KCU students showcase research at annual symposium

The 34th Annual Research Symposium at Kansas City University (KCU) brought together students, faculty, residents, alumni and research partners across the Kansas City and Joplin campuses for three days of scholarly exchange, collaboration and discovery.

This year’s event reflected continued growth in research activity and academic engagement across the University, with 375 total registrants, 264 abstract submissions and 164 posters.

“The Research Symposium highlights the intellectual energy of our students and the mentorship that supports their growth,” said Jennifer Fugate, PhD, associate professor of health service psychology and Research Symposium Committee chair. “It’s a powerful learning experience that reflects both the depth of curiosity and innovation taking place at KCU.”

Third-year osteopathic medical student Lindsey Cavolovic emphasized the importance of continued discovery in medicine.

“There is still so much that we don’t know. Medicine is ever-evolving, so the more research that we do, the better patient outcomes we can achieve,” she said.

Research presented spanned a wide range of topics including: 

• Exploring how genetic conditions associated to Lynch syndrome influence cancer development, treatment responses and related health outcomes through large data analysis
• Advancing pancreatic cancer treatment strategies by targeting key molecules that shapes the tumor’s environment
• Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence to better understand neurological changes in the brain, including white matter damage and amyloid buildup, in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Additional sessions included:

• 28 oral presentations by KCU students
• 55 virtual presentations by graduate medical education residents
• 18 Summer Student Research Fellowship presentations
• Six posters from partner organizations

The symposium also featured two keynote presentations who shared insights on research, clinical innovation and public health.

Ryan Coute, DO, a 2018 alumnus of the KCU College of Osteopathic Medicine and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, shared insights from his work on resuscitation science. His presentation focused on improving outcomes for sudden cardiac arrest and underscored the role of research in advancing emergency care and survival.

The closing presentation was delivered by Robin Shook, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Mercy and director of the Kansas City Healthy Lifestyles Collaborative. Shook highlighted public health and clinical approaches to understanding obesity, focusing on energy balance, physical activity and population‑level strategies to improve long‑term health outcomes.

The symposium also introduced three new awards this year: 

• The Award for Excellence in Health Equity Research, funded by an anonymous donor
• The Susarla Family Research Award in Geriatric Medicine
• The Susarla Family Research Award in Population Health, established by Savitha Susarla, DO, a 2001 KCU College of Osteopathic Medicine graduate, and her parents, Vidya Susarla and Viswanatham Susarla, MD.

Click here to view the full list of award winners.