October 29, 2026

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the College of Medicine hosted its annual Discovery Day at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Each year, this event gives attendees the opportunity to spend a full day learning about clinical, translational and biomedical sciences research from medical, doctoral, master's and MD/PhD students; residents; clinical fellows; and postdoctoral trainees.

More than 350 in-person poster presenters arrived early Tuesday morning to display posters showcasing their latest research. Throughout the day, more than 120 judges, including faculty members and alumni, evaluated presentations and provided feedback. In the afternoon, seven student platform presenters shared their research on stage before an audience of judges and attendees. An additional 58 posters were presented online in the days leading up to Discovery Day through Fourwaves.

Discovery Day gives participants an authentic simulation of presenting at a national or international scientific meeting, and it reaffirms the College of Medicine’s commitment to mentorship, education, science and innovation.

Charles B. Cairns, MD, Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean, and senior vice president of medical affairs and Drexel Health Operations, welcomed attendees: "This event is a testament to the long and illustrious history of the celebration of research at our institution and its legacy schools. It is vital to our mission to provide mentees with career-focused learning experiences and extensive training in their chosen fields."

Stephenson Keynote Lecture

This year's keynote speaker was Emmanuelle A.D. Schindler, MD/PhD ’12, an associate professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine, medical director of the Headache Center of Excellence at the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, and a board-certified neurologist and headache medicine specialist. In her keynote address, titled "Psychedelics as Headache Medicines & Words of Advice," Dr. Schindler described her positive experiences during her time as a College of Medicine MD/PhD student and reviewed some findings from her research career. She also offered some words of advice for trainees to encourage their paths forward.

Student Reflections

Kayla Kim, MD ’29, who presented at the event, noted, "Discovery Day is a really cool way to showcase what I've been working on outside of classes and the research I've been doing, as well as a fun way to see what everyone else has been up to. I've been enjoying seeing other people's posters."

Binh Ha, PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, also expressed her enthusiasm about the opportunity to present at Discovery Day. "It's really great to be able to share my work with esteemed colleagues, with my peers and friends, alumni and everyone across different departments. It's exciting to be able to showcase what I've worked so hard for."

Awards Ceremony

To wrap up the day, judges honored Discovery Day participants with awards across multiple categories at an awards ceremony. Congratulations to all award recipients! See the full list of awardees.