Rowan-Virtua SOM marks 30th research showcase with multi-day event

For the first time in its 30-year history, Research Week at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM) expanded from a one-day event to a two-day showcase, reflecting growing participation and interest in research across the institution and its partners.

Held May 6 and 7 in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Academic Center on the Stratford campus, Research Week highlighted groundbreaking work from faculty, residents, fellows and students focused on improving patient care through research. The annual event also celebrated collaborations between Rowan-Virtua SOM and its academic, clinical and corporate partners.

“The remarkable growth of Research Week over the past three decades is proof of SOM’s longstanding dedication to excellence in research,” said Richard Jermyn, vice chancellor of Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences (VHC). “Those of you presenting today are the reason why we were recently ranked as the second-highest osteopathic medical school in the nation for federal research grant funding.”

This year’s event featured 306 total research posters including 152 presented in person, with the remainder displayed electronically, marking the largest number of posters in the event’s history. Organizers also reported record participation in vendors, speakers and attendees.

“The expansion of Research Week reflects the tremendous growth of our research enterprise and the strength of our partnerships across the region,” said Dianne Langford, Ph.D., dean of Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences and associate vice chancellor for VHC. “The record number of presentations showcases the dedication of our students, faculty, residents and clinical partners to advancing discoveries that improve patient care and address some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges.”

While the majority of presentations came from Rowan-Virtua SOM students, faculty and staff, the event also included research from collaborators at Virtua Health, Jefferson Health, Wilmington VA Medical Center, Cooper University Health Care, Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Virtua Voorhees Hospital and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University affiliates.

The expanded program included keynote presentations on emerging issues in medicine, ethics and healthcare equity.

On opening day, Nicholas G. Evans, associate professor of political science at University of Massachusetts Lowell and co-director of the Modelling Individual and Networked Decisions (MIND) Lab, delivered a keynote titled “Beyond Human Performance: Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Cognitive Enhancement.” His presentation explored the intersection of ethics, emerging technologies, national security and regulatory challenges.

The following day, Leslie Hausmann, professor of medicine and assistant dean for medical student research at University of Pittsburgh, presented “Advancing Health Equity in a Learning Healthcare System.” Her keynote focused on improving the health and healthcare of historically marginalized military veteran populations.

For more than 20 years, Research Week has celebrated the research efforts of the Rowan-Virtua SOM community. This year’s expansion underscored the event’s continued growth and the increasing role of collaborative research in advancing healthcare innovation.