VCOM 2023 Annual Report

Annual Research Retreat Subhead text Four Campuses, One Research Mission

C onducting research is a key part of the VCOM mission. As part of that commitment to research, each year VCOM holds a research retreat, which rotates among the College’s four campuses. This annual event has become a cornerstone for the continuous growth of the VCOM research environment. It provides an ideal opportunity

networks and enhancing collaborations among scientists and clinicians across the College and with clinical partners and colleagues at associated institutions of higher education. Workshops and sessions touched on a wide range of topics, including the challenges of developing compliant clinical trials, inflammation and autoimmunity, mentoring students in research, anatomy, osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), pharmacology and much more. President Tooke-Rawlins and Gunnar Brolinson, DO, VCOM’s vice president for research, shared an update on student research at VCOM. Two keynote sessions featured distinguished guests. Peter Hiestand, the former director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Division of Extramural Activities talked about the challenges and opportunities of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) research. Andrew Albrecht, the CEO and founder of AUBix, LLC, an Auburn-based data center that is committed to bringing technology parity to underserved communities in the region. The retreat brought great minds together, inspired innovative new research ventures and laid the groundwork to support and sustain cross-campus partnerships.

“Through collaborative efforts and faculty-led workshops to develop interdisciplinary networks, VCOM remains at the forefront of cutting-edge research, driving positive change in healthcare and beyond. We are thrilled to witness the continuous expansion of our research initiatives, observing expansion in both participation rates and the quality of posters presented year after year. It’s truly inspiring to see our VCOM community’s dedication to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation.” Kenny Brock, DVM, MS, PhD

for faculty to become better acquainted with the unique research capacities, resources and opportunities available across VCOM’s four campuses. The 2023 Research Retreat was hosted by VCOM-Auburn, Nov. 3-5. It featured an agenda focused on faculty-led workshops and breakout sessions. Key priorities for the retreat included building interdisciplinary

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