Whiddon College of Medicine Hosts 53rd Annual Medical Student Research Day with 69 Student Researchers
Key Insights
The 53rd Annual Medical Student Research Day at the Whiddon College of Medicine (search) will take place on Friday, July 24, 2026, showcasing summer research from 69 medical students.
The eight-week summer research program included 58 rising M2 students and 11 incoming M1 students conducting basic, clinical, and translational research alongside faculty mentors.
Julie A. Bastarache, M.D., from Vanderbilt University Medical Center will deliver the keynote lecture titled "A Series of (Un)fortunate Events: My Journey from Fellow to Tenure."
The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine (search) at the University of South Alabama will convene the 53rd Annual Medical Student Research Day on Friday, July 24, 2026, marking the culmination of an intensive eight-week summer research program that engaged 69 medical students across a spectrum of basic, clinical, and translational research disciplines.
The annual event serves as the capstone of the Medical Student Summer Research Program, now in its 53rd year, during which 58 rising M2 students and 11 incoming M1 students conducted mentored research alongside faculty investigators. The program is designed to foster an appreciation for how rigorous scientific inquiry advances medical knowledge and directly informs the practice of medicine.
Event Schedule and Format
Research Day will feature three distinct components spanning the morning and early afternoon. Oral presentations are scheduled from 8:30 to 11 a.m. in the Medical Sciences Building first-floor auditorium, where medical students will present their summer research projects representing departments across the Whiddon College of Medicine (search) and USA Health.
The keynote lecture will follow from 11 a.m. to noon, delivered by Julie A. Bastarache, M.D., Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her address, titled "A Series of (Un)fortunate Events: My Journey from Fellow to Tenure," will offer insights drawn from her career trajectory in academic medicine.
Poster presentations will take place from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the second-floor hallway of the Medical Sciences Building, featuring more than 70 research posters across two sessions. The posters will showcase a wide range of investigations spanning basic science, clinical research, and translational studies.
Awards and Recognition
Following the conclusion of the poster sessions, winners of the Clyde G. "Sid" Huggins Medical Student Research Awards will be announced. The awards honor the memory of the first dean of students at the College of Medicine, with recipients receiving a plaque and a cash award.
Undergraduate Research Participation
In parallel with the medical student program, six undergraduate students also completed summer biomedical research experiences at the Whiddon College of Medicine (search) through two distinct programs: the Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Summer Research Program, supported administratively by the Office of Research, Education and Training, and the Center for Lung Biology Summer Research Program.
These undergraduate researchers presented scientific posters alongside medical students during the Summer Research Day, gaining exposure to a broad range of biomedical research projects and opportunities to engage with fellow student researchers.
Faculty mentor Justin Roberts, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology, reflected on the value of mentoring undergraduate researchers. "It was really rewarding to mentor an undergraduate who had never worked in a research lab before," Roberts said. "Seeing her gain confidence and discover that she genuinely enjoyed research was one of the highlights of my summer. It's exactly what makes programs like this so valuable."
The Basic Medical Sciences Undergraduate Summer Research Program will begin accepting applications for the next cohort in February 2027, with selection decisions expected in March.
Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend and support the student researchers throughout the day's events.