Undergraduate research showcase goes virtual

Each year, the College of Arts and Sciences funds undergraduate research awards in two categories – Undergraduate Mentored Research and Creative Activities and Medical Education Research. Posters and abstracts from the 2020 undergraduate research showcase can be viewed on the University Libraries' ThinkIR website.

The research showcase, which normally takes place in person, moved online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This change was welcomed by junior Biology major Jahnavi Sunkara, who received MERA funding for the project Missed Opportunities for HPV Vaccination Discussion Among Medical Trainees. “I am happy that my poster is published on ThinkIR because it is a permanent and tangible record of the research I have done. It was a great way to share my research in a time where in-person events were not feasible.” 

The Medical Education Research Award (MERA) “supports undergraduates who are generally further along in their undergraduate careers,” explains Karen Chandler, A&S Acting Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. “MERA students conduct research on the interactions between healthcare providers and clients. The program thus fosters awareness about clinical practices that may shape future doctor-patient relations.”

Sunkara, a pre-med student, discussed research ideas with her MERA mentor, Dr. Weingartner from the School of Medicine. “Dr. Weingartner mentioned that the CDC had changed its recommendations for HPV vaccination to permit catch-up vaccination up to 45 years of age,” Sunkara says. “We wanted to see if medical trainees still harbored outdated information when interacting with patients.” Through their research, the team discovered most providers did not discuss HPV vaccination with patients at all. Their recommendation? Medical providers should include this information in any routine vaccination discussion with new patients.

While MERA supports students further along in their studies, the Undergraduate Mentored Research and Creative Activities Award partners first- and second-year undergraduates with a senior researcher. “The program encourages scholarly investigation and mentorship and lays a foundation for future research,” says Chandler.

While these awards provide support for undergraduate researchers, Sunkara was inspired to create an additional path to encourage undergraduates in research. She and three other A&S undergraduates – Priyadarshini Chandrashekhar, Betty Ngo, and Sam Kessler – co-founded the research journal The Cardinal Edge, a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary undergraduate research journal, “to get more undergraduates involved in research, familiarize undergraduates with the publication process, and overall change the undergraduate research narrative at UofL,” says Sunkara.

Encouraging undergraduate research is a priority for Dr. Chandler while she serves in the role of Acting Associate Dean, and she has enjoyed the opportunity to work with both awards programs this semester. “They crystalize some of UofL's most inspiring practices as an educational institution: research, innovation, collaboration, mentoring, and communication.”

Spring 2020 Winners (presented Fall 2020)

Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Award

• Erica Hassoun
• Charles Shaffer
• Martha Popescu

Medical Education Research Awards

• Christopher Brown
• Sydney E. Greene
• Madison Meister
• Jahnavi Sunkara

Fall 2020 winners (to present Spring 2021)

Undegraduate Research and Creative Activities Awards

Undergraduate Students

• Betty Ngo, Psychology, sophomore 
• Eliza Sayers, English, sophomore 
• Lillian Moseley, Biology, sophomore 
• Dennis Nguyen, Neuroscience, sophomore  
• Christine Chen, Biology and Neuroscience, sophomore  
• Isabelle Chadwell, Biology, sophomore 
• Jackson Hoffman, Chemistry, sophomore  

Graduate Students

• Leigh Brosof, Psychology 
• Eve Polley, Comparative Humanities 
• Kimberly Koenig, Biology 
• David M. Taylor, Biology 
• Susana Perez Martinez, Biology  
• Aubrey Mojesky, Biology 
• Jared Scott, Biology 

Medical Education Research Awards

• Eric Brian
• Stacy Henley
• Zayna Qaissi