Van Liere and WV IDeA Research Conference

The conference will engage researchers from WVU and academic institutions from across the state of West Virginia and regional area.

  • Erickson Alumni Center
  • Health Sciences Center

About

The Van Liere Research Day started out in 1965 to highlight research of medical students in the School of Medicine. Over the years, it grew to annual event to showcase research from across the Health Sciences Center by featuring undergraduate, graduate, medical, and professional programs. 

In 2024, the conference expanded by inviting IDeA supported researchers and students from across the state of WV to join the researchers and students of WVU HSC.

Parking Info - Parking is free around the Erickson Alumni Center. 

A group of three student attendees stand amongst the poster presentations of the Pylons area if the Health Sciences Center. Each is holding a clipboard and are observing and note-taking.
Dr. Clay Marsh is seen presenting with his hands raised and facing to the left. Behind him is a projected presentation slide.
Dr. Ali Rezai speaks. He is sitting, with both of his arms raised, as he faces to the left. There is a shadowed, onfocused outline of someone in the foreground on the left edge of the photo.
A student, shown to the right, is in discussion with another individual who is to the left and facing away. They are standing in front of a series of poster presentations inside the Pylons area of the Health Sciences Center.

Schedule

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Registration

Location: Main Entrance, Erickson Alumni Center

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Continental Breakfast and Networking

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

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Opening Remarks

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

  • President Michael T. Benson
  • Ming Lei
  • Clay B. MarshMD

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Working Backwards from the Mission: Applying AI for Good in Health Sciences

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

  • Ashwini DavisonMD, FACP, FAMIA
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WVU Medicine AI Scribe Journey

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

  • David Rich
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Transition and Break

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Concurrent Research Symposia I

Location: TBA, Erickson Alumni Center

Neuroscience
Moderators
Bernard G SchreursPhD
Zachary WeilPhD
Faculty Presentation “What AI Can (and Can’t) Do for Neurosurgery Today”
Pierre D'Haese
Faculty Presentation “Neuron-to-neuron: application of AI/ML approaches in decoding mesoscale brain networks”
Shahrzad Latifi
Trainee Presentation “AI in Perineuronal Net Quantification”
MacKenzie Smith
Faculty Presentation “Computer Modeling and AI in Capturing Neurological Function”
Valeriya Gritsenko, PhD
Trainee Presentation “Circulating extracellular vesicles from mice with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion induce a transient disruption to brain endothelial cell function”
Brandon Kirby
Faculty Presentation “What can AI teach us about our humanity?”
Julie Brefczynski-Lewis, PhD
Cancer
Moderators
Timothy EubankPhD
Caroline RieserMD
Faculty Presentation “Development of uMUC-1 targeted NEMO particles with pH-activatable MRI signal for enhanced detection of breast cancer cells”
Margaret Bennewitz, PhD
Faculty Presentation “Time to non-small cell lung cancer treatment and impact on survival in West Virginia”
Sabina Nduaguba, PhD, BPharm
Trainee Presentation “Androgens modulate the stroma and anti-tumor immunity in PDAC”
Quinn Hopen
Trainee Presentation “Utilizing MMAE-encapsulating ionizable lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia”
Participants
William Pentz
Trainee Presentation “Electronic Cigarette Exposure Increases Blood-Brain and Blood-Tumor Barrier Efflux Function in a Murine Lung Cancer Brain Metastasis Model”
Cullen Wolford
Population Sciences
Moderators
Bethany Barone GibbsPhD
Brad Price
Faculty Presentation “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Rural Health”
Brad Price
Faculty Presentation “AI-driven Synthetic Data Methods for predicting Clinical Outcomes”
Abdullah Al-Mamun, PhD
Faculty Presentation “Modeling lung function accounting for inhalation exposure variability and uncertainty in the workplace”
Caroline P Groth, PhD, BA
Faculty Presentation “Combatting Drug Trafficking on Social Media with AI”
Bin Liu
Trainee Presentation “Predicting Fatal Drug Overdose using Machine Learning Models in West Virginia”
Chisom Eze
Trainee Presentation “Rurality and Pregnancy Cardiovascular Health Behaviors in a North Central Appalachian Cohort”
Elly Marshall
Trainee Presentation “Using 'Target Trial Emulation' to Investigate the Delivery of Prehospital Care”
Tanner Smida
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Transition and Break

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HSC Poster Session & Lunch

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

The first poster session will be presented from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., and the second poster session will be presented from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. A box lunch will be provided to presenters who are not presenting. More details on which session you will be assigned to will be provided the week of the conference.

