Department Hosts 11th Annual CHAMP Research Symposium

By Camren Clouthier | February 17 2020

CHAMPs Research Symposium

On Friday, February 7, 2020, the Department of Pathology hosted the 11th annual CHAMP Research Symposium at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC). CHAMP, otherwise known as “Clinical, Hemato-, Anatomic, Molecular Pathology” is a one-day event dedicated to science, learning, and networking, among the department’s faculty, staff, and trainees.

Dr. Aaron Udager serves as an assistant professor and acts as the organizer for the symposium. "It's really an event that's focused on showcasing the different types of clinical and translational research going on within the department," says Udager.

The afternoon kicked off with a keynote speech by David Klimstra, MD, from Memorial Sloan Kettering. The talk centered around new research related to pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Other speakers included Drs. Laurie Griesinger, Paul Harms, Aaron Udager, and Rahul Mannan.

Third-year resident, Laurie Griesinger, MD, was recognized as the 2020 Philip Giesen Award recipient, an accomplishment granted to a resident who demonstrates outstanding expertise within their research. Griesinger’s talk focused primarily on the molecular profiling of penile intraepithelial neoplasia within unique oncogenic driving alterations.

Finally, all attendees were invited to attend the poster session in the final portion of the day. Here, participants presented their ongoing clinical research in a poster-based format. Many presenters were involved in multiple projects.

“It’s just a great way for faculty and trainees to have the opportunity to meet with one another to find ways to collaborate and [ultimately] develop a mentorship,” says Udager.

As a result, the 2020 CHAMP Day was quite the success. The Department of Pathology wishes to thank all of those involved and everyone who attended.

To see the official recap video for the 2020 CHAMP Research Symposium, please visit our YouTube Channel.