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LKSOM Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Research Showcased During Dawn Marks Research Day

News June 13, 2017

Pictured are the first, second and third place winners of the posters and oral presentations. Front row (l to r):  Mitali Ray, Ziran Zhao, Alison Kearns, Alyssa Lombardi, Charikleia Kalliora; Back row (l to r):  Ryan LaCanna, Antonio DiMeco, Taylor Gentile. Rabia Khawaja (not shown).

For the past 16 years, PhD and MS students from the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) have shown off their research accomplishments at the annual Dawn Marks Research Day. This year’s event, held on June 6 in Temple’s Medical Education and Research Building, featured 44 student poster exhibits and 10 oral presentations. 

Following the presentations, Kathleen Giangiacomo, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, was recognized with the Dawn Marks Memorial Award for her dedication to Temple’s graduate students. Dr. Giangiacomo, a faculty member for 26 years, is actively involved in the teaching of biomedical sciences, post-baccalaureate, medical and podiatric students.

A special travel award established in memory of the late Patrick Piggot, PhD, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, was awarded to Lauren Nicastro, a second-year PhD candidate working under the direction of Çagla Tükel, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology.

The Research Day is held each year in honor of Dawn Marks, PhD, who was a full-time faculty member in Biochemistry for 31 years and served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Education from 1984 to 1998. She retired in 1999 and was a Professor Emeritus until her passing. During her tenure at Temple, Dr. Marks co-authored the still widely-used textbook, Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach.

The Research Day is organized by the LKSOM Graduate Student Association, led by President Allison Herman, a third-year PhD candidate.