Interprofessional Student Scholarship Showcase Highlights From Across MCPHS Campuses

The Interprofessional Student Scholarship Showcase was held on April 19, 2022, in the Lincoln Ballroom on the Worcester campus of MCPHS. The Showcase is an annual event that spotlights student scholarship activities from various healthcare programs across the Manchester and Worcester campuses of MCPHS. The 2022 Showcase was supported by the Center For Interprofessional Practice and Education.

Twenty outstanding abstracts highlighted in the Interprofessional Student Scholarship Showcase Book of Abstracts 2022, were accepted for presentation. Posters were presented by students and postgraduate residents and fellows from four MCPHS schools and programs, including Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Pharmacy. Over 80 faculty, preceptors, and students attended the event.

Attendees viewing the posters generated lively discussions and enabled healthcare practitioners from different professional backgrounds to learn the latest insights of other research being conducted across a spectrum of topics, including targeted therapy for cancer, non-invasive therapeutics for pain management, discovery and synthesis of novel drug compounds for treating infectious and inflammatory diseases, and the application of advanced echocardiography strain imaging for the sub-clinical detection of abnormal heart function in subjects with valve stenosis.

"I think interprofessional communication is essential because we will be working with different healthcare professionals and this showcase offers the perfect venue to bridge everyone's skillsets together for the betterment of education," says John Scozzafava, DPT '22, a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

"It means that we can empower team members, and it helps us close the communication gap, and at the end of the day, it allows us to give better patient care," says Anisha Pola, a Global Pharmacovigilance postdoctoral fellow at Takeda through the MCPHS Biopharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program.

Alok Sharma, PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and planning committee co-chair, said, "The event is helpful for the MCPHS student community because it exposes them to subject matter beyond what they are studying in class and learn about the relevance of research in other healthcare fields. Interprofessional events like these signify that everyone's research is important, and together it makes us better as healthcare providers."

A special thank you to Holly Baker and Darlene DiTommaso, for their assistance in organizing the event, along with the members of the Showcase Planning Committee, who are listed below in alphabetical order:

• Holly Baker, Executive Administrative Assistant, Office of the Dean, School of Pharmacy, Worcester/Manchester
• Lisa Conboy, MA, MS, ScD, Adjunct Faculty, New England School of Acupuncture, Worcester
• Debra Crandell, EdD, RDMS, Clinical Coordinator General/Assistant Professor | Director of DMS Online, Diagnostic Medical Sonography School of Medical Imaging and Therapeutics, Worcester
• Kathryn Deliso, OD, FAAO,Assistant Professor of Low Vision & Rehabilitation Services, Director of Externships | Chief of Low Vision Service, The Eye & Vision Center, School of Optometry, Worcester/Manchester
• Darlene DiTommaso, Administrative Assistant for Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Worcester/Manchester
• Christine Dominick, CDA, RDH, M.Ed, Professor of Dental Hygiene and Associate Dean, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, Worcester
• Deirdre Donahue, DNP, ANP-BC,Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Worcester
• Jeffrey Hill, MSc, ACS, FASE- Department Chair, Assistant Professor, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, School of Medical Imaging and Therapeutics, Worcester
• Christopher Joyce, PR, DPT, PhD, Assistant Professor | Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, School of Physical Therapy, Worcester
• Kaelen Dunican, PharmD, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, Worcester/Manchester
• Linda Martino, DScPAS, PA-C, Assistant Professor School of Physician Assistant Studies, Worcester/Manchester
• Matthew Metcalf, PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Worcester/Manchester (Co-chair)
• Helen Pervanas, PharmD, RPh, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, Worcester/Manchester
• Heidi Robertson,OTD, OTR/L, CNS,Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, School of Occupational Therapy, Manchester
• Alok Sharma, PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Worcester/Manchester (Co-chair)