Competitions

• Oral Presentation Skills Competitions - click to see finalists

  Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS Finalists - 9:40 am listed in alphabetical order - will present in random order
  Student Name	Category	Advisor	Program
  Maria Benavente	MS	Rodrigo Morales, PhD	Neuroscience
  Srinath Lakshmivenkatesh	Pre-candidacy PhD	Sachet Shukla, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Androniki Mitrou	1st year PhD	Kristy Brock, PhD	Medical Physics
  Mariana Najjar	1st year PhD	Hui-Wen Lo, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Xing-Han Zhang	Pre-candidacy PhD	Georgios Karras, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics

  Post-Candidacy Finalists - 11:00 am listed in alphabetical order - will present in random order
  Student Name	Category	Advisor	Program
  Mary Adeyeye	Post-Candidacy PhD	Xiangli Yang, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Emily Caggiano	Post-Candidacy PhD	Emil Schueler, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Maria Jose Gacha Garay	Post-Candidacy PhD	Tingting Mills, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Takese McKenzie	Post-Candidacy PhD	Jian Hu, PhD	Neuroscience
  Sarah Shin	Post-Candidacy PhD	Harry Karmouty-Quintana, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology

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  Oral Presentation Skills Competitions - Guidelines

  Oral presentations sessions are designed to give presenters an opportunity to formally present their research to the GSBS and larger TMC audience. The purpose of the presentation is to clearly convey your research to an educated scientific audience. Presentations should include sufficient information for audience members to understand the methods, results, and significance of the research.

  Eligibility:

  All GSBS degree students who have affiliated with a primary research advisor, and are in good academic standing, may apply.

  Format:

  • Oral presentations will be presented in-person during GSRD at Cooley Center. Students must apply to present an oral presentation. Ten contestants will be selected as finalists to compete. The deadline to apply for consideration for the competition is Thursday, May 2 by 11:59 pm.
  • Each oral presentation will be allotted 10 minutes consisting of a 7-minute presentation and a 3-minute question & answer period before a panel of judges and the public audience.
  • Finalists should plan to be present for the entirety of their assigned oral session. The order of presentations within each session will be assigned randomly and delivered in the order indicated in the GSRD program.
  • Students will compete in two categories: (1) Pre-candidacy PhD students, MS students and SMS; and (2) Post-candidacy PhD students. Students should apply to the category that best matches their current status at the time of application.
  • Finalists competing in the Oral Presentation Skills competition may also apply to present a poster. Space permitting, they may present their poster, but they may not compete and their poster number will be labeled “NC” [non-competing].
    
    

  Application link: 2024GSRD_OPSContests

  Application Materials:

  • Research abstract: This summary should be written in language understandable by a broad general science audience and should be a concise and engaging description of the student’s research project that includes the title, background/objective, brief methods, results/progress, conclusions and future work. The abstract body should be at least 150 words, but no more than 300 words. Abstracts not meeting these criteria will be disqualified.
  • Curriculum vitae: Include past speaking and/or poster presentation experiences.
  • Approval form from advisor addressing the student's presentation skills: 2024GSRD_OPSFacApprovalForm 

  
  Selection and award criteria:

  • Preliminary judges will select the finalists and students will be notified on May 23. In the preliminary phase, the project abstract and other application materials will be evaluated for scientific merit, and appeal to a general science audience. Evidence of prior presentations will be taken into consideration, but is not a requirement.
  • Finalists will present their oral presentations to faculty and/or PhD-level research scientist judges. Presentations will be evaluated on speaking skills/delivery, scientific content, and overall quality of the presentation. Winners will be announced at the GSRD Awards Ceremony.
  • Rubric for OPS contests
    
    

  Prizes:

