Van Liere and WV IDeA Research Conference

This newly transformed conference will engage researchers from WVU, Marshall and academic institutions from across the state of West Virginia.

  • Health Sciences Center
  • Erickson Alumni Center

Winning Submissions

The Van Liere and WV IDeA Research Conference outstanding poster award winners have been announced:

Undergraduate 

  • Maya Carter 
  • Cyrena King
  • DaNaylee Long 
  • Johnston Renton
  • Lainey Shouldis 

Clinical  

  • Brent Zutaut
  • Brady Nicewarner
  • Justin Hickey
  • Christina Markopoulos 
  • Kathryn Gerbo 
  • Kathryn Schwartzmen
  • Fellow/Resident: Robert Snedegar

Basic Science  

  • Brianne Nichols
  • Emily Westemeir
  • Cullen Wolford
  • Heather Hansen
  • Steven Ball 
  • Anna Korol
  • Geoffrey Pecar
  • Elio Delatore III, West Liberty University
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.

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, we will be expanding the conference by inviting IDeA supported researchers and students from across the state of WV to join the researchers and students of WVU HSC.

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.

Featured Speakers

Ali
RezaiMD, FAANS

Photo of Ali Rezai.

Executive Chair, Vice President of Neuroscience, Associate Dean, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (SOM)

Schedule

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Registration and Poster Set-up

Location: Pylons, Health Sciences Center

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Opening Session and Undergraduate Research Presentation

Location: Room 1909 HSC-North, Health Sciences Center

  • Julie A LockmanPhD
  • Gary Rankin
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session

Location: Pylons, Health Sciences Center

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Transition and Break

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Preparing for Careers in Research: Graduate School Application

Location: Room 1909 HSC-North, Health Sciences Center

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Transition and Break

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Presentation and Poster Awards and Photos

Location: Room 1909 HSC-North, Health Sciences Center

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Student Organizations, Graduate, and Professional School Program Showcase

Location: HSC 2940 A&B, Health Sciences Center

This event will also include dinner.

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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

  • Clay B. MarshMD
  • Ming Lei

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Keynote Speaker

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

  • Ali RezaiMD, FAANS
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Transition and Break

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Concurrent Research Symposia I

Location: TBD, Erickson Alumni Center

Neuroscience and Stroke Research
Moderators
Courtney DeVriesPhD
David AdelsonFACS, FAAP, FAANS
Trainee Presentation “Development of In Vitro Ischemic Stroke Model Using iPSC Derived Blood Brain Barrier”
Srishti Kala
Faculty Presentation “Integrating Multiscale Connectomics-based Approaches into WVU Stroke Studies”
Shahrzad Latifi
Trainee Presentation “Extracellular Vesicles Perturb Brain Endothelial Cell Function During Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion”
Brandon Kirby
Faculty Presentation “Innovative Focused Ultrasound Blood-Brain Barrier Opening: Pushing Boundaries and Expanding Horizons”
Manish Ranjan, MBBS, MCh
Faculty Presentation “Broken Neural Computations”
Sergiy Yakovenko, PhD
Faculty Presentation “The Brain Endothelial Glycocalyx in Health and Disease”
Cancer Research
Moderators
Paul LockmanPhD, BSN
Ashkan EmadiMD, PhD
Faculty Presentation “More is Not Always Better: Exploring the Landscape of Synchronous Cancers in Appalachia”
Bhavana "Tina" Bhatnagar, DO
Faculty Presentation “Modulating Innate Immune Responses for Improved Cancer Therapeutics”
Tracy Liu, PhD
Clinical and Translational Sciences
Moderator
Sally L. HodderMD
Trainee Presentation “Rhianna Benton”
Rhianna Benton
Trainee Presentation “Wade Powers”
Wade Powers
Trainee Presentation “Improving the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease in Pediatric Patients in Rising Lyme Incidence Areas”
Jonathan Yaari
Trainee Presentation “A Retrospective, Multi-Agency ‘Target Trial Emulation’ for the Comparison of Post-Resuscitation Epinephrine to Norepinephrine”
Tanner Smida
Faculty Presentation “Treah Haggerty”
Treah Haggerty, MD, MS
Faculty Presentation “David Scarisbrick”
David Scarisbrick, PhD, ABPP-CN
Faculty Presentation “Stephenie Kennedy-Rea”
Stephenie Kennedy-Rea, EdD
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Transition and Break

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HSC Poster Session

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

The even-numbered posters will be presented from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., and the odd-numbered posters will be presented from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. A box lunch will be provided to presenters who are not presenting.

