Engagement Activities

Unlocking the Power of Cryo-EM: Advancing Awareness, Expanding Collaborations and Maximizing Impact
November 8, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research hosted an engaging and insightful mini-symposium entitled, “Unlocking the Power of Cryo-EM.” This event attracted a diverse group of faculty, trainees and researchers from UT Health and UTSA, all eager to explore the transformative potential of Cryo-EM in advancing scientific discovery.
The mini-symposium highlighted the cutting edge capabilities of Cryo-EM and its applications in various fields, including structural biology, drug discovery, and molecular research. Experts in the field shared their knowledge and experiences, emphasizing the power of Cryo-ME in visualizing biological molecules at unprecedented resolutions thereby enabling a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms.
In additions to the scientific talks, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the state-of-the-art Cryo-EM laboratory at UT Health, with a focus on fostering greater utilization of the facility and encouraging collaborative research across disciplines.

GME Research Training- Approaching Biostatistics Support at UTHSCSA
November 7, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research hosted an informative and engaging GME Research Training Seminar, “Approaching Biostatistics Support at UTHSCSA.” The seminar is dedicated to residents and fellows eager to enhance their understanding of biostatistics in the context of research and clinical projects.
The workshop assisted attendees to navigate the complexities of biostatistics, offering practical insights on designing studies, analyzing data, and interpreting results. Participants were introduced to the various biostatistics resources available at UTHSCSA and received valuable guidance on how to access support tailored to their individual research needs.

Gear Up for Research
November 6, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research hosted the highly anticipated “Gear Up for Research” event, an annual fall social aimed at engaging first-and-second year medical students interested in pursuing research. This event provided a unique opportunity for students to explore the broad spectrum of research opportunities available at UTHSCSA, hear from prominent leaders in clinical, translational and basic science research, and learn how to become ideal mentees in the research community.
The event featured presentations from esteemed leaders representing various UT Health San Antonio institutes, centers, and departments. In addition to the informative presentations, the event also focused on mentorship and professional development. Experts shared tips on how to become a proactive and engaged mentee, fostering meaningful relationships with mentors that can guide their research careers.

LSOM Rising Star Research Award
Congratulations to all nominees for the Rising Stars Research Award! Nominees were recognized by Interim Dean, Francisco Cigarroa at the LSOM Annual Faculty Assembly and Dean’s Townhall on October 30th. This prestigious accolade highlights junior faculty members who embody the core values of UT Health San Antonio’s mission and demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing independent research careers. Your commitment to excellence in research and mentorship is an inspiration to us all.

Award Recognition- Rising Stars and Master Researcher Awards
Congratulations to the distinguished nominees for the Master Research Award for Distinguished Researcher and Master Research Award for Distinguished Mentor! These prestigious honors recognize individuals whose exemplary contributions reflect the core values of UT Health San Antonio’s mission.
The Master Research Award for Distinguished Researcher celebrates outstanding research accomplishments achieved during the nominees tenure at the Long School of Medicine. This award highlights Dr. McGeary’s dedication to advancing science and innovation has made a lasting impact.
The Master Research Award for Distinguished Mentor honors those who embody the spirit of mentorship by guiding and inspiring researchers at various stages of their academic careers, especially junior faculty. Dr. Vadlamudi exemplifies the transformative influence of exceptional mentorship on future generations of researchers.

Medical Student Research Liaison-led Event- Nuts and Bolts of Research
October 17, 2024
This engaging and informative event was led by our very own Medical Student Research Liaison’s. The session offered a detailed overview of the various types of research opportunities available at UT Health San Antonio, and aimed at helping first year medical students navigate the often intimidating world of research.
MS2 Research Liaison’s, Amirtha Shekar, Manar Zoghdan and Freedom Green, shared practical advise on how to identify personal research interest, select suitable projects, and approach potential mentors to build meaningful, productive relationships. Students were also given valuable tips on how to get involved in research early in their medical careers and establish a strong foundation for future success.
The session fostered an open and collaborative environment, allowing students to ask questions, discuss their interests, and gain direct guidance from their peers who have successfully navigated the research landscape.

