The Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s (Katz)  Dawn Marks Research Day, the centerpiece of the Biomedical Sciences Student Government’s (SGA) calendar, has come to embody a variety of experiences for participants over the years, but they shouldn’t overshadow the original intent of the annual event, says Victor Rizzo, PhD, FAHA, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. 

“It is an occasion that honors Dr. Marks, above all else,” he says. “We were fortunate to have had a scientist and educator of her stature here at Katz. This event has been, and will continue to be, a celebration of her remarkable contributions – and an opportunity to highlight her as a role model.” 

Dawn Marks Research Day provides PhD and MD/PhD students with a platform to showcase their research before an audience comprised of fellow students, faculty, and guests at large. The24th annual event, held August 28 in the Medical Education and Research Building, featured nearly 50 poster exhibitions and six oral presentations. 

The occasion was established in memory of Dawn Marks, PhD, a beloved biochemistry professor. During her 31-year career at Katz, she served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Education (1984 to 1998) and coauthored a textbook that’s still widely used (and regularly updated): Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach. 

Dr. Marks was revered by students for her commitment to them. She consistently made herself available, mentoring countless graduate students in the Department of Biochemistry, and she served on a variety of student advisory committees. 

While the Biomedical Sciences Graduate program (BMSC) handles some of the logistics, including arranging the catering and reserving the space, Dawn Marks Research Day is largely a student-run event. SGA president Michael Swingler, a fifth-year PhD candidate, was responsible for much of the coordination, as well as overseeing a volunteer crew to help carry out the day. 

Among them was president-elect Maddy Cohen, a fourth-year PhD student, as well as Doga Tasdemir, a second-year PhD student, and Andrew England, a third-year PhD student, both of whom are also members of the SGA. Tasdemir and England coordinated a raffle that drew about $400 in net profit, a sharp increase over the previous year’s return. Prizes were donated by local businesses and venues. The money raised will help support other student government events throughout the year, including a career fair and networking gatherings. 

Cohen credits the raffle with helping to draw new interest to the event, which added to the gravity of the day for those involved. 

“Dawn Marks Day is a moment that I truly feel seen as a PhD student,” Swingler says. 

The BMSC differs from the medical and physician assistant programs in that its students work in separate labs on different campuses. “So we don’t really get to see each other that often,” Tasdemir says, “or see how our classmates are developing as scientists.” 

With the exception of this one day early in the academic year – a day that seems to be drawing more interest and, in turn, adding prestige with each new edition. 

“Dawn Marks Day is increasingly becoming more professional and formal, which underscores the high quality and value of our research,” England says. 

In the process, students gain valuable experience with presenting to a large and varied audience. Just as importantly, Dr. Rizzo notes, they also benefit from receiving constructive feedback. 

The BMSC students and candidates formally receive feedback on their research twice a year at their fall and spring thesis advisory committee meetings. Some departments and centers also host their own research days or retreats, at which the students and candidates will present, as well. And many will talk at national and international professional organization meetings. However, Dawn Marks Research Day can be a rare opportunity for them to share their work with people at Katz who are outside their field. 

Swingler did not present this year, but in previous years he’s given an oral presentation and exhibited a poster. For the latter, he says, “You have friends and faculty from all these different fields coming up and offering great ideas because they’re approaching this blindly. I used some of them, and they actually helped.” 

The oral presentations, posters, and a third competition, graphical abstracts, which are illustrated research summaries, are judged by a select faculty. In a unique twist, the posters are also judged by new doctoral students in the BMSC who began only three days earlier. 

Rather than deciding what they’re going to specialize in before they begin, new BMSC students enter what’s called an “umbrella program,” where they’re exposed to a variety of fields and perspectives. “You’re seeing how all the science is interconnected and trying to understand something that is wildly different from what you do,” Tasdemir says. “And that, I think, just makes everyone a better scientist, engaging in those conversations.” 

Dawn Marks Research Day, specifically, invites new students to begin feeling their way around.  

Cohen says that Scott Shore, PhD, Associate Dean, Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Programs, “does a really great job of pairing each first-year student with posters that they might find interesting based on the initial intake form.” This steers them toward more senior students who can share insight into particular labs they may be considering. Cohen says she had discussions like this with two new students. 

This is Dawn Marks Research Day: new students beginning to grasp the program they’ve just entered alongside more senior doctoral students sharing their sophisticated research, both aiding the other, just as Dr. Marks would have envisioned. 

Announcing the winners 

An important aspect of Dawn Marks Research Day is introducing students to scientific competition. Every year, awards are given to trainees in three categories. A faculty member who best represents the ideals of Dr. Marks is also honored. This year’s winners are as follows: 

POSTER EXHIBITIONS 

Years 1-3 

1st Place: Sean Hayduk, 3rd Year, Ward Lab, NSCI 

2nd Place: (Tie) Hriju Adhikari, 3rd Year MD/PhD, Simon Lab, OSTM; Emily Megill, 3rd Year, Estaras and Kim labs, OSTM; Olivia Pericak, 3rd Year MD/PhD, Estaras and Snyder labs, NSCI 

Years 4+ 

1st Place: Casey Lim, 4th Year MD/PhD, Kim Lab, NSCI 

2nd Place: Molly Elkins, 4th Year MD/PhD, Tukel Lab, IDIM 

3rd Place: Cash Knight, 4th Year, Moshin and Kishore labs, OSTM 

ORAL PRESENTATIONS  

Gillian McGuire, 4th Year MD/PhD, Engel and Zaidi labs 

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT 

Long Do, 2nd Year, Liu Lab 

DAWN MARKS, PHD, FACULTY TEACHING AWARD 

Victor Luna, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neural Sciences; Assistant Professor, Alzheimer’s Center at Temple