  • Category 1: Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS
    
    
  • 1^st prize: $1,000
  • 2^nd prize:   $500
  • Best 1^st-year: $300 
    
    
  • Category 2: Post-Candidacy PhD
    
    
  • 1^st prize: $1,000
  • 2^nd prize:   $500

  
  Please note: cash prizes may be subject to tax
  

• Poster Sessions - click to see finalists

  Poster Finalists - Session A - 12:15 pm listed in alphabetical order
  Last Name	First Name	Category	Advisor	Program
  Chen	Xinru	Post-Candidacy PhD	Jinzhong Yang, PhD	Medical Physics
  Cho	Kate	Pre-candidacy PhD	Kadir Akdemir, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Gillard	Andrew	Post-Candidacy PhD	Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, MD	Cancer Biology
  Grayson	Madison	Pre-candidacy PhD	Radhe Mohan, PhD	Medical Physics
  Guernsey	Cara	1st year PhD	Kendra Carmon, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  High	Peyton	Pre-candidacy PhD	Kendra Carmon, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Khan	Zarmeen	MS or SMS	Scott Evans, MD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Lanier	Amanda	Post-Candidacy PhD	Powel Brown, MD, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Lu	Kaylene	Post-Candidacy PhD	Jian Hu, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Luqman	Muhammad Waqas	1st year PhD	Fabien Delerue, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Meyers	Taylor	Pre-candidacy PhD	Rebecca Howell, PhD	Medical Physics
  Rodriguez	Mya	Pre-candidacy PhD	Andrea Stavoe, PhD	Neuroscience
  Snoddy	Erin	Pre-candidacy PhD	Kristy Brock, PhD	Medical Physics
  Subramanian	Shraddha	Post-Candidacy PhD	Kendra Carmon, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Torres Carrizalez	Maria	MS or SMS	Vahid Afshar-Kharghan, MD	Immunology
  Turner	Llaran	Post-Candidacy PhD	George Eisenhoffer, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Warner	Amanda	Post-Candidacy PhD	Don Gibbons, MD, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Xu	Ping	Post-Candidacy PhD	Nicholas Navin, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Zickus	Julia	1st year PhD	Pratip Bhattacharya, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology

  Poster Finalists - Session B - 1:15 pm listed in alphabetical order
  Last Name	First Name	Category	Advisor	Program
  Bontekoe	Emily	Pre-candidacy PhD	Alexandre Reuben, PhD & John Heymach, MD, PhD	Immunology
  Brahmendra Barathi	Bhargavi	Post-Candidacy PhD	Jason Huse, MD, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Chuong	Vicky	Pre-candidacy PhD	Fabricio Do Monte, DVM, PhD	Neuroscience
  Colunga Minutti	Jocelynn	MS or SMS	Roza Nurieva, PhD	Immunology
  Farmer	Stephen	Post-Candidacy PhD	Sheng Zhang, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Gong	Pengju	Post-Candidacy PhD	Chunru Lin, MD, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Hanjra	Pahul	Pre-candidacy PhD	Anil Sood, MD	Cancer Biology
  Huang	Ya Xiang (Sophia)	1st year PhD	Vihang Narkar, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Lindenberger	Josh	Post-Candidacy PhD	Guillermina Lozano, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Liu	Muchen	MS or SMS	Radbod Darabi, MD, PhD
  Lopez-Rivas	Andres	Pre-candidacy PhD	Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, MD	Immunology
  Palacios	Bridgitte	Post-Candidacy PhD	Jian Hu, PhD	Neuroscience
  Quinn	Julianna	Pre-candidacy PhD	Jun Wang, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Shyu	Yueh-Ming	Pre-candidacy PhD	Dihua Yu, MD, PhD	Immunology
  Slapik	Mitchell	Post-Candidacy PhD	Michael Beierlein, PhD	Neuroscience
  Trusz	Guillaume	Post-Candidacy PhD	Michael Curran, PhD	Immunology
  Urbanczyk	Phillip	1st year PhD	Consuelo Walss-Bass, PhD	Neuroscience
  William	Ivana	Post-Candidacy PhD	Michael Curran, PhD	Immunology

  Poster Session - Guidelines

  Poster sessions are designed to give presenters an opportunity to discuss their research with colleagues and other researchers. The purpose of the poster is to visually stimulate interest in the research, to present sufficient information for viewers to understand the methods, results, and significance of the research, and to promote conversations and networking among GSRD attendees.

  Eligibility

  • All GSBS students who have participated in a research project at the GSBS, and are in good academic standing, are eligible to participate.
    