La Frontera- When Endometrial Cells Go Bad
October 15, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research, in partnership with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, hosted the annual La Frontera Symposium, a highly anticipated event bringing together leading experts in the field of endometrial health. The symposium provided a comprehensive exploration of the biological mechanisms and treatment advancements related to endometrial cells and their role in health and disease.
The afternoon was filled with thought-provoking presentations and interactive panel discussions, allowing attendees to engage with the experts and explore the latest research and clinical advancements.

Med Student Research Liaison-led Event- Research Interest Groups
September 11, 2024
The Research Interest Group Open House offered first-year medical students a unique opportunity to explore diverse range of research interest groups available at UT Health San Antonio and learn how tot get involved in areas that align with their interests and academic goals.
With the focus on helping students enrich their medical school journey, the open house provided a platform for attendees to connect with interest group leaders, upperclassmen, and fellow students engaged in a variety of research fields. Participants were encouraged to engage with group leaders, ask questions and discover how they could join research teams to start their own projects. In addition to gaining valuable insights into the research landscape, students were given practical tips for becoming active members of research groups, finding mentors, and navigating the early stages of their research.

GME Research Training- Understanding an Applying for IRB Protocols at UTHSCSA
August 22, 2024
The seminar aimed to provide essential knowledge and insights into the IRB process and its crucial role in ensuring ethical and compliant research practices. The seminar provided clarity on how to navigate the IRB protocol submission process, including key tips for ensuring the success of research proposals. The session offered an opportunity for participants to ask questions, and deepen their understanding of IRB requirements, helping them better prepare for the future research endeavors.

Meet your 2024-2025 MS2 Medical Student Research Liaison’s
August 2022
The LSOM Office for Research is delighted to introduce and extend a warm welcome to our new Medical Student Research Liaisons for the 2024-2025 academic year. As liaisons, they will serve as vital connectors between our student body and the LSOM Office for Research. Their responsibilities include facilitating communication, promoting research opportunities, and supporting their peers in navigating the research landscape.
Each of these liaisons brings a unique set of skills and perspectives that will contribute to fostering a vibrant and collaborative research environment. We are excited about these initiatives for our research community.

Medical Student Research Liaison Series- Grant Writing for Medical Students
April 24, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research hosted another Liaison-led Series, Grant Writing for Medical Students. Shriya Veluri, an MS2 Liaison, led the event which hosted presentations by Drs. Shraddha Dalwadi and Melanie Stone. Dr. Dalwadi shared tips on the process of starting the process to apply for a small grant project and Dr. Stone introduced the topic of Community Service Learning (CSL) Grants.

Class of 2028 Welcome Day Information Fair
April 12, 2024
The LSOM Office of Admissions and Special Programs hosted the annual Welcome Day Info Fair for the incoming class of 2028. It was great talking to incoming students curious about research opportunities offered at LSOM. Dr. Lathrop, Associate Dean for Medical Student Research and staff were present to answer specific questions and welcome the 200 students and guests in attendance. Students had the opportunity to spin the wheel for some fun LSOM swag. Thank you Admissions and Special Programs for hosting us!

