Resident Research
The SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine Residency Program aims to enrich the research experience of a resident and residency training programs by creating opportunities to engage in scholarly activities, which may include discovery, integration, application, and teaching. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines require programs to create an environment that fosters resident participation in these types of activities.
Program for Research Project Funding
The GME Office at SSM Health/SLU SOM can provide seed support on a competitive basis for research projects and experiences to enhance research training for residents. These funds are intended to enrich the research experience of a resident and the residency training program, and create greater visibility for SSM Health/SLU SOM in the research community. Each academic year residents will be eligible to apply for seed research funding in an amount up to $6,000. Awarding of these funds requires an application, review, approval, post-award presentation and research report. A committee will review the application and determine if funding and support will be provided for this experience.
Applications must be received at least two months before the expected project starts. This program will neither replace established departmental funding mechanisms for required resident research participation nor supplant previous grant funding allocations for such training. This program is intended to provide support for unique opportunities or resident-initiated experiences. Denial of funding through this GME-supported program does not imply denial of approval by the GME Office for the proposed research project; other funding mechanisms may be pursued. Funds must be used within one academic year of project approval.
The Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Research Institute Support
The GME-AHEAD Research Training Program is a partnership among the AHEAD Institute, the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME), and the SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine Residency and Fellowship Program to provide research training and analytic support to residents and fellows fulfilling their required scholarship. All interested residents and fellows are encouraged to apply.
Under the mentorship of Joanne Salas, AHEAD Director for Applied Research and Analytics, trainees gain an enhanced learning experience with structured research training. Interested residents and fellows should review the program requirements and complete the application.
Project scopes will be designed to satisfy GME residency and fellowship educational requirements for research. Submission of results as conference abstracts will be encouraged, if applicable. Any extension of scope beyond what is required for the GME educational research requirement or additional in-depth analyses for a manuscript are beyond the scope of this program. Project timelines vary and are subject to change. The typical GME-AHEAD project requires six months to complete.
AHEAD Research Supported Projects
- Laura Russell, M.D., Dermatology: "Langerhans Cells as a Tool to Distinguish Chronic Eczematous Dermatitis and Psoriasis"
- Adam Streicher, M.D., Internal Medicine: "Can a Five-Digit Number be Linked to Health Outcomes: The Impact of ZIP-Code and Insurance Status on 30-day Re-Admission Rates at SLUH"
- Lina Okar, M.D., Neurology: "Efficacy of Deep Brain Stimulation in Medication-Induced Tardive Dystonia"
- Michelle Petrich, M.D., Maternal Fetal Medicine: "Predictors of Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder"
- Sheetal Sethupathi, M.D., Dermatology: "Assessing the Efficacy of a Novel Cosmeceuticals Educational Pamphlet in Improving Patient Education and Skincare Practices"
- Thomas Oh, M.D., Anesthesiology: "Measuring and Improving Profiency f Anesthesia Residents in Placement of Thoracic Epidurals with a 3-D Printed Model"
- Madeline Suppiger, M.D., OBGYN: "RSV Vaccination Patterns in Pregnancy"
- Justine Keller, M.D., Maternal Fetal Medicine: "Buprenorphine and Methadone Metabolites in Maternal and Neonatal Milieu: Relationship to Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrom (NOWS)"
- Peter Chow, M.D., Dermatopathology: "Demographics of Dermatopathology Fellowship Applicant Interviews: A Single Institution Descriptive Analysis"
- Poornaashri Malarvannan, M.D., Pediatrics: "Improving Rates of ICS-containing Inhaler Medication Prescription for Asthma Hospitilizations"
- Margaret Lang, M.D., Pediatrics: "A Review of Early Escalation of Care for Pediatric Admissions"
- Hanan Qaqish, M.D., Neurology: "Resident Teaching Cards"
- Zachary Stanley, M.D., Maternal Fetal Medicine: "Maternal Cytokine Production and Fetal Congenital Heart Defects"
