The inaugural Discover USC showcase event was a smashing success. On Friday, April 21, more than 2,000 people came out to look, listen and learn about the impressive research, scholarship, leadership and creative projects undertaken by more than 1,000 students, postdocs and medical scholars over the 2017 academic year.

We are proud to share photos of the day, and recognize all of the award recipients from the poster, oral and three-minute thesis competitions.

 

Undergraduate and PharmD Student Awards

There were 25 oral presentation sections and 69 poster presentation sections for undergraduate and PharmD students at Discover USC 2017. Download the Undergraduate and PharmD awardees list [pdf] to view the award recipients from all of these competitive sections. Congratulations to all 2017 undergraduate and PharmD awardees.

 

Graduate Student Awards

For graduate students, there were 18 poster sections, and six three-minute thesis competition heats, plus a fan favorite and final competition, at Discover USC 2017. Congratulations to all 2017 graduate student award recipients.

Poster award winners
Poster Session	Winner
A	Yogin Patel, Role of miR-489 in mammary gland development and Her2 mediated tumorigenesis
B	Victor Kidd, International Oscillating Migration Patterns of Former US Men's Collegiate Basketball Players
C	Christopher Marsh, Temperature Dependence of the Fracture Behavior of X-750 Alloy and Effect of Heat Treatment
D	Varun Chandrashekaran, High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)-RAGE interaction mediates ectopic Intestinal inflammation in NAFLD
E	Karen Miller, Exploring Rural Public Library Assets for Asset-Based Community Development
F	Megan Hayes, Rhythmic Processing in Speech Perception
G	Taylor Apostolico, Women's Attitudes and Perceptions of Utility Towards BRCA1/2 Genetic Testing
H	Zachary Cannizzo, Changes in spatial behavior patterns by mangrove tree crabs following climate-induced range shift into novel habitat
I	Julianna Jayne, Role of Drill Sergeants in Basic Training Soldiers Nutrition Behaviors
J	Kathryn Miranda, Cannabinoid receptor 1 blockade alters dysbiosis in gut microbiota contributing to its anti-obesity effects
K	Derek Williams, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs): A Versatile Platform for Light Harvesting and Energy Transfer
L	Abeer Alharbi, Estimating the Impact of Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the Likelihood of Receiving Mammography and Pap Smear Screenings
M	Cody Wilkins, Performance of Sulfonated Polybenzimidazole membranes for use in the Hybrid Sulfur Electrolyzer for Hydrogen Production
N	Heidi Grogger, Pathways Storage Program- How Storage Impacts the Homeless Population
O	Kathleen Franke, Pursuing Happiness: Life Satisfaction and Assets in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder
P	Mithil Soni, microRNA-489 inhibits autophagy and sensitizes breast cancer cells to doxorubicin
Q	Phani Gummadidala, Production of Folipastatin and Unguinol in Talaromyces virginiae, sp. nov. correlates with its ability to Inhibit Growth and Aflatoxin Synthesis of Aspergillus parasiticus
R	Shraddha Vyas, Association between Type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetes duration Colorectal cancer risk

 

Three-minute thesis award winners
Award	Winner
Overall Winner	Gary Sellick, Black Skin, Red Coats: The Carolina Corps & British Emancipation
Fan Favorite	Jordan Holmes, Electrochemical Strategies for On-site Speciation Sensing using Ionophore-Grafted Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes
Heat A	William Schroer, Coastal stormwater ponds: Sediment accumulation and nutrient sequestration
Heat B	Gary Sellick, Black Skin, Red Coats: The Carolina Corps & British Emancipation
Heat C	Caroline Dunn, Reliability assessment of a novel tool to evaluate physical activity and healthy eating opportunities in faith-based settings: The Church Environment Audit Tool
Heat D	Nujhat Choudhury, A Comprehensive Study to Understand the Speciation of Pollutants in Oxy-coal Combustion
Heat E	Samuel King, High-Class Chop Suey: The Making of Chinese Fine Dining in Chicago, 1893-1917
Heat F	Rebecca Hirschhorn, Epidemiology of injuries requiring emergency transport among college and high school student-athletes

 

Medical Scholar Awards

For medical scholars, there were several poster and oral presentation competition sections resulting in four sets of awards at Discover USC 2017. Congratulations to all 2017 medical scholar award recipients.