Research Symposium Poster Winners
April 10, 2024
This year, the LSOM Office for Research received 278 applications for the LSOM Research Symposium. Poster submissions were reviewed and six posters were selected to have their posters elevated for a Podium Presentation. Additionally, of those 278 posters, another seven Poster winners were selected as 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Poster winners in the student and trainee categories. Please take a moment to congratulate your peers and colleagues:
Best Overall Student Podium Presenter:
Lacey Sell, Graduate Student
Sara Wedemeyer, MD/PhD Student
Best Overall Trainee Podium Presenter:
Santosh Timilsina, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Alixandria Pfeiffer, DO, Clinical Fellow
Student Poster Winners:
Sinchana Basoor, Medical Student
Aaron Cheng, MD/PhD Student
Vincent Pham, Graduate Student
Emily Aller, MD/PhD Student
Trainee Poster Winners
Miguel de la Flor, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Vika Guloyan, MD, Resident
Radhika Pillai, MD, Clinical Fellow

2024 Research Symposium
March 28, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research hosted 278 poster presenters at the 2024 Research Symposium. Of those 278 posters, the top six posters by students and trainees were selected and elevated to give podium presentations alongside our LSOM Rising Stars. Presentations delivered by our LSOM students, trainees, Rising Stars and keynote address by Dr. Larry Schlesinger, President and CEO of Texas Biomedical Research Institute, added invaluable insights and perspectives to the symposium. Additionally, another 7 student and trainee posters were selected for poster awards. Congratulations to all poster award recipients! We thank our presenters, attendees and the LSOM community for their support in making the LSOM Research Symposium a successful event.

2024 Senior Medical Student Research Awards
March 21, 2024
The UME Office hosted its annual Senior Awards Night and Dinner which serves to recognize outstanding and deserving graduating medical students. We want to congratulate all awardees recognized and give a special shoutout to the recipients of this year’s Senior Research Awards!
Benjamin Johnson, Basic Science Research
Jonathan Lefkowitz, Translational Research
Jonathan Treffalls, Clinical Research

AOEE Presentation for Research Symposium Podium Presenters
March 19, 2024
The LSOM Office for Research selected top poster submissions for the Research Symposium and provided presenters the opportunity to hear a talk on communicating with confidence. Thank you to Dr. Gonzalez and the AOEE team for their collaboration.

Medical Student Research Liaison Series
March 6, 2024
Medical Student Research Liaison’s host regular workshops on a variety of topics with medical student research training in focus. In March, MS2 Aiswarya Pillai hosted a workshop on “How to Find a Research Mentor” . We welcome guest panelist Drs. Subrata Debnath, Shamimunisa Mustafa, as mentor panelist and Aum Mhapankar and Victoria Fischer shared their mentee experience and lessons learned.

GME Research Training
February 15, 2024
Dr. Cavazos, hosts several GME Research Training opportunities throughout the academic year. In February, he hosted :”Funding Opportunities for Residents and Fellows”. In this lecture, Dr. Cavazos provided insight into unlocking financial support to fuel groundbreaking projects.

MD with Distinction in Research Capstone Presentations
January 2024
Fourteen year 4 medical students presented their research Capstone presentations to the Medical Student Research Review Committee, their mentors, and the Office for Research. The Distinction in Research acknowledges medical students who demonstrate a commitment to enriching their medical education with independent research while maintaining high academic standards during medical school. We congratulate our 14 recipients: Shriya Das, Alex Deleon, Daniel Derrick, Parker Funk, Angelica Garcia, Benjamin Johnson, Preston Klein, Simren Lakhotia, Micahela Lee, Jonathan Lefkowitz, David Momtaz, Aum Mhapankar, John Treffalls, and Christopher Worrell.

Clinical Trials Pilot Project Awardees
January 2024
The LSOM Office for Research is pleased to announce Dr. Carolina Solis-Herrera and Dr. Andrew Meyer as recipients of the Clinical Trials Pilot Project award. This award supports the development of multi-investigator research teams focused on clinical trials with up to $75K a year for a two-year pilot Study.

Medical Student Research Liaison Orientation
November 1, 2023
The LSOM Office for Research hosted our incoming Medical Student Research Liaisons for an Orientation. Liaisons serve as a bridge between the LSOM Office for Research and medical students. They assist in sharing student research opportunities, educating on student research support and services and hosting monthly research focused peer to peer events.

