Student Research Fellowship

In 2011, SOMA partnered with the AOA to offer a new student fellowship program. The SOMA Student Research Fellowship was created to address a need for more high-quality research from osteopathic physicians. The skills needed to perform research are of a diverse nature and include the necessary technical experimental acumen and cognitive skills. Identifying clinical or basic science knowledge gaps and formulating questions that lead to testable hypotheses are two examples of such cognitive skills. Technical and persuasive writing form the foundation of effective scientific communication and grantsmanship. Starting to develop these skills as a medical student is one way to accelerate the pace at which osteopathic physicians become efficient as researchers.

Students were selected for the 2011 award, which consisted of $2000 per recipient, based on a proposal application submitted in spring 2011. In March 2011, the SOMA Student Research Fellowship and the AOA Council on Research finalized the selection of 5 recipients of the 2011 fellowship award. The winners were as follows:

Ivan Alger, OMS I, for his proposal entitled, Mechanisms of Pressure Inhibition on Mucosal Healing (Mentor: Marc D. Basson, MD, PhD)

Rung-chi Li, OMS II, for his proposal entitled, Study of Neuronal Sensitivity to Oxygen Glucose Deprivation in an Alzheimer's Disease Transgenic Mouse Model (Mentor: Gloria J. Klapstein, PhD)

Shane Sergent, OMS II, for his proposal entitled, Growth and Nutritional Status of Peruvian Children (Mentor: Joey C. Eisenmann, PhD)

Vi Song Tring, OMS IV, for his proposal entitled, The Variable Influence of Health Care Reform on Osteopathic Medical Students' Career Specialty Choices (Mentor: Tyler C. Cymet, DO, MPH)

Youssef A. Kousa, OMS V, for his proposal entitled, Intra-amniotic Gene Delivery to the Periderm Using an Adenoviral Vector (Mentor: Brian C. Schutte, PhD)

Winners are required to present their work at an AOA fall research meeting. Four of this year's winners presented posters during the 2011 event in Orlando, Florida, as noted.

The future of medicine relies on scientific developments conducted by physicians skilled in research, and for that reason it is important for osteopathic medical students to be at the forefront of such scientific progress. The Student Osteopathic Medical Association and the AOA have clearly identified student research as a priority. As a result, the osteopathic community is producing DO physicians who are well versed in research methodology and who are prepared to impact clinical and basic science in the future. I am happy about this commitment by the AOA and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations (for their kind financial support) and more broadly for the support of the osteopathic community, and I look forward to a bright future.

The deadline for applying for the SOMA Student Research Fellowship program is March 1^st each year. I encourage osteopathic medical students and SOMA members to review the program guidelines posted herein and consider submitting a proposal. The application for this grant program is now online. Please go to:

http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/development/quality/research-and-grants/Pages/research-grants-and-fellowships-program.aspx

And to submit a grant go to:

https://www.grantinterface.com/Common/LogOn.aspx?eqs=Masf7qpEgtzMoo4SEu1jF6C7n7S9aNFK0