- Katelyn Dugan, M.D., Deramtology: "Investigating Cosmetic Outcomes in Purse-string of Upper Triangle Cutaneous Lip Defects"
- Georgeanne Cornell, D.O., Dermatology: "The Appropriateness of Direct Immunofluorescence Use in Dermatology"
- Angela Gallardo, D.O., Pediatrics: "Implementation of an Anxiety Screening Tool in a General Academic Pediatric Clinic"
- Ayaka Tsutsumi, M.D., in Pediatric Surgery: "Machine Learning and Traditional Statistical Approaches to Predict Surgical Site Infections in Pediatric Appendectomy: Impact of Missing Data Handling"
- Barbara Okeke, M.D., and Lanerica Rogers, D.O., in Internal Medicine: "Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Known Cardiovascular Disease that Live in Food Deserts"
- Tucker Doiron, M.D. in Maternal Fetal Medicine: "Placental Changes in Pregnancies Complicated by Fetal Congenital Heart Disease"
- Anna Hwang, M.D., in OBGYN: "Fetal Urinary Tract Dilation and Factors Predictive of Clinical Outcomes"
- Kelly Fan, M.D., in Internal Medicine: "Assessing Adherence to Screening Recommendations for Barrett's Esophagus in Our Population"
- Ali Abdelhafiz, M.D., in Pediatric Cardiology: "Looking at Risk Factors of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Single Ventricle Patients"
- Olivia Wilson, M.D., in OBGYN: "Examining the Perinatal Impact of Administration of TXA During High Risk Cesarean Deliveries"
- Ayooluwa Kerrigan, D.O., in OBGYN: "Resident Education Results Pre and Post Curriculum"
- Baris Afsar, M.D., in Nephrology: "The Effect of Sodium-Glucose Cotransport 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors on Kidney Tubule Injury Markers"
- Karan Singh, M.D., in Interventional Radiology: "Head-to-Head Comparison of Mechanical Thrombectomy and Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis in Intermediate-High Risk Pulmonary Embolism Patients"
- Yelena Mishkov, M.D., in OBGYN: "RSV Vaccination Patterns in Pregnancy"
- Kelly Fan, M.D., in Internal Medicine: "Assessing Adherence to Screening Recommendations for Barrett's Esophagus in Our Population"
- Ali Abdelhafiz, M.D., in Pediatric Cardiology: "TBD"
Center for Educator Development, Advancement, and Research (CEDAR)
The mission of CEDAR is to champion the use of evidence-based teaching and learning practices, develop our faculty as educators across the Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, Graduate Education, and Continuing Professional Development continuum; and to support collaborative education scholarship.
Research Projects
- Caitlin Francoisse, M.D., Plastic Surgery: "Primary Closure versus Delayed Primary Closure: Analysis of Wound Healing Complications in Acute Traumatic Wounds"
- Florence-Damilola Odufalu, M.D., Gastroenterology: "Cystic Fibrosis and Gut Dysmotility: The Effect of MiraLAX on Intestinal Transit"
- Grace Wang, M.D., Internal Medicine: "Activity of Troponoids against M. Tuberculosis pneumonia in BALB/c mice"
- Aurora Kareh, M.D., Plastic Surgery: "Patient Satisfaction with Anesthesia in Skin Cancer Reconstruction"
- Bryce Stash, M.D., Plastic Surgery: "High Quality Point-of-View Intraoperative Video Recording Using Your Smartphone"
- Elena Kraus, M.D., OB/GYN: "Reproductive planning in women with high-risk pregnancies: A mixed methods study on the experiences and perceptions of patients and providers"
- Dr. Leah Hong (PGY-5) in Maternal Fetal Medicine for a positive grant application for her research project "Association of low fetal fraction of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) on non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) utilizing evaluation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and evidence of placental insufficiency on placental pathology."
- Dr. Chen Wu (PGY-3) in Neurology for his successful application to fund his research project "Smartphone-based pupillometry"
- Dr. Emily Zantow (PGY-6) in Maternal Fetal Medicine for her project "The role of memory T-cells in the postpartum period"
- Dr. Caitlin Francoisse (PGY-6) in Plastic Surgery for their project "Comparing Gains in Function After Traditional Tendon and Novel Nerve Transfer for People with Cervical-Level Spinal Cord Injury"
- Dr. Aurora Kareh (PGY-5) in Plastic Surgery for their project "Lower Limb Salvage Using Selective Venous Arterialization of the Distal Foot Combined with Free Flap Reconstruction: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study"
- Dr. David Nguyen (PGY-4) in Plastic Surgery for their successful application to fund their research project "Comparison of Breast Pocket Irrigation Solutions Regarding Capsular Contracture and Infection Rates: A Retrospective Review of 388 Patients"
- Dr. Justine Keller (PGY-2) in Maternal Fetal Medicine for their project "Buprenorphine and methadone metabolites in maternal and neonatal milieu: relationship to neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS)."