Add session to calendar

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Transition and Break

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Concurrent Research Symposia II

Location: TBA, Erickson Alumni Center

Metabolism
Moderators
John M HollanderPhD
Roberta LeonardiPhD
Faculty Presentation “Mitochondria as a gateway to air pollution-induced lung inflammation and injury”
Salik Hussain, DVM, PhD
Faculty Presentation “Nicotinamide Metabolism in Retinal Health”
Jianhai Du, PhD
Faculty Presentation “Borrowed power: Mitochondrial transplantation as a novel therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma”
Christopher P. Cifarelli, MD, PhD, MMM, FAANS, FACS
Trainee Presentation “Female neutrophil metabolism and phagocytosis are modulated by sex hormones”
Matthew Kays
Trainee Presentation “Filament formation of metabolic enzymes regulates localization in cells”
Heather Hanson
Trainee Presentation “GCN5L1-mediated lysine acetylation regulates mitochondrial metabolism and redox homeostasis in the aged heart”
Jackson Stewart
AI
Moderators
Karen MartinPhD
Michael HuPhD
Faculty Presentation “The Role of Generative AI in Scholarly Writing in Nursing”
Heather Carter-Templeton, PhD, RN, FAAN
Trainee Presentation “Assessment of Deep Research for Literature Reviews”
Lauren Keplinger
Trainee Presentation “Comparing the Ability of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots to Produce Novel Research Questions in Skull-Based Surgery”
Sairisheel Gabbi Reddy, MD
Faculty Presentation “Social Media–Based Evaluation of Patient Reported Outcomes of Newly Approved Disease Modifying Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease”
Abdullah Al-Mamun, PhD
Faculty Presentation “De'clinicalizing' Infant Motor Assessment: How Might AI Transform Accessibility and Ecological Validity?”
Ketaki Inamdar, PT, PhD
Trainee Presentation “Assessing the diagnostic power and management recommendations of ChatGPT-4 vision on orbital fracture in CT scan”
Kareem Ibrahim-Bacha
Trainee Presentation “AI-Designed Peptides to Address Challenges in Antimicrobial Resistance and Cancer”
Alexa Sowers
Clinical Trials
Moderators
Anthony RealiniMD, MPH
Umer NajibMD
Faculty Presentation “Communication to Increase ​Rural Participation in Clinical Trials”
Dannell D. Boatman, EdD, MS
Faculty Presentation “Early Phase Study in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma”
Sonikpreet Aulakh, MBBS, MD
Faculty Presentation “Improving Post-Hospitalization Outcomes for Rural Populations”
Jessica Thayer, MD
Faculty Presentation “Implementing the Comparing Oral vs. Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (COPAT) Clinical Trial to Influence Institutional Practice Transformation”
Joy Juskowich, MD
Arif R. Sarwari, MD, MSc, MBA
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Transition

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Awards, Photos, and Closing Remarks

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

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Registration and Poster Set-up

Location: Pylons, Health Sciences Center

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Opening Session and Oral Research Presentations

Location: Room 1909 HSC-North, Health Sciences Center

  • Julie A LockmanPhD
  • Ming Lei
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Transition and Break

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Undergraduate Research Poster Session

Location: Pylons, Health Sciences Center

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Lunch/Preparing for Careers in Research Panel

Location: 2940 A&B, Health Sciences Center

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Student Organizations, Graduate, and Professional School Program Showcase

Location: HSC 2940 A&B, Health Sciences Center

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Presentation and Poster Awards and Photos

Location: 2940 A&B, Health Sciences Center

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Venues

A wide shot of the Erickson Alumni Center is seen against a mostly clear blue sky. The red brick building has a wing to the left; a tower near center capped by a “Flying WV” circular stained glass window near its top; and a brick wall with a gold WVU Alumni wordmark and text beneath it that reads, “The Erickson Alumni Center at Statler Wilson Commons” in gold lettering.

Erickson Alumni Center

1 Alumni Drive
Morgantown, WV 26506

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The front exterior of the Health Sciences Center complex show. The mostly white building has several benches and picnic tables on its lawn area, which also has plenty of plant life.

Health Sciences Center

64 Medical Center Drive
Morgantown, WV 26506

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Abstract Submissions

Poster Abstract submissions are now open. Please visit the form link to submit your abstract. You will be prompted to create an account in Forager One with an email and password to access the form. If you have questions about the submission process or the upcoming event, please contact Nicole Renner - Nicole.Beason@hsc.wvu.edu. Poster submissions will be accepted until October 3, 2025.

Reminder all poster abstract submissions are accepted. 

The first poster session will be presented from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., and the second poster session will be presented from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. A box lunch will be provided to presenters who are not presenting. More details on which session you will be assigned to will be provided the week of the conference.

Poster dimensions can be up to 36x36. If you have a poster from a previous event that is larger than the dimensions listed above, please contact Nicole.Beason@hsc.wvu.edu and we will accommodate this request. 

A large number of people are seen mingling amongst several rows of poster displays that are set up in the Pylons area of the Health Sciences Center in Morgantown. Some people are studying the posters, while others are in conversation about the displays.