The 29th Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium for the School of Medicine (SOM) was held on Oct. 23, 2024, at The Assembly on 5051 Centre Ave. This full-day event, organized by the Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program and hosted by the Biomedical Graduate Student Association with approximately 230 attendees, celebrated the research accomplishments of SOM graduate students. The symposium featured a keynote lecture by Paul Northcott, a pediatric neuro-oncologist from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a talk about the use of machine learning methods in biomedical research by Assistant Professor of Medicine Yu Chiao-Chiu.
The symposium held three poster sessions, with 50 abstracts selected for each session. Faculty, postdoctoral students, and senior graduate students served as judges.
The Stephen L. Phillips Best Peer-Reviewed Publication Award was presented to Samuel C. Butler from the microbiology and immunology graduate program, with Carly Fabian from the neuroscience graduate program named as the finalist.
Tullia C. Bruno, assistant professor of immunology, School of Medicine, received the Distinguished Mentor Award, while Amy L. Hartman, associate professor of infectious diseases and microbiology, School of Public Health, was the finalist. Matthew Wohlever, assistant professor of cell biology, School of Medicine, was honored with the newly instituted Young Mentor Award.
The Most Well-Rounded Student Award went to Dana Julian from the cellular and molecular pathology graduate program, with Aidan Lakshman from the biomedical informatics and Jenna Nosek from the microbiology and immunology graduate programs recognized as finalists.
The symposium concluded with a reception featuring live jazz, refreshments and networking among students, faculty and mentors.
Photos by Rayni Shiring, University of Pittsburgh