The Ellmer College of Health Sciences at °¼Í¹ÊÓƵ hosted its annual Research Day on March 28, drawing a packed house of students, faculty, and guests from across the university. The event offered a full afternoon of oral presentations and poster sessions that highlighted the breadth and impact of research taking place within the college and beyond.
The program opened with remarks from Chris Rhea, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, who welcomed attendees and recognized the efforts of all the student researchers. The standing-room-only turnout reflected the high level of interest in the work being done and the pride the °¼Í¹ÊÓƵ community takes in its research.
Presentations reflected a wide variety of inquiry, unified by their relevance to human health and innovation. Ian Winter, a Ph.D. student in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, presented research on hydration assessment in athletes, exploring how certain biomarkers might offer a simpler, more consistent way to monitor hydration status without being influenced by body size or composition. His work could inform better practices in sports health and performance monitoring. Joel Harden, also in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, explored how even modest increases in daily physical activity can improve vascular function - a finding with clear implications for heart health.
Amin Mohammadi examined the relationship between sleep quality and cognitive outcomes in NCAA athletes with a history of concussion, highlighting how poor sleep correlates with slower recovery and more severe symptoms. Michelle Burek, an occupational therapist and Ph.D. student in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, shared her work on the social play barriers experienced by preschoolers with neurodevelopmental disorders, setting the stage for future intervention research.
Emilee Peterson, a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Sciences, is building on existing research into the role of stem cells in cancer. Using a 3D bioprinting model, her study explores how different types of stem cells may influence tumor growth, potentially offering new insights into how the cancer microenvironment can be modified for therapeutic benefit.
Eleni Adam, a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science, shared her work on assembling the complex DNA regions found near the ends of chromosomes—known as subtelomeres. Collaborating with Harold Riethman, PhD, Chair of the School of Medical Diagnostic and Translational Sciences, Adam is contributing to °¼Í¹ÊÓƵ’s role in the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, an international effort to complete the first truly comprehensive map of the human genome. Using advanced computational tools and AI, her research could help scientists better understand the role these regions play in cancer and other diseases.
One standout aspect of Research Day was the opportunity for cross-disciplinary engagement. The event brought together students and faculty from across the college, including speech-language pathology, dental hygiene, occupational therapy, biomedical sciences, and many more. Attendees from other areas of the Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences community joined in as well, contributing to a lively and collaborative exchange of ideas that extended far beyond any one discipline.
With 34 posters on display and six oral presentations, Research Day showcased the strength of °¼Í¹ÊÓƵ’s research community and the value of bringing different perspectives into the same room. It was a reminder that when disciplines connect, new insights emerge, and that kind of collaboration is central to how °¼Í¹ÊÓƵ approaches innovation.