SPECTRUM – Roseman Celebrates 10 Years of Collaboration, Discovery & Growth

Featured in the Summer 2024 print edition of spectRUm magazine.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” – Henry Ford

Embracing a growth mindset is not just a personal journey but a collective effort that challenges ourselves and our colleagues to embrace continuous improvement. It’s a journey that requires honesty, teamwork, and a disciplined approach to address all facets of a project. This commitment to growth, sustained over a decade, is a testament to long-term dedication and perseverance. Taking the time to honor and appreciate our collective successes and milestones only fuels our motivation to keep going, as we gain a broader perspective from stepping back for a brief moment.

On Wednesday, February 21, Roseman University held its 10th Annual Research Symposium simultaneously on the Henderson and South Jordan campuses. Open to the public, the event featured hundreds of research posters and three podium presentations at each campus by Roseman students, residents, faculty, preceptors, and guests from other institutions from the surrounding region and around the world.

The event marked the ten-year anniversary of the Roseman University Research Symposium and is a testament to a decade of remarkable growth for this initiative. This growth, which cannot be measured in numbers (although the numbers are indeed impressive!), is a source of pride for us all. Often, as initiatives expand, quality can suffer. However, intentional efforts have ensured that as our scope and scale have increased, quality has not been compromised. The event has evolved from a small, internal gathering to a student-centric, interdisciplinary symposium with national and international participation.

Started in 2015, Roseman University’s first annual Research Symposium began as the College of Graduate Studies was a nascent seed of an idea. While Roseman was conducting its own health science research, it was a fledgling effort in a state that had some catching up to do compared to some of its western neighbors. The first symposium included 65 presentations from within Roseman.

Enter 2024. Ten years later, this year’s event included 371 total presentations covering a wide and vast set of healthcare topics including bench-top science, clinical research, and educational research. These researchers seek to solve some of our most significant human health challenges through their work and dedication. Additionally, over 66 external institutions contributed their research, representing numerous highly reputable institutions across the United States and across the world. Institutions represented this year range from those local such as Touro University and Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Brigham Young University, to University of Connecticut, Sao Paulo State University, University of Roma, and Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Karnataka, India.

Related, today Roseman’s College of Graduate Studies is thriving, offering a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences with an optional focus on Data Science and Health Informatics and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, as well as the innovative 3+1 Dual Accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmD/MSPS) program, allowing students to complete two degrees in four years. Growth? Check. Quality? Check. Increased Collaboration? Check. Other interconnected successes? Check.

Now, let’s take a look at a few of this year’s exciting research presentations.

Dentofacial Effects of Radiotherapy on Pediatric Population with Retinoblastoma

Researchers Kristi Truong and Dr. Joseph Cheever in Roseman’s College of Dental Medicine are working on a literature review related to retinoblastoma, the most common type of eye cancer in children. This literature review will look at the side effects from treatment, in order to better understand how to manage the disease and interventions.

Pharmacognosy and trichomoniasis: A scoping review protocol

Researcher Claire Hartwell from Touro University Nevada examined trichomoniasis as one of the most common nonviral STIs becoming resistant to known treatments. The goal of the review is to look at essential oils as a jumping off point into new medical treatments for trichomoniasis, much like how penicillin was first a bacterium before becoming a medication.

Patient Education on Naloxone Use and Fentanyl Testing

Monika Baranek, Kyra Dockstader, and Dr. Erin Johanson in Roseman’s College of Pharmacy, South Jordan, tackle the topic of Naloxone as a vital medication to treat opioid overdose and patient education on recognizing the signs of overdose, Naloxone administration, and the availability of testing strips for Fentanyl. Fentanyl testing strips can be used to identify drugs laced with Fentanyl and can save a life if used to prevent accidental overdoses.

Rising Stars

As a health sciences institution, Roseman’s mission is to advance the health and wellness of the communities we serve. We partner with schools and organizations to offer learning opportunities and moments of inspiration to young students. Through extraordinary partnerships like the one with Faith Lutheran Middle and High School, we can inspire the next generation of healthcare providers, researchers, and innovators.

This year, Vanessa Maniago, Dr. Jeffrey Talbot, and MBS student Tyler Prescott, partnered with the Faith Lutheran STEM Academy and Faith educators Emily Blank and Steve Morrill to support and mentor four Faith students in the Honors Molecular Genetics Class in preparing a project and research poster that was presented at this year’s Roseman University Annual Research Symposium. The extraordinary work of Mitchell Bailes, Sarah Duckworth, Talia Lorenz, and Skylar Tan was among the 371 projects this year with “Utilizing Antibiotic Chewing Gum as an Agent to Reduce Specific Harmful Bacteria and Increase Oral Health”. We are incredibly proud of these students for their hard work, insights, and ability to participate at such a high level.

A Special Thank You

Ten years of good work has depended on the efforts of many. The University wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the Research Symposium. We wish to offer special thanks to the following people.

Dr. Susan Nguyen and Dr. Elizabeth Unni (now at Touro University COP) were both the founding HD and SJ campus chairs, respectively. The campus chairs and their committees do the vast majority of the work planning and putting on the event. They both helped shape the foundations of the symposium, allowing it to grow.

Dr. David Rawlins has been instrumental in transitioning to electronic submissions and continues to help manage that process each year.

Dr. Kamran Awan and Dr. Shankargouda Patil helped broaden the event’s reach to the international community.

Dr. Martin Lipsky (retired), the former Chancellor of the South Jordan campus, played a significant role in securing sponsorships to support the symposium (it’s important to note that we don’t charge registration or participation fees, in keeping with the student-centric, training focus of the Symposium).

The Student Chapter of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS). Student volunteers help with the event’s day-of planning.