Geisinger hosts Resident Research Days
Event expands to two days this year
May 22, 2009, DANVILLE - Geisinger Health System offers medical residency training to nearly 300 physicians. It is during a physician’s residency when they begin to specialize in a practice area and it is also when many start their careers as physician researchers.
The most promising Geisinger resident research projects from the last year were recognized May 14-15 at the Henry Hood Center for Health Research. Residents completed 67 research projects in the last year and 36 were selected for presentation at this year’s Resident Research Days.
Geisinger’s annual celebration of resident research projects expanded from one to two days this year because a large number of quality projects were submitted for review, said Geisinger Chief Academic Officer Linda Famiglio, M.D.
“This was an outstanding year for our residents,” Dr. Famiglio said. “Many of these projects examined complex diseases and medical issues that are extremely important to our patients.”
The goal with medical research is to learn more about certain diseases and health problems, and to eventually discover cures or better ways of coping with these conditions, Dr. Famiglio said.
This year’s research shed light on topics such as the identification of genes that are linked to increased risk for abdominal aortic aneurisms, using the electronic health record to better identify (and treat) patients who are at risk for congestive heart failure and the use of certain medications to treat cancer.
“Our residents and fellows work closely with senior hospital staff and investigators at the Sigfried and Janet Weis Center for Research and the Henry Hood Center for Health Research to produce high-quality studies that are presented at national conferences and appear in many of today’s leading medical journals,” Dr. Famiglio said.
Geisinger’s Department of Academic Affairs, Geisinger’s Administrative Committee for Research and the Montour County Medical Society sponsored this year’s event.
Poster presentation winners were:
Arun Kalyanasundaram, M.D., first prize; Mini Varghese, M.D., second prize; Lindsay Ledwich, D.O., third prize; Aarush Manchanda, M.D.; third prize.
Oral research winners were:
Ankur Parikh, M.D., first prize; Melissa Obmann, D.O., second prize; Brian Oppermann, M.D., sharing third prize were Chafik Assal, M.D. and Christopher Good, D.O.
Case report winners were:
Nsikak Umoh, M.D., first prize; Josephine Cueto, M.D., second prize; sharing third prize were Ian Alexander, M.D., third prize and Guillermo Carnero, M.D.
About Geisinger Health System
Founded in 1915, Geisinger Health System is one of the nations largest integrated health services organizations. Serving more than 2.6 million residents throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, the physician-led organization is a nationally recognized leader in the use of electronic health records, patient access and engagement in their healthcare, and in medical education for the next generation. Geisinger is comprised of three medical center campuses, a 740-member group practice, a not-for-profit health insurance company and research that extends across our large system- all dedicated to creating new models for scientific discovery, quality patient care, and successful clinical outcomes. Geisinger's Weis Center, Center for Health Research and Center for Clinical Studies include basic science, population-based and clinical trials research, complemented by collaborative relationships with top academic centers. Geisinger Ventures, the system's for profit entrepreneurial arm, seeks and promotes opportunities to speed the delivery of medical innovation to benefit patients. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org.