2022 APSA Northeast Regional Conference
January 15-16, 2022 University of Pittsburgh
Virtual
Keynote Speakers
Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Dr. Sowa is the Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Co-Director of the Ferguson Laboratory for Orthopaedic and Spine Research at the University of Pittsburgh, and the faculty sponsor for the Pitt Chapter of APSA. Using her background in biochemistry, Dr. Sowa currently performs molecular laboratory based, translational, and clinical research, investigating the effect of motion on inflammatory pathways and the beneficial effects of exercise. Additionally, Dr. Sowa investigates the role of serum biomarkers in guiding individualized treatment in intervertebral disc degeneration and back pain. She has received national recognition for her research.
Esa Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP
University of Pittsburgh
Division of General Internal Medicine
Dr. Davis is the Director of the UPMC Tobacco Treatment Service, and the Director of the Career Education and Enhancement for Health Care Research Diversity (CEED) Program. Dr. Davis's NIH-funded clinical research focuses on obesity-related maternal and child health outcomes and in comparative effectiveness research in obesity and tobacco. Specifically, Dr. Davis investigates the perinatal, cultural, and behavioral factors associated with the racial and socioeconomic disparities in obesity among women that have persisted for decades. She published a novel conceptual framework that has been highly cited to help guide the testing of hypotheses associated weight change during pregnancy and the long-term development of obesity and related disparities.
Agenda
Saturday, January 15th, 2022
Sunday, January 16th, 2022
Program Welcome
1:00 - 1:15 PM
1:15 - 1:45 PM
APSA Representative
Briana Christophers
Keynote Speaker:
Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD
1:45 - 2:40 PM
Break
2:40 - 2:50 PM
Breakout Panel Sessions
2:50 - 3:50 PM
Break
3:50 - 4:00PM
Oral Presentations
4:00 - 5:00 PM
The Networking Event has been postponed due to rising COVID cases. We aim to reschedule this for sometime in February!
Keynote Speaker:
Esa Davis, MD
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Breakout Panel Sessions
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:15 PM
Oral Presentations
3:15 - 4:15 PM
10-minute talks
Break
4:15 - 4:30 PM
Closing Remarks and Awards
4:30 - 5:00PM
*Poster presentations will be asynchronous
Oral Presentations
SAT JAN 15 4:00-5:00PM
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Moderator: Maria Chroneos | Breakout Room 1
4:00 - 4:10
4:15 - 4:25
4:30 - 4:40
4:45 - 4:55
The Role of Metabolism in Neurofibromatosis 1
Folasade Sofela | G4 MD/PhD Trainee | University of Pennsylvania
High-affinity, Neutralizing Antibodies to SARC-CoV-2 Can Be Made in the Absence of T Follicular Helper Cells
Jennifer Chen | G5 MD/PhD Trainee | Yale School of Medicine
Identification of ATF4 as Key Upstream Regulator of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Metabolism
Jacklyn Huhn | G2 MD/PhD Trainee | Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Immune Mediators of Inflammation and Lung Cancer Risk in Nested Case-Control Study
Umayal Sivagnanalingam | M4 | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Neuroscience
Moderator: Ruby A. Holland | Breakout Room 2
4:00 - 4:10
4:15 - 4:25
4:30 - 4:40
4:45 - 4:55
Association between Exposome and Subsequent Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes
Shruthi Venkatesh | M2 | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Single Cell Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Dynamic Cell Populations and Differential Gene Expression Patterns in a Mouse Cerebral Aneurysm Model
Isabella McCormack | M2 | Tulane University School of Medicine
Sexual Dimorphic Behavior in the Ts65Dn Model of Down Syndrome during a Time of DYRK1A Overexpression
Faith Prochaska | Senior Undergraduate | IUPUI
Functional Connectivity Measurements in APP/PS-1 Mice Revealed Hypo-Connectivity with Transient Hyper-Connectivity
Christopher Cover | G2 MD/PhD Trainee | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
SUN JAN 16 3:15-4:15PM
Clinical and Translational Medicine
Moderator: Maria Chroneos | Breakout Room 1
3:15 - 3:25
3:30 - 3:40
3:45 - 3:55
4:00 - 4:10
Graft Subsidence in Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: a Propensity Match Analysis of Polyetheretherketone versus 3D Porous Titanium
Lena Vodovotz | M2 Medical Student | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Endorepellin Induced Autophagy as a Mechanism of Age-Related Musculoskeletal Atrophy
Tessa Lavorgna | M2 | Tulane University School of Medicine
Hierarchical Clustering by Patient-Reported Pain Distribution Utility in Diagnosis and Treatment
Mark Moses | M2 | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Is Lactobacillus Phage Involved in the Pathogenesis of Bacterial Vaginosis?
Jacob Elnaggar | G2 MD/PhD Trainee | Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans
Cancer Immunology
Moderator: Hannah Bumgarner | Breakout Room 2
3:15 - 3:25
3:30 - 3:40
3:45 - 3:55
4:00 - 4:10
Toward Therapeutic Modulation of p53 Isoform Δ133p53α in the Tumor-Immune Microenvironment
Neha Wali | G2 MD/PhD Trainee | South Texas MSTP, UT Health San Antonio; National Cancer Institute; University of Oxford
PRRX1 Regulates Acinar Cell Plasticity in Pancreatic Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia
Alina Li | G2 MD/PhD Trainee | Columbia University
Identifying Potential Causative Cell Morphological Features of Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs)
Alexander Chang | M1 MD/PhD Trainee | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Transcriptomic Profiling Identifies Drivers of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Metastasis in Mouse Xenograft Model
Nandini Doshi | M2 Med Student | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Breakout Sessions
SAT JAN 15 2:50-3:20PM - ADMISSIONS
Research-Track Residency Admissions Panel
Panelists
Hear about residency admissions in general and about specific specialties.
