Excellence in Research | Research | The University of Vermont(title)

The Dean's Celebration of Excellence in Research is an annual event highlighting the research being conducted by junior faculty, senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students at the University of Vermont and the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.
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Celebration of Excellence in Research 2024

Last week we celebrated another year of research excellence at the Larner College of Medicine! We will update the information from the celebration soon.

2024 Events

September 23

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Medical Student Summer Research and Grad Research Poster Display 

Medical Students and Graduate Students from the Larner College of Medicine will display posters showcasing their recent research. Medical student research will be displayed in the Given Courtyard and the MedEd Lobby (outside the Sullivan Classroom) and graduate student research will be displayed in Hoehl Gallery.

September 24

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Alumni Award Presentation and Lecture

"The Science of Service"  by Jennifer Musa, Ph.D.'94 

Dr. Jennifer (Collart) Musa ’94 is a Biology Professor at SUNY Broome Community College. She earned a BA in Biology and Psychology from SUNY Oswego in 1990 and a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of Vermont in 1994, where she worked with Dr. Rodney Parsons. After postdoctoral research at Cornell University, she joined SUNY Broome's Biology faculty in 2001. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Musa has taught Anatomy and Physiology to thousands of students and developed innovative interdisciplinary courses. She received the New York State Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2009.

Read more about Dr. Musa (PDF)

September 25

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Research Rally & Reception

Larner College of Medicine researchers gave short Ted-talk style presentations about their inspiring research. View the Presentation schedule (PDF).

September 26

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Awards and Research Celebration Address

Awards were presented for Research Publications in the Medical Student, Graduate Student, Post-Doc and Resident categories, Clinical Research Coordinator, Scientific Research Staff, Clinical Trials, Research Mentor, New Investigator, Mid-Career Investigator, Research Laureate and Junior and Senior Investigator of the Year. Senior Associate Dean for Research Kate Tracy, Ph.D., delivered her Research Celebration address following the awards presentations.

September 27

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Stetson Lecture

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Strategic Blueprint to Academic Start-up Success, presented by Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Fruehauf is a physician-scientist and life-science entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Biolabs and LabCentral, the largest biotech incubators and co-working spaces. They have launched over 850 venture-funded life science startups across 16 cities in the US, Germany, France, and Japan, fostering a culture of openness and shared resources. Startups from Biolabs/LabCentral have raised over $30 billion in venture capital since 2010.

Read more about Dr. Fruehauf (PDF)

BioLab Partnership Announcement 

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, UVM alumnus, Chris Pacheco, Ph.D., vice president of Venture Partnerships at Ginkgo Bioworks, and Johannes Fruehauf, Ph.D., M.D., founder and president of Biolabs engaged in conversation moderated by Dean Richard L. Page about an exciting new partnership between science and business. The University of Vermont has partnered with Biolabs, a world-class co-working ecosystem for life science startups, to establish the UVM Biolabs Innovation Hub. The UVM Biolabs Innovation Hub will be located at UVM and will provide state-of-the-art resources to encourage the growth of life science start-ups and commercialization of research discoveries that foster and unlock innovative ideas to benefit both people and planet. 

Read more about Dr. Dombrowski

Read more about Dr. Tracy

Read more about Dr. Fruehauf (PDF)

Read more about Dr. Pacheco (PDF)

Dean's Excellence in Research Awards 2024

Outstanding Research Publication Award Recipients
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Medical Student

Brittney Palermo, “Interleukin-6, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in a biracial cohort: the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke cohort.”

Graduate Student

Mingu Kang, Ph.D., “The focal adhesion protein Talin is a mechanically gated A-kinase anchoring protein.”

Post-Doc

Brandon Bensel, Ph.D., "Kinesin-1-transported liposomes prefer to go straight in 3D microtubule intersections by a mechanism shared by other molecular motors" 

Resident

Brianna Leahy, M.D., "Transcatheter and surgical ductus arteriosus closure in very low birth weight infants: 2018–2022"

Larner College of Medicine Staff Award Recipients
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Clinical Research Coordinator

Rebecca Cole, Research Project Assistant, Department of Psychiatry

Research Scientist

Kirsten Tracy, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Vermont Cancer Center

Larner College of Medicine Faculty Award Recipients
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UVM Health Network Junior Researcher of the Year

Leslie Young, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics

UVM Health Network Senior Researcher of the Year

Ira Bernstein, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences

Clinical Trials Research Award

Matthew Kinsey, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine

Research Mentor

Jason Stumpff, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Rising Star New Investigator

Elias Klemperer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Mid-Career Investigator

Masha Ivanova, Ph.D., Associate Professor Psychiatry

Research Laureate

Daniel Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine