October 1, 2024 by
Janet Essman Franz and Stephanie Knific
The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine hosted its eighth annual Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research September 23–27, 2024. The weeklong celebration is dedicated to showcasing the exceptional research endeavors of faculty, research fellows, medical students, and graduate students.
(Photos: David Seaver)
Last week, the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine hosted its eighth annual Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research, a weeklong celebration dedicated to showcasing the exceptional research endeavors of faculty, research fellows, medical students, and graduate students. "This collective celebration has become a platform to highlight both academic discovery and collaboration among the 16 departments, 17 centers, and 8 institutes and programs at the Larner College of Medicine," said Kate Tracy, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research.
“By highlighting the research being conducted by junior and senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, current students, and alumni, we hope to inspire curiosity, foster innovation, and create a culture of continuous learning,” Tracy said.
On Monday, September 23, more than 60 graduate and medical students presented their research posters in the Hoehl Gallery, medical education building lobby, and Given Courtyard at the Larner College of Medicine.
On Tuesday, the Larner community hosted a lecture on “The Science of Service” by Jennifer Musa, Ph.D.ʼ94, professor of biology at SUNY–Broome Community College. Musa shared her work as co-creator of Health for Haiti, SUNY–Broome’s first faculty-led, credit-bearing, global service learning course. At the event, the Larner College of Medicine Alumni Executive Committee honored and presented Musa with the Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award.
A research rally on Wednesday provided a platform for Larner’s emerging researchers to give brief “TED Talk”–style presentations about their research, ranging from racial and sociodemographic disparities in mental health care access for children after a firearm injury, to solving acute critical endotheliopathy in shock patients, to intersectionality in health and medicine.
Awards presented on Thursday (see below) honored outstanding research publications among medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and residents, clinical research coordinators, scientific research staff, clinical trials, research mentors, new investigators, mid-career investigators, research laureate, and junior and senior investigator of the year. Senior Associate Dean for Research Kate Tracy, Ph.D., delivered a research celebration address and unveiled a video showcasing the array of research at the Larner College of Medicine.
The research celebration culminated on Friday with presentations focusing on UVM’s new partnership with Cambridge, Massachusetts–based BioInnovation Labs (BioLabs), a world-class co-working ecosystem for life science startups, to establish the UVM–BioLabs Innovation Hub. Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of BioLabs and LabCentral, presented the Stetson Lecture, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Strategic Blueprint to Academic Startup Success.” He described the life science innovation hubs that have launched more than 850 venture-funded startups across the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and how universities play a role in blending innovation with entrepreneurship. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Larner dean Richard L. Page, M.D., with Fruehauf; Kirk Dombrowski, Ph.D., University of Vermont vice president for research and economic development; Kate Tracy, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research at the Larner College of Medicine; and UVM alumnus Chris Pacheco, Ph.D., vice president of venture partnerships at Ginkgo Bioworks. The panelists discussed and answered questions about the new UVM–BioLabs Innovation Hub, which will be located at UVM and will provide state-of-the-art resources to encourage the growth of life science startups and commercialization of research discoveries that foster and unlock innovative ideas.
“At the College of Medicine, research is at the core of everything we do. And the BioLabs Innovation Hub represents an amazing opportunity for innovative biotech startup ventures right here, at our university and in our state,” Dean Page said. “The UVM–BioLabs Innovation Hub will be a huge boost to not only the university’s research portfolio, but to the health and wellness of all Vermonters.”
Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research Award Winners
The awards ceremony on Thursday, September 26, celebrated the outstanding dedication of Larner and UVM researchers to advancing medicine and science. While all nominees demonstrated significant commitment to their work, a select few were honored for their exceptional contributions.
Category: Clinical Trials
Winner: *Matthew Kinsey, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Medicine
Category: Mid-Career Investigator
Winner: Masha Ivanova, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Category: New Investigator
Winner: *Elias Klemperer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Category: Research Mentor
Winner: *Jason Stumpff, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Category: Research Laureate
Winner: *Daniel Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine
Category: Clinical Research Coordinator
Winner: Rebecca Cole, Research Project Assistant, Department of Psychiatry
Category: Scientific Research Staff
Winner: Kirsten Tracy, Ph.D., Senior Lab/Research Technician, UVM Cancer Center
Category: UVMMC Junior Researcher of the Year
Winner: Leslie Young, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Category: UVMMC Senior Researcher of the Year
Winner: Ira M. Bernstein M.D., Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Trainee Awards for Outstanding Research Publication
Winner, Medical Student: Brittney Palermo, M.D.’25, “Interleukin-6, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in a biracial cohort: the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke cohort”
Winner, Graduate Student: Mingu Kang, Ph.D., “The focal adhesion protein Talin is a mechanically gated A-kinase anchoring protein”
Winner, Post-Doctoral Trainee: Brandon Bensel, Ph.D., “Kinesin-1-transported liposomes prefer to go straight in 3D microtubule intersections by a mechanism shared by other molecular motors”
Winner, Resident: Colleen Kerrigan, M.D., “Transcatheter and surgical ductus arteriosus closure in very low birth weight infants: 2018–2022”
*UVM Cancer Center Member