More than 500 students, residents, trainees, faculty and leaders came together for the 35th annual USF Health Research Day, the largest research-focused event at the 哔咔漫画 and the keynote celebration of health sciences research at the four USF Health colleges.
Dr. Erica Herzog
This year鈥檚 event set a new record for poster presentations, showcasing the boundless enthusiasm for research at USF Health and reflecting the university鈥檚 standing as a preeminent national public research institution and a member of the American Association of Universities.
The event began with a keynote lecture by Erica Herzog, MD, PhD, associate dean for medical student research and the John Slade Ely Professor of Internal Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. A distinguished physician-scientist, Dr. Herzog has significantly advanced the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease characterized by scarring and thickening of lung tissue, which impairs oxygen exchange.
During her presentation on nerve-lung interactions in pulmonary fibrosis, Dr. Herzog took time to encourage students to pursue the research ideas that excite them and follow those ideas wherever they lead.
鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to follow your creative ideas鈥攜ou never know what you will find. One day, you might encounter serendipity and help someone,鈥� Dr. Herzog said. 鈥淭hink creatively, think outside the box, and we will all move forward together.鈥�
USF President Rhea Law and Charles J. Lockwood, MD, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, echoed similar sentiments in their remarks, expressing admiration for the breadth of research showcased at the event.
鈥淭his is my favorite day of the year. I am amazed at the variety and quality of scientific projects on display today,鈥� Dr. Lockwood said.
Dr. Charles Lockwood and President Rhea Law
Following the keynote lecture, attendees explored hundreds of posters lining the walls of the Marshall Student Center, exchanging ideas and gaining insight into research investigations conducted by their peers. A select group of students from the colleges of public health, nursing, medicine, and pharmacy were invited to present at the 15th Annual Joseph Krzanowski USF Health Invited Oral Presentations.
The day concluded with a festive awards ceremony, recognizing the most outstanding projects and celebrating the innovation and dedication of the USF Health research community.
Among this year鈥檚 presenters was Parth Shah, a first-year medical student at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and a member of the AI in Medicine research group. Intrigued by the opportunity for AI to improve efficiency in imaging and pathology, his study aimed to gain a better understanding of the current effectiveness of large language models in interpreting histological images.
Parth Shah, a first-year medical student
His project tested the free version of three AI programs 鈥� ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude 鈥� by feeding them images of normal muscle histology, and he found that ChatGPT significantly outperformed the other models. Shah noted that while the study was preliminary, it was exciting to see that a model not specifically trained in pathology was still effective in differentiating between tissues and that the results were a promising indicator of potential uses of AI in the field.
Shah said he found the experience of research personally and professionally rewarding. While balancing his responsibilities as a medical student with his research commitments required discipline, uncovering meaningful results and learning more about the field made it worthwhile.
鈥淓ngaging in research definitely provokes thought about the future of medicine,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I think that's a very healthy thing to do when you're trying to understand where the field is currently and where it's going to be,鈥� said Shah.