Feb. 21, 2024 — Across two full days, the 14^th annual College of Medicine Celebration of Research gave the college community an opportunity to gather, socialize and highlight recent accomplishments Feb. 12-13.

Monday night, college members packed the Stephen C. O’Connell Center floor with nearly 500 posters, showcasing the wide-ranging and dedicated work of faculty, students, trainees and staff in making the college a premier hub for biomedical research. On Tuesday, the awards ceremony and reception offered a chance to further commemorate excellence in science and even in art.

Day 1: Poster session and mentoring excellence roundtable

This year’s Celebration of Research kicked off with a roundtable discussion Feb. 12, where clinician scientists shared insights on building a culture of excellence in research mentoring. Panelists included Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M.Ed., interim dean of the college; Azra Bihorac, M.D., M.S., FCCM, FASN, the senior associate dean for research; neurosurgery faculty Maryam Rahman, M.D., Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., and Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.; and Faheem Guirgis, M.D., FACEP, an endowed professor and vice chair of research in the department of emergency medicine.

The panelists spoke on topics including balancing their clinical duties with research, getting enough protected time for research, prioritizing productive research collaborations and balancing work with personal life.

That evening, the O’Connell Center was abuzz with activity. Highlights included demonstrations of patient simulation equipment developed in the college. Later, a science fair recognition ceremony for Alachua County Public Schools students celebrated the students’ early achievements and newfound interest in science. This budding passion was further fostered by the help of the UF Medi-Gators volunteers who took students on tours during the event.

Attendees also got to snap photos in the photobooth and take home digital memories of the evening while grabbing baggies of science-themed candy hearts with sayings such as, “SRSLY SCIENCY” and “I LAB YOU.”

Meanwhile, the signature event unfolded on the main floor. The latest breakthroughs in biomedical research were on display along the rows of poster boards at the heart of the O’Connell Center as College of Medicine members presented their findings. Spanning everything from bedrock basic and translational exploration to boundary-pushing progress in data science and artificial intelligence, presenters from all career stages came to support each other’s studies.

“The celebration is a great opportunity for people of all levels to showcase their work,” said Evan Barrios, M.D., a general surgery resident.

Barrios, the postdoctoral winner of the Outstanding Poster Award in Clinical Sciences, is a resident supported by a T32 training grant whose research targets sepsis. Even with years of knowledge in his field, he said a poster session like this is still a time to hone communication skills.

“Even at this level it’s practice,” Barrios said. “You never stop developing the ability to talk about the subject like a true expert.”

Other poster presenters echoed this sentiment.

“This event gives me the opportunity to practice presenting by emulating the strengths of the people around me,” said Cassandra Vyazmensky, an undergraduate senior in the department of psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “It’s not only a chance to learn from the grad students, but it’s also a chance to see the state of medical research across UF.”

Overall, the event marked an early milestone in the careers of College of Medicine trainees, many of whom felt uplifted by the science of their peers.

“It feels very reassuring,” said Ricardo Diaz-Rincon, a Ph.D. student in the department of neuroscience and the predoctoral winner of the Outstanding Poster Award in Data Sciences or Artificial Intelligence. “The fact that we’re all here speaks to the quality of the research. Its impact will be applicable to changing so many lives.”

Day 2: Awards ceremony and research art reception

The second day of Celebration of Research Feb. 13 featured an awards presentation and art gallery-style reception where attendees mingled and discussed artwork created by their peers.

To start Day 2, Bihorac welcomed attendees to the awards ceremony, aimed at recognizing exemplary faculty members as well as the winners of this year’s research art competition, Art Enhanced: The Intersection of Human Creativity and AI. Bihorac expressed gratitude for everyone’s relentless effort in advancing research.

Hunt, the interim dean, offered inspiring opening remarks daring listeners to dive into rabbit holes of productive curiosity while keeping a wary eye out for sinkholes of unneeded distraction to achieve success in research.

“Look for those places where your imagination can be open and where you can experience serendipitous rabbit holes,” she said. “When you find those little glimpses into the zone of genius, I hope you’ll jump into that rabbit hole feet first.”

She also noted that this year’s faculty award winners will push future researchers to reach new heights of excellence by building upon past achievements, akin to Sir Isaac Newton’s quote of “standing on the shoulders of giants.”

“You know that phrase ‘we stand on the shoulders of giants?’ Well, 20, 30, 40 years from now your mentees and grand mentees will say that, but it will be about you. You will be the giant who is lifting someone else to their own greatness in research,” she said.