November 21, 2025
Sponsor, Internal Service Provider, and Core Facility Exhibition
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Waitzer Hall lobbies: first and second floor
Exhibitors will be ready for attendees at 10:30 AM. Show them your Research Day spirit and pop in early before the crowd.
Come before the rest arrive, get the swag and feel the vibe!
Oral Presentations
In person: Waitzer Hall, room 300. Pizza lunch will be served
Remote: (Click here to join or join via link on the website)
Opening Remarks
12:00-12:15 PM
Dr. Paul Harrell, EVMS Research Advisory Committee Chair
Dr. Alfred Abuhamad, Executive Vice President of Virginia Health Sciences at ODU
Dr. Milton Brown, Senior Associate Vice President for Research
Dr. Judette Louis, Dean of Eastern Virginia Medical School
Presentation of Faculty Awards
12:15-12:30 PM
Early Career Research Excellence Award
Presented by Dr. Paul Harrell, Research Advisory Committee Chair
Excellence in Research Mentorship Award
Presented by Dr. Lifang Yang, Research Advisory Committee Vice Chair
Junior Clinical Investigator Program (JCIP)
Presented by Dr. Juliana Martins, JCIP Program Director
Keynote Speaker
12:30-1:15 PM
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Dr. Paul Harrell, Research Advisory Committee Chair
Dr. Michael Henry, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences
Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
Topic: Metastatic Journey Through the Fluid Microenvironment of the Circulation
Platform Presentations
1:15-1:29 PM
Afia Salsabil Alam, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student
Title: Investigating the Role of ALK2 Signaling in Function and Stability of Regulatory T Cells
Mentor: Piotr Kraj, PhD, DVM
1:30-1:44 PM
Mitch Chad Warren, MD Student
Title: Galactic Cosmic Radiation Negatively Affects Rat Ovarian Follicles
Mentor: Diane Duffy, PhD
1:45-1:59 PM
Samantha Vos, MD student
Title: Validating the clinical utility of a novel prognostic biomarker and an oncogenic k-RAS signaling gatekeeper, SIAH, to risk stratify pancreatic cancer patients at Sentara-EVMS-VOA
Mentor: Amy Tang, PhD
2:00-2:14 PM
William Miller Rice, MD student
Title: Robotic versus Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Emergency General Surgery: Do Older Adults Benefit More than Younger Adults?
Mentor: Jessica Burgess, MD
2:15-2:29 PM
Tasniem Tasha, MBBS, Internal Medicine Resident
Title: Recurrent Follicular Lymphoma Unmasking Common Variable Immunodeficiency: A Case Report and Review of Immunologic Links
Mentor: Sami Tahhan, MD, FACP
Short Break
2:30-2:45 PM
Poster Presentations
In person: Waitzer Hall, rooms 100 & 200.
Posters 1-113 are in Room 100, Posters 114-204 are in Room 200.
Refreshments served in the 2nd floor lobby.
2:45-3:45 PM
Poster Session A: Even numbered posters.
3:45-4:45 PM
Poster Session B: Odd numbered posters.
Short Break
4:45-5:00 PM
Presentation of Poster Awards and Closing Remarks
5:00-5:15 PM
Poster Awards
Presented by Dr. Paul Harrell and Dr. Li Fang Yang
Virginia Health Sciences Research Advisory Committee Chairs
EVMS Biomedical Sciences Programs Poster Awards
Presented by Dr. Aurora Kerscher
Interim Director, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Programs
People’s Choice Poster Award
Presented by Dr. Lifang Yang
Virginia Health Sciences Research Advisory Committee Vice Chair
Closing Remarks
Dr. Paul Harrell
Virginia Health Sciences Research Advisory Committee Chair
Save the Date NOW! Research Day 2026 will be Friday, November 13, 2026.
Abstracts will be due in early September.