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Transition and Break

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Concurrent Research Symposia II

Location: TBD, Erickson Alumni Center

Metabolism and Obesity
Moderators
John M HollanderPhD
Uma Sundaram
Faculty Presentation “WVU ORGE Synergy Award: How is the Proclivity for Obesity Driven by the Phenotype of the Parent?”
Eric E Kelley, PhD
Faculty Presentation “Exploring a Novel Two-Hit Hypothesis: Does in Utero Exposure to Nanoparticles Make Offspring More Susceptible to Metabolic and Cardiovascular Dysfunction?”
Elizabeth Bowdridge, PhD
Trainee Presentation “The Sex-Specific Effects of Diet-Induced Obesity on Metabolic Dysfunction Within Alzheimer's Disease”
Nicole Eminhizer
Faculty Presentation “Effects of High Fat Diets on Glucose Uptake and Production in TALLYHO/Jng Mice, a Polygenic Model for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes”
Jung Han Kim
Faculty Presentation “New Advances in Intestinal Physiology and Transport Research”
Jennifer Haynes
Faculty Presentation “Obesity Leads to Peri-Tumor Adipose Tissue Changes, Driving Triple Negative Breast Cancer”
Cora Miracle
Sensory Sciences
Moderators
Visvanathan RamamurthyPhD
Joel PalkoMD
Trainee Presentation “PROM 1: A prominent protein for the outer segment development and Vision”
Sila Yanardag
Faculty Presentation “High-Frequency (10 kHz) Spinal Cord Stimulation for Refractory Diabetic Neuropathic Pain”
Joseph Aaron McGuire, MD
Faculty Presentation “Novel Human Mutations Affecting the Extracellular Matrix of Photoreceptors Associated with Retinal Blinding Dystrophies”
Ezequiel Salido, MD/PhD
Trainee Presentation “A Predictive Motor Circuit Affects Locomotor Performance”
Malia Miller
Faculty Presentation “Diabetes Retinopathy Intervention to Reduce Vision ImpairEments (DRIVE)”
Ranjita Misra, PhD
Joel Palko, MD
L. Carol Laxson, MD, PhD
Faculty Presentation “A Case of Refsum, A Peroxisomal Disorder Affecting Vision”
Ami Patel, MD
Faculty Presentation “Usher Protein Dynamics in Hearing and Deafness”
Rong Liu, PhD
HVI and Population Sciences
Moderators
Bethany Barone GibbsPhD
Kimberly Quedado
Faculty Presentation “Finding Wellness: Impacts on Cardiovascular Health”
Courtney Pilkerton, MD/PhD
Faculty Presentation “Aortic Valve Disease and Asian Cardiovascular Risk”
Vikrant Jagadeesan, MD
Faculty Presentation “Impacts of Physically Demanding Work on Population Cardiovascular Health”
Tyler Quinn, PhD, MS
Faculty Presentation “Should We Start Anticoagulation in Acute Brief Atrial Fibrillation from Post-Operative Non-Cardiac Procedures?”
Sittinun Thangjui, MD
Trainee Presentation “Non-Calcified Plaque Burden is Associated with Increased Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in a High Risk Appalachian Population with Low Coronary Artery Calcium Scores (0-100)”
Tyler Miller, MD
Trainee Presentation “Understanding How to Improve 24-hour Activity and Postpartum Health in Rural US Women”
Katrina Wilhite
Trainee Presentation “Not All T4 Patients Should be Considered Equal: NSCLC Heterogeneity and Surgical Outcome”
Xun Luo
Assistant/Associate Professor Presentations
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Transition

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Awards, Photos, and Closing Remarks

Location: Ruby Grand Hall, Erickson Alumni Center

Venues

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

Get Directions
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

On day 2, activities will begin at the Erickson Alumni Center before proceeding with a tour of various locations across the WVU Morgantown Campus.

1 Alumni Drive
Morgantown, WV 26506

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