For the first time in person since the pandemic, second-year students from the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine gathered to showcase their research posters during the 2024 Medical and Dental Student Research Day.

Kicking off the research day was Dr. Steven Lepowsky, dean of the School of Dental Medicine.

“As you view the 100 posters and listen to the presentations, I am confident that you will be duly impressed by the depth and breadth of the work they represent,” said Lepowsky. “The quality of the research work that has been performed is truly outstanding and it is clear that the future of the science that is fundamental to the delivery of quality healthcare, which we are all committed to, is in excellent hands.”

After the morning round of presentations, the students gathered for a keynote address delivered by Fei Wang, professor of population health sciences and director of the Institute of AI for Digital Health at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Anthony Vella, professor and chair of Immunology and senior associate dean of research planning and coordination at the UConn School of Medicine acknowledged the work of the students saying that the student posters are a “testament to all the exciting work and research going on at UConn Health.”

Wang’s keynote address, titled “Translational Medicine in AI,” explored the advances in artificial intelligence and the complexities of implementing machine learning models in real clinical settings. Wang ended his keynote underscoring the need for researchers and clinicians of all different backgrounds to work together to confront the complexities of artificial intelligence.

Following the poster day, the committee—made up of several medical and dental school faculty— decided on the winners of the poster competition.

One of the research day organizers, Dr. Aditya Tadinada, associate dean for graduate research at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, said: “The opportunity to conduct research while in dental school is one of the biggest assets of the UConn Dental School experience. This year we are back to being an in-person event after 3 years. The energy in the corridors was pulsating with excitement. I am beyond impressed with the innovative projects our students are undertaking and  am very proud of all their hard work.”

Dr. Kristin Guertin, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the School of Medicine said, “Students presented on an impressive diversity of topics, and their enthusiasm added value to the day’s events. It was exciting to hear about the accomplishments they had made, as well as the next steps they had planned in their research future directions!”

The winners of the 2024 Student Research Day are below

School of Medicine