Academic Symposium puts spotlight on nearly 150 medical student research projects

At the start of her keynote address for The Warren Alpert Medical School’s 19th Annual Academic Symposium, Daria Szkwarko, DO, MPH, associate professor of family medicine, offered a simple question to attendees: What does it mean to be a researcher in the medical field?

After the audience offered answers—”ask questions,” “be persistent,” “focus on improvement”—Szwarko said she hoped to convince students that all of them were already researchers, purely by virtue of pursuing new conclusions through systemic investigations. Much of the work done in an academic setting has already set them on a path of discovering both their passion, she said.

Szwarko spoke of her experience working in Tanzania in 2008, where she helped assess mosquito net bed coverage. Shortly thereafter, she found herself scrutinizing certain aspects of her participation and the disconnect between international recommendations and local implementation. She realized her passion lay in understanding health systems, which greatly influenced her research and career paths.

Szwarko participated in the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars and Fellows program around 2010 and 2011, where she met E. Jane Carter, MD, professor emerita of medicine, and her discovery of implementation science as a research path. Szwarko praised Carter, who was in the audience, for her mentorship.

“The lesson here is to find mentors who see you, not just your CV,” Szwarko said. “And for the faculty in the room, it’s a good reminder to not only look at people’s CVs, but let’s really take in who they are as people and find people who we really jive with and are passionate about the same things.”

Szawrko spoke about her diverse career experiences, particularly in tuberculosis prevention and serving as family medicine lead for the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare. She encouraged students to give themselves the grace to explore and pivot during their careers.

“I want you to own the contribution that you’ve made up to this point and trust that the work you’re doing now, even if you don’t really like it or maybe you think it could have been much better, plays a really important role in where you will end up,” Szwarko said. “Figure out your passion and stay true to it.”

Oral presentations by students this year included Elizabeth Doss '24 MD'28, who discussed her research into the efficacy of neurocognitive assessments in adults and adolescents with sickle cell disease. Alex Jin '23 MD'28 presented an evaluation of Rhode Island’s Street Medicine Program on health care utilization among unhoused patients, showing a decline in the amount of emergency room visits. Sanjana Konda '24 MD'28 shared research that explored links between reactive oxygen species, endometriosis, and ovarian aging.

Nearly 150 research posters were on display in the medical school’s atrium. Jason Albaum MD'28 presented his study characterizing delirium and its severity across three clinical settings in Massachusetts, Florida, and New York. Albaum said it can be difficult to measure delirium and its severity in those with baseline cognitive impairments, and his research found that the highest rate of delirium is in the acute medical inpatient setting. Among those who develop delirium, there is a high rate of pre-existing cognitive impairment, and he found that those with dementia tend to have more severe delirium.

Albaum had a personal interest in his research, connecting all the way back into experiences as a youngster. “Ever since middle school, I’ve been volunteering in nursing homes, so I’ve always enjoyed talking with older adults,” he said. “At nursing homes, you see people with different cognitive abilities, and one of the things that can be happening is delirium. It’s related to increased mortality and it’s costly, at up to billions annually in our health care system, and it’s preventable in 30 to 40 percent of cases.”

Shuah Yu '24 MD'28 presented her research poster on maternal depression and stress as predictors of child executive function in Ethiopia. She found that maternal subjects who exhibited stress and depression following their own surveys and testing may indirectly affect children's cognitive abilities. Yu’s motivation in exploring further outcomes is fueled by her interest in pediatric development, global health, and neuroscience.

“I think having a larger sample would be interesting to see whether some other factors can be controlled for, such as how much time the child spends alone, or how much education plays a role in this,” Yu said.