Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum 

The 55th Annual Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum was held at Creighton University on March 2, with 187 student abstracts submitted for the meeting. Creighton students won seven of this year’s awards. 

• Clare Wieland, second place, Medical/Professional Student Oral Presentation for “Optimal Filling Solution For The Double Ballon Urinary Catheter: A Laboratory Analysis.” Advisors: Michael P. Feloney, MD, cChair, Department of Urology and professor of urology, School of Medicine, and Joel F. Destino, PhD, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences. 
• Brian Nguyen, second place, Graduate Student Oral Presentation for “Development of a Transfection Method for Naegleria SPP. Using A Molecular Clone of N. Gruberi. ” Advisor: Kristen Drescher, PhD; Prprofessor of mMedical mMicrobiology and iImmunology, School of Medicine. 
• Kayla Weldon, third place, Graduate Student Oral Presentation for “Identification of Cellular Factors Influencing HIV-1 Susceptibility.” Advisor: Michael Belshan, PhD, pProfessor of mMedical mMicrobiology and iImmunology, School of Medicine. 
• Marco DBlasi, second place tie, Medical/Professional Student Poster Presentation for “Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Fusion Protein Vaccines Containing the TH17-Stimulating Antigen POPB Improve Mucosal IGA Responses Aand Protective Efficacy Iin Mice After Intranasal Immunization,” Creighton School of Medicine.  Advisor: Dr. Gregory P. Priebe, Boston’s’ Children’s Hospital. 
• Rahul Thusay, third place, Medical / Professional Student Poster Presentation for “Limitations of Electronic Health Record Smoking History Data in Identification of Lung Cancer Screening-Eligible Patients.” Advisor: Zachary DePew, MD, associate professor of medicine, School of Medicine. 
• Elise M. Kiszla, Sigma Xi Award of Merit for Medical / Professional Student Poster Presentation for “Repurposing Therapies Against Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss.”  Advisor: Marisa Zallocchi, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical sciences, School of Medicine. 
• Patrick Kuwong, Sigma Xi Award of Merit for Graduate Student Poster Presentation for “hFWE Deletion Reduced Terminal Differentiation in cSCC Xenograft But Did Not Impact Tumor Growth.” Advisor: Laura Hansen, PhD, associate dean of research and professor of biomedical sciences, School of Medicine.