4th Annual Student Research Conference

Female student explaining a poster to two male students.

Student Success | 4/18/2023

The annual event returned in-person for the first time since its inception.

The Center for Research and Discovery recently hosted the 4th Annual Student Research Conference, where students presented more than 130 projects. Students, faculty, staff, family, and friends gathered at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Boston to explore a wide variety of topics. Some students started the projects as part of their coursework, while others pursued research through extracurricular opportunities.

Let’s Get on Track and Create Better Safety Measures for Transporting Hazardous Materials by Brianna Cordeiro

“I wanted to do something on pollution. Then the Ohio train derailment happened. I’ve done research previously, but this was more in-depth. I learned so much about pollution and how hazardous chemicals like in this case can affect humans, wildlife, and the environment.”

Brianna Cordeiro | Premedical Health Studies ‘23

The event opened with a keynote address from Dr. Laura Baecher-Lind, Dean of Educational Affairs and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts University School of Medicine. She discussed the evolving landscape of healthcare and the importance of representation in the field.

“It’s important not only for health outcomes but also for patient satisfaction to ensure the system has providers who better represent the patients they serve,” she said.

Two male pharmacy students standing in front of posters. — Visual comparison on chemonastic responses in two plant species across different time scales by Songyun Liu, Nasr Issa, Wilfred Tazocha Asonglefac, and Meghan McGonagle

“We have an idea to develop a new platform to test drugs. In this case, we’ll use a plant, observing its movements. The plants are sprouting now, and we hope to harvest them in July to begin testing. Besides the ethical reasons, testing drugs on plants is a more affordable option.”

Songyun Liu and Nasr Issa | PharmD ‘25

Dr. Baecher-Lind shared research on improving patient care and outcomes by broadening access to medical education and encouraging a variety of professionals to enter the field.

After the keynote, disability advocate Erin Ryan Heyneman spoke about her personal experience with research. Three years ago, she suffered an extremely rare stroke-mimicking Multiple Sclerosis (MS) flare, causing cognitive and motor impairments.

“I am proud to identify as disabled. I’m not heroic or inspirational. I’m privileged to have the time, energy, and ability to do my own research and experiment through my recovery. I also had doctors who believed me,” Heyneman said. Through her own research and rehabilitation efforts, Heyneman has made significant progress in her recovery. She is committed to raising awareness about accessibility in healthcare.

Two female students smiling in front of a poster. — Achey Breaky Joints – Understanding Osteoarthritis Stage 3 by Tatiana Dorvilier, Rui Gong, and Aimen Ahsan

“Our project was a case study of a 45-year-old woman who developed osteoarthritis (OA), primarily in her knees. We uncovered she struggled with obesity, and her weight was putting that pressure on her joints. We focused on how obesity and poor diet affects a person with OA and determined a course of treatment to reduce her pain.”

Tatiana Dorvilier | Bachelor of Science in Public Health—Physical Therapy Pathway ‘27

An MCPHS faculty member evaluated each student research project, asking detailed questions about the topic, process, and conclusions to provide an overall score. Students will also receive feedback for future research endeavors.

Truong Nguyen standing in front of a poster. — The Looming Threat of Brucellosis in Developing Countries by Truong Nguyen

“I have several family members in cattle processing, and I live right next to a farm, so I was curious about the effect of Brucellosis on humans. It’s not a major issue in the U.S., but it is in countries where the cattle industry is growing too quickly, and they aren’t prepared for outbreaks. The disease can cause serious health concerns for humans, so I examined ways to treat and prevent it.”

Truong Nguyen | Premedical Health Studies ‘23