Benjamin Lee, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, at center, is recognized by (from far left) Dean Jensen, Dr. First, Dr. Kirkpatrick, and Dean Page. (Photo: David Seaver)

The Larner College of Medicine hosted the fourth annual "Celebrating Excellence in Research" series of events on October 28 and 29.

Designed to highlight research performed by junior faculty, senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students at the College, the two-day event kicked off with the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Trainee Research Showcase, followed by a presentation, titled “Trials and Trails in Science: Opportunity at Every Fork in the Road (but which direction to take?)” by 2019 UVM Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award Recipient Richard Moss, Ph.D. ‘75, senior associate dean for basic research, biotechnology and graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

New to the event this year were tours of the College’s core facilities, including the Vermont Integrative Genomics Resource, Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility, and the Microscopy Imaging Center on Tuesday, October 29.

Later that day, the College was honored to have a keynote presentation by Joshua Chodosh, M.D., M.S.H.S., Michael L. Freedman Professor of Geriatric Research and professor of medicine and population health at the New York University School of Medicine, who discussed “The Joy and Tribulations of Pragmatic Trials - the Journey of One Clinician Scientist.” 

The final event – the Dean’s Excellence in Research Awards – featured the “State of Research at the Larner College of Medicine” presentation by Senior Associate Dean for Research Gordon Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., recognition for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees who participated in the previous day's Trainee Research Showcase, UVM Health Network Medical Group awards, and the Larner College of Medicine faculty awards.

Senior Associate Dean Jensen, Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., and Associate Dean for Graduate Education Christopher Berger, Ph.D., presented the following graduate student and trainee awardees:

• Best Junior Graduate Student Research Presentation: Lucy Pilcher
• Best Senior Graduate Student Research Presentation: Christopher Dustin
• Best Postdoctoral Research Presentation: Elias Klemperer, Ph.D.
• Outstanding Research Publication by a resident: Mayo Fuji, M.D.
• Outstanding Research Publication by a postdoctoral fellow: Daniel Douce, M.D.
• Outstanding Research Publication by a graduate student: Blas Guigni, Ph.D.
• Outstanding Research Publication by a medical student: Charles Nicoli, Class of 2020

Claude Deschamps, M.D., president and CEO of the UVM Health Network Medical Group, presented the following awards:

• Junior Researcher of the Year: C. Matthew Kinsey, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine
• Senior Researcher of the Year: Renee D. Stapleton, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine
• Research Grant recipients: William Gabriel Tharp, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology; and Jessica Heath, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry

The final awards – the highly-regarded College of Medicine faculty awards – were presented by Deans Page and Jensen and included:

• Research Laureate: Mark Nelson, Ph.D., UVM Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pharmacology
• Mid-Career Investigator: Neil Zakai, M.D., M.Sc., Associate Professor of Medicine
• Research Mentor: Matthew Poynter, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine
• Rising Star New Investigator: Benjamin Lee, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Visit the Larner College of Medicine research website.