2022 VCOM Research Retreat Program

WELCOME

The Research Department, Provost Rawlins, and Chairman Rocovich are pleased to welcome you to the 2022 VCOM Research Retreat. This annual event has become a cornerstone for the continuous growth of the VCOM research environment. It provides an ideal opportunity for faculty to become better acquainted with the unique research capacities, resources, and opportunities available across the VCOM four-campus system. Key priorities for the 2022 Research Retreat include building new interdisciplinary networks and enhancing collaborations among scientists and clinicians at the VCOM Auburn, Carolinas, Louisiana, and Virginia campus locations, clinical partners, and colleagues at associated institutions of higher education. Our goal is to bring great minds together across VCOM's geographic reach, inspire innovative new research ventures, and lay the groundwork to support and sustain these cross-campus partnerships. This year's sessions balance in-depth topical discussions and practical tips and considerations for conducting research in an ever-evolving context. Three Keynotes bridge the biomedical and clinical research fields in addressing how to take innovations from bench to bedside. On Saturday morning, Brian Rood, MD, will discuss "Applied Proteo(geno)mics in Pediatric Brain Tumors." In the afternoon on Saturday, Joel Stitzel Jr., PhD will present "Human Body Modeling Update and Application to Medical Research." The final keynote will be held on Sunday morning, featuring Sam Konduros, JD, speaking about "The Rapid Evolution of Life Sciences and Healthcare Innovation in the Carolinas (and Beyond)." Panel sessions will provide knowledge resources and discussions to strengthen skills in the areas of Conducting Systematic Medical Literature Reviews and Regulatory Issues in Human Subjects Research. A third panel session will provide concepts and tools to support student mentorship in research, with the launch of VCOM's new third year Research Rotation and growth of the DO with Research Distinction program. Three educational sessions will be dedicated to exploring different areas, such as Biostatistics and its Medical Oriented Process, How to Conduct Medical Research in a Busy Clinical Practice, and VCOM Protocols and Processes for Student Research Mentorship. Breakout networking activities, MEDx talks, and a research poster session provide opportunities for VCOM's established and early-career researchers and partners to share their recent initiatives, projects, and plans that will hopefully spark new collaborations across the VCOM four-campus system. This year, over 120 registered attendees will join us for the weekend. We hope that researchers will find themselves enlightened by the perspectives and experiences shared by their peers and energized by new insights into the abundant opportunities, directions, and research developments available in the current climate. A special thank you to Dean Cannon and the Carolinas campus administration for hosting and overseeing the logistics to make this event possible. We look forward to learning and working with you during the 2022 Research Retreat!