    

  Format:

  • Posters will be presented in-person during GSRD at Cooley Center. Students must apply to present a poster. Space is limited to 40 contestants, so students are encouraged to apply early. Deadline to apply for consideration for the competition is Thursday, May 2, by 11:59 pm.
  • Students are responsible for printing their posters [size: no larger than 3.3' H x 3.5' W].
  • Poster template and GSBS logo downloads are here.
  • Posters will be on display during the entirety of GSRD. The day before the GSRD (Wednesday, June 12) Poster Session, finalists must set up their posters in the afternoon at Cooley Center. If a finalist cannot go in person, they may ask another student or the Student Affairs staff to set up their poster for them. Each poster board will be numbered. Presenters should attach their posters to the board number corresponding to the number assigned to their poster in the GSRD Program, which will be emailed prior to set up. Presenters should remove their posters at the end of GSRD between the hours of 4:30-6:00 pm. [Presenters are encouraged to display their posters during the reception.]
  • On the day of GSRD, students will present their posters during their assigned session. Students should plan to stand with their posters until their assigned session is completed and they have presented to their faculty and/or PhD-level research scientist judges.
  • Students will compete in two categories: (1) Pre-candidacy PhD students, MS students and SMS; and (2) Post-candidacy PhD students. Students should apply to the category that best matches their current status at the time of application.
  • Students who are chosen as finalists in the GSRD Oral Presentation Skills competition may not compete in the poster session. They may, if space permits, still present a poster and their poster number will be labeled “NC” [non-competing].
    
    

  Application link: 2024GSRD_PosterContests

  Application materials:

  • Research abstract: This summary should be written in language understandable by a broad general science audience and should be a concise and engaging description of the student’s research project that includes the title, background/objective, brief methods, results/progress, conclusions and future work. The abstract body should be at least 150 words, but no more than 300 words. Abstracts not meeting these criteria will be disqualified.
    
    

   Selection and award criteria:

  • Preliminary judges will select the finalists based on the quality of abstract, and students will be notified on May 20.
  • Finalists will present their posters to faculty and/or PhD-level research scientist judges. Posters will be evaluated on the presence, quality and details of the key sections of a poster (see abstract), as well as level of content knowledge and engagement. Winners will be announced at the GSRD Awards Ceremony.
  • Rubric for poster contests
    
    

  Prizes:   

  • Category 1: Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS
    
    
  • $500 Best Poster - a total of four (4) winners will be selected to receive a Best Poster award
  • $300 Best 1^st-Year
    
    
  • Category 2: Post-Candidacy PhD
    
    
  • $500 Best Poster - a total of four (4) winners will be selected to receive a Best Poster award

  
  Please note: cash prizes may be subject to tax

• Elevator Pitch Contests - click to see finalists

  Elevator Pitch Finalists - 2:30 pm listed in alphabetical order - will present in random order
  Last Name	First Name	Category	Advisor	Program
  Bashir	Mirrah	1st year PhD	Daniel Frigo, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Bateman	Tyler	1st year PhD	Ali Azhdarinia, PhD	Therapeutics & Pharmacology
  Chen	Minyue	Pre-candidacy PhD	Humam Kadara, PhD	Immunology
  Diaz-Rohena	Daisy	Post-Candidacy PhD	Deepa Sampath, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Garcia	Derek	MS	Kristy Brock, PhD	Medical Physics
  Gearhardt	Angela	1st year PhD		Medical Physics
  Girard	Rene	Post-Candidacy PhD	Harry Karmouty-Quintana, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Hwang	Spring	Pre-candidacy PhD	Jian Hu, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Kaffey	Zaphanlene	Pre-candidacy PhD	C. David Fuller, MD, PhD	Medical Physics
  Lim	Rebecca	Pre-candidacy PhD	Kristy Brock, PhD	Medical Physics
  Liu	Yuejiang	Post-Candidacy PhD	Humam Kadara, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Machado	Annette	Pre-candidacy PhD	Jason Huse MD, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Marquez	Barbara	Post-Candidacy PhD	Laurence Court, PhD	Medical Physics
  Mehrens	Hunter	Post-Candidacy PhD	Stephen Kry, PhD	Medical Physics
  Muruvekere Lakshmisha	Bhoomika	MS	Aria Vaishnavi, PhD	Therapeutics & Pharmacology
  Nayak	Richa	Post-Candidacy PhD	Yejing Ge, PhD	Genetics & Epigenetics
  Schueng Zancanela	Beatriz	1st year PhD	Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD	Molecular and Translational Biology
  Scott	Hayden	1st year PhD	Stephen Kry, PhD	Medical Physics
  Scott	Kiersten	Pre-candidacy PhD	Akihiko Urayama, PhD	Neuroscience
  Shen	Cheng-En	1st year PhD	Yuan Pan, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Shulman	Alyssa	Pre-candidacy PhD	Dihua Yu, MD, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Shyer	Madison	Pre-candidacy PhD	Valentin Dragoi, PhD	Neuroscience
  Sloan	Ryan	Pre-candidacy PhD	Jayhun Lee, PhD	Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
  Umamaheswaran	Sujanitha	Post-Candidacy PhD	Anil Sood, MD	Cancer Biology
  Valdes Bustamante	Catalina	MS	Rodrigo Morales, PhD	Neuroscience
  Wu	Haoyi	Post-Candidacy PhD	Don Gibbons, MD, PhD	Immunology
  Xuan	Yue	1st year PhD	Kenneth Hu, PhD	Cancer Biology
  Yang	Michael	MS	Mallory Glenn, PhD	Medical Physics

