- College of Medicine Faculty News
The UCF College of Medicine was recognized Friday as the top participant in an online academic medicine poster competition, sponsored by Cureus, The New e-Journal of Medicine. Cureus marketing director Darci Moreau traveled to the Lake Nona campus to present a glass award to students and Dr. Deborah German, vice president of medical affairs and dean.
Moreau praised the medical school’s “unprecedented enthusiasm for research” and jokingly warned that other medical schools had UCF “in their sights” for next year’s competition after the College of Medicine was the top participant with 77 poster submissions that won 21 first, second or third place awards.
“I’m thrilled with the UCF College of Medicine’s winning performance and I’m particularly happy that we were ahead of all of my alma maters,” Dr. German said. “I smile inside every time I think about it.”
Cureus filmed interviews with Dr. German and Dr. Marcy Verduin, associate dean for students about the importance of research at the College of Medicine. It also interviewed several students. Second-year student Rabia Zafar, who designed a poster on gene therapy for epilepsy patents, is the latest to be interviewed on the Cureus website.
Rabia, who received her PH. D. in Neuroscience from the University of Florida before coming to medical school, says her epilepsy research has shown promising results in laboratory testing on rats. Fourth year student Shawna Bellew was also featured on the site in January, for her poster submission in obstetrics/gynecology. Click here to view her article.
The following is a list of UCF who placed in their respective categories:
Allergy/Immunology
Rabia Zafar, second place
Diabetes & Endocrinology
Racha Khalaf, first place
Environmental Health
Glenn Gookin, second place
General Surgery
Christina Hsu, third place
Health
Sarina Amin, second place
HIV/AIDS
Elona Rrapo, third place
Infectious Disease
Brittany Pease, second place
Internal Medicine
Brian Mayrsohn, second place
Shawna Bellew, third place
Neurology
Rabia Zafar, first place
Ob/Gyn
Eric Gelman, second place
Shawna Bellew, third place
Other
Elona Rrapo, first place
Cassandra Dennys, second place
Pain Management
Malgorzata Krzyszczak, second place
Psychiatry
Rafik Zarifa, second place
Psychology
Alexa Rodriguez, third place
Public Health
Christina Hsu, third place
Quality Improvement
Rafik Zarifa, second place
Radiation Oncology
Margaret Kozak, first place
Transplantation
Zaw Maung, second place