Welcome MS2 Medical Student Research Liaisons
November 1, 2023
The LSOM Office for Research is pleased to introduce incoming MS2 Medical Student Research Liaisons.

Master Research Award
October 26, 2023
The LSOM Dean’s Office for Research is excited to announce the recipients of the LSOM Master Research Awards! Celebrating excellence in academia, honoring exceptional achievements in both Distinguished Research and Distinguished Mentor Categories. Congratulations Drs. Charles France and Patrick Sung.

Rising Star Research Award
October 26, 2023
The LSOM Dean’s Office for Research is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Rising Stars Research Award. This award recognizes junior faculty members who embody the spirit of UT Health San Antonio’s research mission by demonstrating the potential for successful independent research careers.
Clinical Vice-Chairs Luncheon
October 13, 2023
The Office for Research welcomed Vice Chairs from Clinical Departments to foster collaborations aimed at advancing our research objectives. Our efforts centered on exploring potential collaborative opportunities between their departments and the LSOM Office for Research, addressing funding possibilities, resources, and extending support for various research projects.
New Faculty Welcome
September 28, 2023
The Long School of Medicine Office for Faculty and Office for Research hosted the 2023 New Faculty Welcome. Orientation for new faculty is completed virtually but the New Faculty Welcome provides an opportunity for valuable in-person interactions with colleagues and key administrators. The event featured presentations from the Dean as well as a warm welcome from the Office for Finance, Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education and the hosting teams at the Office for Faculty and Office for Research.
Medical Student Research Liaison-led Series- Research Interest Groups
September 27, 2023
The Office for Research has Medical Student Research Liaison’s (MSRLs) that serve as a bridge between the Office for Research and medical students. Our MSRLs host regular meetings focused on various research topics. In September, Andrew Ni, MS3, brought various research interest groups together to meet with incoming medical students and share their group goals, activities, and research. We had over a dozen research interest groups participate and over 40 students join.

Medical Student Research Fall Social
September 13, 2023
The Long School of Medicine Office for Research hosted the Medical Student Research Fall Social. The Research Social is an opportunity for incoming medical students to learn about the various research opportunities the LSOM has to offer as well as network with peers and faculty equally enthusiastic about research.

Medical Student Lunch and Learn
September 6, 2023
The Office for Research hosted a lunch and learn event on September 6th. Presenters discussed medical education research and the expectations from the student and faculty perspectives.
Presenter: Dr. Elzie, a professor from the Dept. of Cell Systems and Anatomy, introduced various types of MedEd research.
Student Experience: Anaya Shah, MS3, shared her research experience in the field of internal medicine. She discussed her own research projects, findings, and the impact of MedEd research on her medical education.
Mentorship: Dr. Wang elaborated on the role of a mentor in MedEd research which included who makes a good mentor, when it‘s essential in the research process, and why having a mentor is crucial for medical education research.