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Andrew Norwalk, MD, PhD - Pediatrics, UPMC
-
Taku Kambayashi, MD, PhD - Pathology, University of Pennsylvania
-
Caroline Sokol, MD, PhD - Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
-
Mercedes Peres-Rodriguez MD PhD - Psychiatry, Mount Sinai
MODERATOR: Vanshee Navani
MODERATOR: Tolani Olonisakin
MD/PhD and DVM/PhD Admissions Q&A
Panelists
Learn what you need to apply to MD/PhD and DVM/PhD programs from program directors in the area.
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Richard Steinman, MD, PhD - University of Pittsburgh MSTP
-
Skipp Brass, MD, PhD - University of Pennsylvania MSTP
-
Bethany Cummings, DVM, PhD - UC Davis
-
Talia Swartz, MD, PhD - Mount Sinai
MODERATOR: Brandon Smith
SAT JAN 15 3:20-3:50PM - A DAY IN THE LIFE
Panelists
Physician-Scientist Trainees
A Day in the Life
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Noah Freedman - M1, Pitt
-
Hector Nieves-Rosado - G2, Pitt
-
Ananya Mukundan - G4, Pitt
-
Tolani Olonisakin - M4, Pitt
Meet students on diverse physician-scientist career paths.
MODERATOR: Brandon Smith
Panelists
Physician-Scientists
A Day in the Life
-
Berthony Deslouches, MD, PhD - Microbiology & Immunology, University of Pittsburgh
-
Cynthia Dunbar, MD - Hematology, NHLBI
-
Mark Zeidel, MD - Nephrology, Harvard
-
Lisa Satlin, MD - Pediatrics, Mount Sinai
Discover the diverse careers and opportunities available to you as a physician-scientist.
MODERATOR: Pearl Sutter
Panelists
Surgeon-Scientists
A Day in the Life
-
Matthew Neal, MD - General Surgery, University of Pittsburgh
-
Elizabeth Tyler-Kabara, MD, PhD - Neurosurgery, UT Austin
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Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD, PhD - Head & Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh
-
Genevieve Boland MD PhD - Surgical Oncologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
-
Pamela Moalli MD, PhD - OB/GYN University of Pittsburgh
Learn about balancing the uniquely rewarding fields of surgery and science.
MODERATOR: Jasmine Hect
SUN JAN 16 2:00-2:30PM
BARRIERS
Panelists
Barriers to Physician-Scientist Training
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Lisa Meeks, PhD - University of Colorado Anschutz
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Sean Sweat - M2, Pitt
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David Cornfield, MD - Stanford
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Fernando Gonzalez, MD - UCSF
-
Briana Christophers - Chair; Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee for APSA
Learn about unique challenges trainees face, and discover ways to enhance equity and promote justice in academia.
MODERATOR: Jasmine Hect
SUN JAN 16 2:30-3:00PM- KEYS TO SUCCESS
Panelists
Funding Pipelines
-
Lan Coffman, MD, PhD - University of Pittsburgh
-
Anne Etgen, PhD - Albert Einstein University
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Jatin Vyas, MD, PhD - Massachusetts General Hospital
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Fabrisia Ambrosio, PT, PhD - University of Pittsburgh
-
Nancy Brown, MD - Yale University
Discover the ins and outs of acquiring funding as a physician-scientist.
MODERATOR: Pearl Sutter
Panelists
Physician-Scientist Well-Being
-
Kristin S. Raj, MD - Stanford
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Karuna Ganesh, MD, PhD - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
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Tim Keyes - G3, Stanford
-
Corrine Kliment, MD, PhD - University of Pittsburgh
Realize the importance of self-care and work-life balance in a successful physician-scientist career.
MODERATOR: Jessica Tan
Important Dates
DEADLINE EXTENSION:
Abstracts for poster presentations will be considered until December 1st.
Consideration for an oral presentation is closed.
About the Pitt APSA Chapter and the 2022 APSA NERC
The mission of the Local Chapter of the American Physician Scientists Association at the University of Pittsburgh is to bring together the various physician-scientist training routes at our university, create a networking platform across different levels of training and institutions, and increase the presence of Pitt physician-scientists within the local, regional, and national community. Therefore, our 2022 conference elevates the diverse career paths within physician scientist training. We hope you realize the endless possibilities available to you with physician scientist training and develop mentorships that you will nurture for the rest of your life. Welcome!
2022 APSA NERC Organizing Committee
Raphael Crum
Symposium Committee Co-Chair
University of Pittsburgh
MD/PhD 5th Year
Talia Adi
Symposium Committee Co-Chair
Leader of Abstracts and Presentations
University of Pittsburgh
MD/PhD 3rd Year
Gabby Gilmer
Pitt APSA President
NERC Schedule Coordinator
University of Pittsburgh
MD/PhD 3rd Year
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Francisco J. Bonilla-Escobar, MD, MSc, PhD(c)
Editor-in-Chief, IJMS
University of Pittsburgh
Bethany Hileman
Social Event Coordinator
University of Pittsburgh
Undergraduate Student
Ruby Holland
Webmaster
University of Pittsburgh
MD/PhD 5th Year
Our Sponsors
Thank you!
2022 APSA NERC
Questions? Don't hesitate to get in touch!
Please email us at pittapsa@pitt.edu