  
  
  Elevator Pitch Contests - Guidelines
  

  The scientific Elevator Pitch is a 90-second summary of the student’s research project intended for an educated, lay audience. The scientific elevator pitch is an excellent career tool for students, helping them to establish credibility, form relationships with other scientists, and gain support for their ideas. It also helps students clarify and articulate their thoughts, build professional confidence, and communicate across disciplines.

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  Students are encouraged to attend special workshops to prepare for this competition:
  
  Wednesday, May 1, 3:00 pm (Workshop 1)
  Wednesday, May 8, 3:00 pm (Workshop 2)
  
  Sign up to attend: 2024ElevPitchWorkshops (deadline to register for workshops is Wednesday, April 24)

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  Eligibility:

  All GSBS degree students, who are in good academic standing, are eligible to compete.
  
  Format:

  • Elevator pitches will be presented in-person at GSRD at Cooley Center. Students must apply to present an elevator pitch. Twenty contestants will be selected as finalists to compete. The deadline to apply for consideration for the competition is Thursday, May 9, by 11:59 pm.
  • Each elevator pitch will be allotted 90 seconds. The time will begin once a contestant starts speaking. Speakers may use notecards as long as they do not read straight through, and/or may use small props/objects. Speakers are not allowed to use PowerPoint slides. There will be no time allotted for questions during the session.
  • Elevator pitches should be accessible to a non-specialist audience with a basic college education, succinct, and last no more than 90 seconds; they should be well organized and easy to follow, delivered in an engaging manner, and have impact. The speeches should contain key elements commonly found in scientific presentations, including an introduction/background, description of the gap in knowledge or research question being addressed, a brief description of method(s), results if they have been obtained, a statement of significance, and possible next steps if applicable. In addition, the delivery of the pitch should be enthusiastic, confident, conversational rather than overly formal, and use accessible language that minimizes jargon.
  • Finalists should plan to be present for the entirety of the elevator pitch competition session. The order of presentations will be assigned randomly and delivered in the order indicated in the GSRD program.
  • Students will compete in two categories: (1) Pre-candidacy PhD students, MS students and SMS; and (2) Post-candidacy PhD students. Students should apply to the category that best matches their current status at the time of application.
  • Students who are chosen as finalists in the GSRD Elevator Pitch competition may not compete in the poster session. They may, if space permits, still present a poster and their poster number will be labeled “NC” [non-competing].
    
    

  Application link: 2024GSRD_EPContests

  Application materials:

  • Tentative title for elevator pitch
  • Short description (1-2 sentences) of the impact, relevance, or importance of the research as it relates to science or a lay audience
    
    

  Selection and award criteria:

  • Preliminary judges will select twenty finalists and students will be notified on May 20. Evidence of prior presentations will be taken into consideration, but is not a requirement.
  • Finalists will present their elevator pitches to a panel of judges on June 13 that includes faculty, PhD-level research scientists, and lay community members. Elevator pitches will be evaluated on the delivery of the pitch, organization and engagement with the pitch content, and impact. The pitch will not be evaluated on the complexity of the project, whether experimental results have been obtained so far, minor grammatical mistakes, or speaking with a non-English accent. The audience will choose the People's Choice Award winner. Winners will be announced at the GSRD Awards Ceremony.
  • Rubric for elevator pitch contests

  
  Prizes:   

  • Category 1: Pre-Candidacy PhD, MS & SMS
    
    
  • 1^st prize: $1,000
  • 2^nd prize: $500
  • People’s choice: $300
    
    
  • Category 2: Post-Candidacy PhD
    
    
  • 1^st prize: $1,000
  • 2^nd prize: $500
  • People’s choice: $300
    
    

  Please note: cash prizes may be subject to tax