GME Resident Research Training: Understanding and Applying for IRB Protocols at UT Health San Antonio
August 24, 2023
The Long School of Medicine Office for Research hosted the first quarterly GME Resident Research Training. The session covered IRBs, particularly understanding them and applying protocols. The training featured a panel of individuals from the Clinical Trials Office, Office of Clinical Research, and more.
La Frontera: Mitochondria in Health and Disease
July 22, 2023
The Long School of Medicine Office for Research hosted La Frontera: Exploring the Cutting Edge of Science. La Frontera is a symposium that brings distinguished speakers together from different backgrounds to attack a common problem from multiple angles. On July 2023 we hosted experts from UT Health San Antonio, University of Texas at Austin, Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania to discuss Mitochondria in Health and Disease.
Research Symposium 2023
March 30, 2023
The Long School of Medicine Office for Research presented our annual research symposium! During the symposium, the LSOM Dean’s Office hosted 14 presentations from medical students, faculty, residents, fellows, and graduate students. In total, 230 posters were presented from our LSOM learners! We provided a resource fair that highlighted partnerships with the VA, library science tools, and research guidance for medical students.
MD with Distinction in Research Candidate Review
Friday, January 27, 2023
Four MS4 medical students (Philip Yang, Skyler Kanegi, Meredith Harvey, and Michelle Sutanto) presented their research Capstone presentations to the Medical Student Research Review Committee, mentors, UME leadership, and the Office for Research. The Distinction in Research acknowledges medical students who demonstrate a commitment to enriching their medical education with independent research while maintaining high academic standards during medical school.
LSOM GME Research Training
Thursday January 5, 2023
The Office for Research invites residents to attend this lecture to expand on their clinical investigation skills.
Breakthroughs in Research
Saturday October 22, 2022
Students, residents, fellows, staff, faculty and members of the community were invited to celebrate their accomplishments and collaborate with one another at Breakthroughs in Research.
Medical Student Research Fall Social
October 5, 2022
The Office for Research hosted a Fall Social for medical students interested in research. The event consisted of a seminar where MS1 and MS2 students learned about research support and opportunities, and ended with a reception to promote student research networking with peers and the Office for Research leadership
Multi-PI Collaborative Luncheon
September 13, 2022
The Office for Research hosted a luncheon to discuss the Leadership and Support behind a Multi-PI and collaborative NIH grant submission.
Xiangya Visiting Medical Student Luncheon
July 28, 2022
Since 2013, the LSOM Dean’s Office has welcomed 7 cohorts, a total of 94 students, to train alongside UT Health San Antonio medical and graduate students in research laboratories across campus. Our Xiangya visiting medical students have seen great success in the laboratory as evident by numerous scientific publications and presentations.
2022 La Frontera: Novel Avenues to Drug Discovery
June 23, 2022
La Frontera is a symposium that brings distinguished speakers together from different backgrounds to attack a common problem from multiple angles. The mission is to challenge conventional thinking to create greater impact. In the 2022 symposium, the UT Health San Antonio Department of of Biochemistry and Structural Biology teamed up with five subject matter experts to discuss how structural biology tools, including cryoEM, X-ray crystallography, and NMR, help delineate the mechanisms of major biological pathways and advance drug discovery efforts.
Kicked Off Grant Writing Development Program
June 20, 2022
The LSOM Early Career Grant Development Program is a four-month program designed to enhance the grantsmanship skills of junior clinical faculty with limited experience submitting grants and interested in pursuing extramurally funded research. Upon completion of the program, each participant will be expected to have a proposal suitable for submission to an extramural agency.
New Faculty Welcome Luncheon
June 10, 2022
The Dean’s Office and the Office for Research hosted a welcome luncheon for the incoming faculty. It provided an opportunity for new faculty members to network and listen to leadership on academic and research support available at the institution.
Research Symposium 2022
April 18, 2022
The Long School of Medicine Office for Research presented our annual research symposium 2022! During the symposium, the LSOM Dean’s Office hosted breakout sessions for roundtable discussions on diversity and inclusion, undergraduate and graduate medical education, multi-disciplinary research collaborations and global health challenges, and hosted a closing reception.
Quick Links
- 2023 LSOM Research Symposium
- MD with Distinction in Research Candidate Review
- LSOM GME Research Training Event
- La Frontera: The Twin Epidemics of Obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Breakthroughs in Research
- Medical Student Fall Social
- Multi-PI Collaborative Luncheon
- Xiangya Visiting Medical Student Luncheon
- La Frontera: Novel Avenues to Drug Discovery
- Kickoff of OFR Grant Writing Development Program
- LSOM New Faculty Welcome
- LSOM Research Symposium

Rising Star Research Award
October 26, 2023
The LSOM Dean’s Office for Research is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Rising Stars Research Award. This award recognizes junior faculty members who embody the spirit of UT Health San Antonio’s research mission by demonstrating the potential for successful independent research careers.