Best Abstract Awards

The abstracts and poster presentations for medical student research day were judged by an independent panel of faculty reviewers, and outstanding submissions were selected from each of the three major subject area categories: Clinical and Translational Research, Public Health Research, and Medical Education Research.  Below are the recipients of these awards.

2023 Awardees

Jacob Adelman
Title: Assessing the Efficacy of a Tumor-specific Vaccine, anti-PD-1, and Decitabine in a Syngeneic Murine Model of Glioma: a Preclinical Trial
Faculty Mentor: Anat Epstein, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles

Paul Nagao and Jennica Egan
Title:  Definitive Local Treatment for Metastatic Prostate Cancer: An NCDB Retrospective Study
Faculty Mentor:  Michael Whalen; Department of Urology, George Washington University School of Medicine

Elmer Rajah
Title: Analysis of Electronic Health Record Data Identifies Features Associated with Future Genetic Evaluation
Faculty Mentor: Seth Berger; Genetic Medicine, Children’s National

Jacqueline Fezza
Title: Neuropsychological Assessment of Patients in the Turner Syndrome Multidisciplinary Clinic
Faculty Mentor: Kanakatti Shankar Roopa; Endocrinology, Children’s National

Robert Ricotti
Title: Periprosthetic Fracture Rates Using Collared Stems in Uncemented Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty with a Posterior Approach
Faculty Mentor: Peter Sculco; Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

Curt Martinez
Title: Impact of Hip Surveillance Program on Radiographic Evaluations and Surgical Intervention in Pediatric Patients with Cerebral Palsy
Faculty Mentor: Sean Tabaie; Orthopedic Surgery, Children’s National

Alondra Concepcion-Gonzalez
Title: Risk Severity Score (RSS) for Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is associated with Length of Hospital Stay in Growth Friendly Index Surgeries for Early Onset Scoliosis (EOS)
Faculty Mentor: Michael Vitale; Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University

Jennifer Goldman
Title: 30 Day Complication Rates After Gender-Affirming Bottom Surgery- An Analysis of the NSQIP Database from 2010-2020
Faculty Mentor: Jerry Chao; Plastic Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine

Sharma Dhruv and Aadit Mehta
Title: Evaluating Diversity and Inclusion Content on Graduate Medical Education Websites
Faculty Mentor: Katherine Chretien;  Medicine,  George Washington University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Scarlett Bergam
Title: “I am not shy anymore”: A qualitative study of the role of an interactive mHealth intervention on sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of South African adolescents with perinatal HIV
Faculty Mentor: Brian Zanoni; Pediatric Infectious Disease, Emory University

Alisa Dewald
Title: Policing, Sanitation, and the Fragmented Response to Homelessness in Cities
Faculty Mentor: Charley Willison; Cornell University, School of Public Health


We are indebted to the help of the following faculty judges who reviewed the submitted abstracts and/or posters: Laura Abate, Homa Ahmadzia, Huda Ayas, Karla Bartholomew, Ruth Beuter, Stacy Brody, Miriam Bornhorst, Susan Ceryak, Andrew Choi, David Diemert, Daniel Donoho, Anand Gourishankar, Thomas Harrod, Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Richard Katz, Natalie Kirilichin, Anita Krishnan, Newton Kendig, Brandon Kohrt, Patricia Latham, David Leitenberg, Naomi Luban, Maureen Lyon, Genevieve McKenna, Tim McCaffrey, Elissa Malkin, Travis O'Brien, Fran O'Connell, Ali Pourmand, Bharat Ranganath, Yuan James Rao, Robert Shesser, Nicholas Shworak, Michael Whalen, Marcee Wilder

Very special thanks goes to Dr. Susan Ceryak who organized the judging process.