Research Poster Symposium Awards & Judges

The Sixteenth MMS Research Poster Symposium for Residents, Fellows and Medical Students took place on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in conjunction with the MMS Future Health: Best Practices For Advancing Care. Approximately 120 abstracts were submitted by residents, fellows and students for consideration in four categories: Basic Research, Clinical Research, Health Policy/Medical Education, and Clinical Vignettes. Seventy-five of the abstracts were accepted to the symposium to be displayed as posters.

The MMS is proud to announce the following winners of the Sixteenth Research Poster Symposium:

CLINICAL RESEARCH

First Place:
Kyle Cheung
UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Metabolic Pathways and Cardiovascular Impacts Induced by Ultrafine Particles and Ozone: OZCARD and CUSP Studies

Second Place:
Trisha M. Parayil
Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine; Boston, MA
Endemic coronavirus disease incidence decreased after widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections

Third Place:
Ajay K. Rao, BS
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester MA
Preliminary Clinical Trial of a Wearable Sensor for Pressure Ulcer Prevention

Honorable Mentions:
Anna Bogursky, BA, MEd
UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Reducing Positional Plagiocephaly Through Parental Guidance: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Anam Furrukh, BA
UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Targeted MRSA Decolonization Protocol to Reduce Surgical Site Infections in Implant-Based Breast Surgery

Nnaemeka C. Nwoke, BSc
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine
Validation of a Duffy Null-Specific Absolute Neutrophil Count Reference Range: A Clinical Study at New England’s Largest Safety-Net Hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center

BASIC RESEARCH

First Place:
Djanira Fernandes, MD
Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
SEFA-6179, an Engineered Medium-Chain Fatty Acid, Prevents the Progression of Biliary Fibrosis in a Murine Model of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Second Place:
Sarah Z. Wang, MD, MPH
Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
A Digestive Cartridge Improves Survival and Reduces Intestinal Injury in a Murine Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Third Place:
Hanna Choi
Program of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Estrogen Modulates Obesity Effects On Neurobehavioral Phenotypes In A Female Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Honorable Mentions:
Andrew Burciu
Department of Anesthesiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Investigating the Role of IL-33 in Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury

Suraj Joshi
Tufts University School of Medicine
Determining Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis from Structural Variants Impacting Topologically Associated Domains in Prostate Cancer

Byungchan Kim
Neurophotonics Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, MA
Mapping human cerebral blood flow with high-density, multi-channel speckle contrast optical spectroscopy

Robert Li
Richmond Lab, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Dermatology, Worcester, MA
Meta Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Reveals CD38 as a Biomarker of Disease Validated by Suction Blistering of SCLE Patients

Amina Tariq, BA
UMass Chan Medical School
The Use of Artificial Intelligence for Assessing Dermatological Conditions in Skin of Color Populations

HEALTH POLICY/MEDICAL EDUCATION

First Place:
Hannah Rae Slattery, MS
Tufts University School of Medicine, University of Southern Maine
Public Health Impacts of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act (MICSA): Tribal Sovereignty as a Socioeconomic Determinant of Health

Second Place:
Maximilian Julius Pany, MD, PhD
Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Price Transparency Impacts Physician Medication Ordering Behavior Among Therapeutic Alternatives

Third Place (tie):
Jessica J. Farzan, BA
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Disparities in Facial Feminization Surgery Coverage: A Comparative Analysis of MassHealth and Private Insurance Coverage in Massachusetts

Third Place (tie):
Micaela J. Tobin, BA
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, University of Massachusetts Chan
The Power of a Signal: The Impact of Preference Signaling on Matching in the Top 10 Most Competitive Specialties

Honorable Mentions:
Oluwaseun Doyin Adebagbo, BS
Tufts University School of Medicine
Representation Matters: Racial-Ethnic Trends Among Active Residents in Competitive Surgical Specialties

Sydney Look-Why, BA
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Evaluation of Dermatology Undergraduate Medical Education: from a Diversity and Social Justice Lens

Evan Offord, MD
University of Massachusetts
The Hydrating Hearts Project: A quality-improvement project reducing NPO times prior to cardiac catheterizations

CLINICAL VIGNETTES

First Place:
Harmanpreet Tiwana, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Asynchronous burst suppression may predict adverse outcomes in carotid endarterectomy

Second Place:
Victoria Pajak, BS
T.H. Chan School of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
Annular Elastolytic Giant Cell Granuloma Following Mpox Vaccination

Third Place:
Cassandra Reimonn, DO
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Medicine, Worcester, MA
Complete Heart Block in a Patient with Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Honorable Mentions:
Jessica D. Marshall-Williams, MD, MPH
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
A Case Study of the Interaction Between Tacrolimus and Testosterone in a Patient Receiving Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy

Janelle P. Renterghem, BS 
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
GNAQ Mutation in Primary Spinal Melanoma: A Case Study and Proposed Mechanism of Tumorigenesis

Olivia T. Zhou
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine
A Novel, Combined Approach to C1-2 Fixation: A Case Series

JUDGES

The Massachusetts Medical Society would like to thank our prestigious panel of judges for the Sixteenth Research Poster Symposium:

Manisha Bahl, MD, MPH, FSBI 
Breast Imaging Radiologist
Breast Imaging Division Quality Director
Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Radiology
Harvard Medical School

Sarah Elizabeth Curi, JD, MPH 
Associate Professor of the Practice:
Legal Studies and Health: Science, Society & Policy
Brandeis University
Visiting Instructor in Political Science
Wellesley College
Principal
Curi Law

Caitlin M. Farrell, DO, MPH 
Associate Chief of Emergency Medicine
Baystate Health

Mary Beth Hamel, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Faculty Member, General Medicine & Primary Care
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Deputy Editor
The New England Journal of Medicine

Lawrence P. Johnson, MD, FAAOS 
Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Merrimack Valley Orthopaedic Associates

Christian G. Klaucke, MD 
Academic Emergency Medicine Physician
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
UMass Chan Medical School/UMass Memorial Health

William J. Marasco, MD 
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist
Women’s Imaging Specialist
Director
Cape Diagnostic Imaging

Michael D. Medlock, MD, FAANS 
Non-Operative Neurological Surgery & Addiction Medicine
Congenial Healthcare

Saraswathi V. Muppana, MD 
Pulmonology Specialist
Apex Medical Associates

Paul A. Skudder, Jr., MD, FSVS 
Vascular Surgeon
Cape Cod
Contributor/Reviewer, Instructor, & Instructor Trainer
Outdoor Emergency Care

Parul Sarwal, MD 
Associate Medical Director of Hospital Medicine
TeamHealth

Caren G. Solomon, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Associate Physician
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Deputy Editor
The New England Journal of Medicine