PA students gather for 7th annual Research Poster Day event
Seventh annual research day bridges gap between literature and innovation

Feb. 5, 2025 — Highlighting months spent conducting literature reviews and translating research into action, students at the University of Florida School of Physician Assistant Studies recently attended their seventh annual research poster day to present their findings to peers, faculty, and an array of staff from both the Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses. Twenty-one groups of students presented their research posters on Jan. 31 at the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building, enabling them to receive hands-on research experience with the guidance of their mentors.
Students cycled through four sessions of poster presentations on topics ranging from postpartum depression to cardiovascular disease as guests listened and asked questions.
“This event is a cornerstone of our program, representing the culmination of nine months of rigorous work by our PA students, with all PA faculty serving as mentors for student groups throughout the process,” said interim PA School Director Melissa Turley, PharmD, MPAS, PA-C. “I particularly look forward to seeing the wide range of topics our students have explored. It’s always exciting to witness their innovative approaches to addressing real-world health care challenges.”
The caliber of research being presented at this event is illustrated by the work showcased by second-year PA students Gabrielle Register and Sephra Miller, who presented their project titled “Trauma Dumping: Adverse Childhood Events and the Development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.”

Their findings, compiled from an extensive literature review, showcased that, out of the list of adverse childhood events studied, emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of IBS status even after adjusting for demographic variables.
The goal of their study was to see if there was a connection between people who have experienced traumatic childhood events and developing IBS, due to the stigma surrounding the condition, Miller said.
With this information in mind, health care providers and therapists can better educate individuals about what is going on in their bodies in the hopes that recognition of their traumas and past mental experiences can aid them in understanding what is matriculating physically.
“There might be something that patients had zero control over that happened to them, and now that trauma is playing out in their bodies,” Register said. “IBS is a really complicated diagnosis, and it may be related to some of these factors. Just saying to patients, ‘Hey, how can we help you? Do you want to talk about these things?’ is powerful. Keeping this in mind might help your therapeutic relationship and help your patients understand themselves and their bodies better.”