October 26, 2021

Through poster and platform presentations, graduate and medical students, residents, fellows and postdoctoral trainees presented on topics from immunology to biomedical engineering, along with clinical vignettes and case studies.

With protocols in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, judges and guests reviewed researchers' poster and platform presentations throughout the day. After considering the research they had explored, judges chose award winners across multiple categories.

Attendees were welcomed to the event by Charles B. Cairns, MD, the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean and Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs, College of Medicine, and Elisabeth Van Bockstaele, PhD, the founding dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, senior vice president for graduate and online education, and dean of the Graduate College at Drexel.

“It’s wonderful to see not just the breadth, but also the quality of research being done at the College of Medicine,” Cairns said. “It has also been remarkable to see the progress we’ve made, even during the pandemic. As a society, if there were ever a time for us to engage with science, clinical care and health policy, to take on the key challenges of health literacy, health inequities and the opportunity to help create a better world, it is now.”

“Today is a day of celebration for our research enterprise,” Van Bockstaele said. “I’m particularly excited to hear our keynote speaker, Dr. Azizi Seixas, and learn from his expertise.”

Azizi Seixas, PhD, an assistant professor at NYU Langone Health in the Departments of Population Health and Psychiatry, gave the keynote speech about advancing health equity and providing quality health care for all. Dr. Seixas was named one of Cell Press’ top 100 Most Inspiring Black Scientists in America, and is a nationally recognized expert on sleep, determinants of health, and the intersection of technology and behavioral health.