Poster Presentation Winners: Basic Medical Sciences & Therapeutic Effectiveness/Efficiency
First Place	Jimmy Epps Medical Student, USC SOM Using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) to measure K+ efflux from human glioma cells
Second Place	Brady Nichols Medical Student, USC SOM Utility of Portable Ultrasound for Characterizing Specific Temporomandibular Dysfunction
Third Place	Rachel Parker Medical Student, USC SOM Laterality in Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Poster Presentation Winners: Case Reports/Small Series/Learning Innovation
First Place	Nicholas Papadea Medical Student, USC SOM Thromboembolic Serratia marcescens endocarditis, with delayed surgical management
Second Place (Tie)	Brittany Beland Internal Medicine Resident, PH Expanding the differential: Bilateral lesions of the globus pallidus in a patient with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning versus tramadol overdose
Second Place (Tie)	Erica Marshburn Emergency Medicine Resident, PH Use of intravenous lipid emulsion treatment for severe ropivacaine toxicity
Poster Presentation Winners: Outcomes and Quality
First Place	Avery Nelson Medical Student, USC SOM Optimal Duration of Antimicrobial Therapy for Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections
Second Place (Tie)	Madeline DeMarsh Pharmacy Resident, PH Prediction of Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim Resistance in Community Acquired Urinary Tract Infections
Second Place (Tie)	Courtney Meade Pharmacy Resident, PH Evaluation of cysteine intake in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates and the development of necrotizing enterocolitis

 

Oral presentation award winners
First Place	Shahnaz Rashid Medical Student, USC SOM My year of service for AmeriCorps VISTA: The development of Coastal Connections a non-profit resources linking program that connects low income patients to local community resources
Second Place	Amanda Vogl Pharmacy Resident, PH Development and implementation of neonatal sepsis risk assessment scoring in neonates less than 34 weeks gestation
Third Place	Maryann Mbaka Surgery Resident, PH Cervical spine fractures and swallowing dysfunction in trauma patients treated with semi-rigid collars: Our institutional experience

 

Postdoctoral Scholar Awards

For postdocs, there were three poster presentation competition sections at Discover USC 2017. These sessions featured current postdoctoral scholars and former recipients of ASPIRE I: IIB Innovation grants for postdoctoral scholars. Congratulations to all 2017 postdoctoral scholar award recipients.

Poster presentation award winners
Postdoctoral Scholars Poster Session A
First Place	Dr. Pankaj Ghate, Biological Sciences Identifying Novel Interactors of RAB3GAP1 to understand mechanisms behind Warburg Micro Syndrome
Second Place	Dr. Alexa Gandy, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology The role of gut microbiota in shaping the immune response in relapse-remitting and chronic-progressive mouse models of multiple sclerosis
Postdoctoral Scholars Poster Session B
First Place	Dr. Seung Joon Lee, Biological Sciences Axonal localization of alternatively-spliced Cdc42 mRNA supports axon growth
Second Place	Dr. Philip Busbee, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Indole-3-carbinol ameliorates murine colitis symptoms through alterations in gut microbial composition and metabolomic pathways, particularly through decreasing disease-associated Bacteroides acidifaciens species
Postdoctoral Scholars Poster Session C
First Place	Dr. Sayward Harrison, Health, Promotion, Education and Behavior First Line of Defense: An Evaluation of the Role of Primary Care in the Prevention of Childhood Obesity in South Carolina
Second Place	Dr. Courtney Monroe, Health, Promotion, Education and Behavior Harnessing Social Networks Via Technology for Weight Loss in Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

 

27 April 2017