This year’s event carried particular significance. Held during Katz’s 125th anniversary year, the 25th annual Dawn Marks Research Day offered an opportunity not only to recognize the accomplishments of today’s students, but also to reflect on the continuity of graduate education and mentorship at the school.

“For me, Dawn Marks Research Day is really a celebration of our graduate students and of graduate education at Katz,” says Victor Rizzo, PhD, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. “It gives us a chance to step away from our individual laboratories and programs and come together as a scientific community.”

The event, held on August 27 in the Medical Education and Research Building, featured about 50 oral and poster presentations by graduate students, who shared their work with fellow students, faculty, and members of the broader Katz community, explaining research investigating highly specialized areas of science.

“Research can be surprisingly  isolating,” Rizzo says. “Students spend a great deal of time focused on a very specific question in an individual laboratory. This Research Day brings everyone back together.

For Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BMSC) Student Government President Andrew England, the event is particularly meaningful because it is designed around the students themselves.

“The Dawn Marks Research Day means a lot to our Biomedical Graduate Students because it's the one day our multidisciplinary community comes together to celebrate each other's work and reconnect with our graduate program,” he says. “Dawn Marks is truly for our students, by our students.”

The turnout underscored the enthusiasm surrounding the event. Maddy Cohen, outgoing BMSC Student Government president, says what stood out most to them was “the energy in the room.”

“It felt like more people showed up ready to actually engage with each other's work,” they said, emphasizing that the event “reminds everyone that we are actually part of this bigger research community, not working in isolation.”

That spirit of engagement is especially valuable for first-year students, who enter the BMSC program only days before Research Day. They are assigned two posters to judge, providing them with a one-on-one opportunity to engage with more senior students, as well as interact with faculty, and begin to appreciate the breadth of research taking place across Katz.

It also reflects the legacy of Dawn Marks, PhD, the beloved biochemistry professor in whose memory the event was established. During her 31-year career at Katz, Marks served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Education and devoted herself to mentoring and supporting students.

“Dawn Marks was an extraordinary educator who cared deeply about students and their development,” Rizzo says. “I think a day centered on students sharing their science is a very fitting way to continue her legacy.”

After 25 years, the event continues to evolve, but its central purpose remains much the same: bringing students together, giving them a forum to share their work, and reinforcing that they are part of a larger scientific community.

As England puts it, “I believe that this year's Dawn Marks Day is proof of what our community can build when we show up for each other.” 

Announcing the winners 

An important tradition of Dawn Marks Research Day is recognizing excellence in student research and honoring a faculty member who embodies the values associated with Dr. Marks. This year’s winners are:

BEST POSTER PRESENTATION 

Years 2-3 
1st Place: Peter Vulfson 
2nd Place: Olivia Pericak 
3rd Place: Spencer Feehan, Kenneth Omolo, and Amy Stringer 

Years 4+ 
1st Place: Sahana Nagaraja 
2nd Place: Viet Bui 
3rd Place: Samuel Brancazio and Adam Chatoff 

BEST ORAL PRESENTATION 

Natasha Hesketh 

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT 

Doga Tasdemir 

DAWN MARKS FACULTY AWARD 

In Recognition of Outstanding Dedication to the Students and Community of the BMSC Graduate Program 
Anjali Rajadhyaksha