- Dr. Louisa Ragsdale (PGY-3) in Plastic Surgery for their project "Assessment of Resident Surgical Performance Microsurgical Laboratory"
- Dr. Alexandra Schroeder (PGY-2) in Maternal Fetal Medicine for their project "Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy - Impact on the Placental Transcriptome and Neonatal Outcomes"
- Dr. Lynn Bourn (PGY-6) in Plastic Surgery for their project "Perineal and Genitourinary Surgical Complications: Review of Literature to Develop Multidisciplinary Guiding Principles in Genital Surgery"
- Dr. Shivang Chaudhary (PGY-2) in Internal Medicine for their project "Retrospective Cohort Study of Inpatient Rheumatology Consultations at SLU Hospital: A Single-Center Analysis"
- Dr. George Thieroff (PGY-7) in Rheumatology for their project "Screening for Latent Infection in Biologic or Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug Naive Patients"
- Dr. Nasro Isaq (PGY-5) in Dermatology for their project "Chlorhexidine 4% Wash: A Prophylactic Measure for Lower Extremity Surgical Site Infections Following MOHS Surgery"
- Dr. Daniel De Los Cobos (PGY-4) in Orthopaedic Surgery for their project "Orthopaedic Surgery Residents' Heart Rate Variability While Performing Surgery: What Factors Have an Influence?"
- Dr. Michelle Petrich (PGY-6) in Maternal Fetal Medicine for their project "Predictors of Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder"
- Dr. Andrew Storm (PGY-6) in Maternal Fetal Medicine for their project "Genomic Evaluation of Placental Tissue in Pregnant Patients with Opioid Use Disorder"
GME Office Support for Housestaff Manuscript Submission and Publication Fees
Some journals require submitting authors to pay for submission and/or publication costs. These fees may be a barrier to some trainees and programs in maximizing the number of articles that can be submitted and published. As ACGME has requirement for housestaff and faculty to produce scholarly works, the GME Office will provide cost-shared support for housestaff who submit articles for publication when the program is unable to provide financial assistance for this expense. A request for support must be completed by the program and approved by the GME Office to provide support for publication fees.
Support Requirements:
- Maximum GME Office Support: $250 (cost shared 1:1 with departments/program)
- Must include: name of intended journal, title of manuscript, authors, copy of abstract submitted
- Must have been submitted (rejected) to at least 1 free journal or explanation why no other free journal submissions would be appropriate
- Explanation why department cannot fund the submission
- SSM Health/SLU Faculty must be co-author (and cannot be 1st author) on publication
- A new GME support application is required for each unique journal in which the manuscript is submitted
Preference Will be Given to:
- First publication for trainee during residency
- Trainee is first author
- Pubmed cited publication
Restrictions:
- Funding is not for annual meeting, poster, or editorial submissions
- Trainee must still be active in the program at time of manuscript submission
- GME Office approval must be obtained prior to submitting request for reimbursement
- Program/Department should submit paid invoice to GME Office for cost-shared reimbursement (up to $250)
- One reimbursed publication per trainee per year is allowed
GME Office Supported Publications
- Dermatology "An Atypical Presentation of Monkeypox Associated with Scrotal and Penile Shaft Edema"
- Internal Medicine "Comparison of Quantifiable Electrocardiographic Changes Associated with Severe Hyperkalemia"
- Dr. Danier Ong (PGY-2) in Emergency Medicine for their project "Abdominal Pain After a Food Crawl"
- Dr. Kendall McDaniel (PGY-2) in Dermatology for their project "Multilesional Pyoderma Gangrenosum Secondary to Hodgkin Lymphoma" to be published in the JAAD Case Reports Journal
Program for Research Project Funding
Each year, residents/fellows are encouraged to participate in our annual Housestaff Research Symposium Poster Competition. The following prizes are awarded:
- 4 Oral Semifinalist Presentations: First Place $500, Second Place $300, Third and Fourth Place $150
- Best At-Poster Discussion $100
- Best Quality Improvement Poster $100
The research on which the submitted poster is based may have been conducted over the last two years; and may also have been presented outside the University, but may not have been presented at a previous SLU Housestaff Poster Competition.