The Senior Scholars Program was established nearly two decades ago. Since that time over 100 4th year medical students have participated in the multidimensional program, devoting 2 or more months to either a basic science, clinical or epidemiology-based research project under the guidance of a faculty member. The goal of the Senior Scholars Program is to provide an opportunity for scholarly activities that serve not only as an introduction to the philosophy of research that is based on answering questions through hypothesis generation, information gathering, experimentation and critical interpretation, but as a tool for growth in an evidence-based health care environment.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School Senior Scholars have completed projects in all major fields of basic science, clinical medicine, epidemiology and public health. Each student participates in "Senior Scholars Presentation Day" preparing a poster and sharing ideas with medical school peers and faculty members. This website serves as an archive for Senior Scholars projects.

Submissions from 2009

In Vivo Molecular Enzyme-Specific MR Imaging of Active Inflammation in a Pilot Animal Model of Carotid Artery Aneurysm, Michael J. DeLeo, Matthew J. Gounis, Bo Hong, John C. Ford, Ajay K. Wakhloo, and Alexei A. Bogdanov

Evaluation of Ob/Gyn Resident Experience in Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage, Erin E. Eppsteiner, Tiffany A. Moore-Simas, and Sharon Jackson

Evidence for Interventions Directed to Consumers in the Rx for Change Database: Update and Expansion - Do New Reviews Broaden the Scope of the Field and Expand the Definition of Evidence-Based Prescribing for and Drug Use by Consumers?, Caroline A. Kaufman, Frank J. Domino, Sophie J. Hill, and Rebecca E. Ryan

Premenstrual Syndrome Prevalence and Fluctuation over Time: Results from a French Population-Based Survey, Julia Potter, Jean Bouyer, James Trussell, and Caroline Moreau

Submissions from 2008

Preoperative Radiation Therapy in Combination with Weekly Paclitaxel and Oral Glutamine for Rectal Cancer, Leah Burnett

Improving Breastfeeding Outcomes at the Family Health Center of Worcester, Ellen Green

Trends in the Use of Echocardiography and Left Ventriculography in Patients Hospitalized with Acute Myocardial Infarction: The Worcester Heart Attack Study, Samuel W. Joffe

Bile Metabolism and Cholelithiasis (A comprehensive review for the monthly publication Clinics of North America), Stephanie Lambou-Gianoukos

The Use of Accelerometers to Predict Functional Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty, Craig Lareau

Feasibility of Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy in Determining VO2 for Preoperative Risk Assessment, Nathan Marengi

Characteristics of Patients Utilizing St. Anne’s Free Clinic, Candice McElroy

Inflammatory Patterns and Cellular and Vascular Permeation in Rat Abdominal Wall Defects Using Alloderm, Permacol and CollaMend for Repair, Joyce K. McIntyre

Clinical Health Informatics Meets Medical Education, Jeffrey Phillips

Cyclic or Congenital Neutropenia: Phenotypic Variations of Blood Neutrophil Counts in Patients with the Same ELA2 Mutation and Same Paternal Haplotype: Evidence for Phenotype Determination by Modifying Genes, Talia Pindyck

Creation of a Clinical Assay for Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection as Well as Rifampin Resistance Using Linear-After-The-Exponential PCR (LATE-PCR), Kevin Soares

Fine Mapping the Genetic Basis of CRP Regulation in African Americans: a Bayesian Approach, Lakshman Subrahmanyan

Submissions from 2007

Transthoracic Echocardiographic Measurement of the Ascending Aorta in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Patients: A Simple Standardized Method, Alfred Albano

ED Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndromes: No Gender-Related Difference of 'Chest Discomfort', Garreth C. Biegun

Altered Serum Zinc Concentration in Patients with Visceral Leishmaniasis (L. donovani) and Healthy Regional Controls from Bihar, India: A Correlation with Susceptibility to Disease, Stephen Carpenter

“Marrow for Tomorrow:” A Community-Based Public Health Partnership in Worcester’s Medically Under-Served Communities, Andrew Geller

Polypharmacy Prevalence in the Treatment of Unipolar Depression, Anna Glezer

Risk Profile for Pregnancy in Adolescent Patients in the Blackstone Valley, Suzanne MacKay

Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Subtypes in Mammary Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and their Relationship to Tumor Progression, Katherine F. Maloney

ICD Under-Utilization in Primary Prevention Patients, Matthew McGuiness

The Diagnostic and Therapeutic Utility of the Scoop-Shave for Pigmented Lesions of the Skin, Gary W. Mendese

Assessing the Role of Education in Women’s Knowledge and Acceptance of Adjunct HPV Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening, Megan Reynolds

Increasing Cervical Lesion Identification in Junior Practitioners after Abnormal Cervical Cytology: A Computer-Based Colposcopy Tutorial, Patricia Seymour

Obstacles to Follow After Abnormal Cervical Cytology at an Urban Health Center in Worcester, MA, Patricia Seymour

Quantification of the Association Between the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Age in Normal Pediatric Hips, Katharine Taylor

Appendicitis and Appendectomy in Overweight and Obese Patients, H. Ruby Wang

Evaluation of the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Clostridium difficile Toxin A Human Monoclonal Antibody and Clostridium difficile Toxin B Human Monoclonal Antibody Given Alone or in Combination in Healthy Adults, Hilary Womble

Submissions from 2006

Examining the Role of Palliative Procedures in Patients with Stage IV GI Cancers, Nathan J. Aranson

First Trial of Intensive Glycemic Control in Critically Ill Emergency Department Patients , Jennifer E. Cyrkler

A Qualitative Study of the Collaboration between Health Care Providers and Lawyers within the Family Advocates of Central Massachusetts Program, Allison M. Hargreaves

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: What's Ticking at UMass, Matthew Hitron

A comparison of exercise-induced hematocrit (Hct) changes between non-invasive infrared sensors (NIRS) and venous blood draws, Kenneth E. Johnson

The Effect of Split versus Combined Therapy in Medication Compliance of Psychiatric Patients, Eric Kosinski

Serum Glucose Levels and Hospital Outcomes in the Setting of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients Not Known to Have Diabetes: A Community-Wide Perspective, Daniel G. Kramer

Structure Based Drug Design: Inhibition of E6 protein in immortalized HPV cell lines implicated in human epithelial cancers, Nicole R. LeBoeuf

MassHealth Primary Care Services Assessment Tool, Matthew Logalbo

Documenting Quantity and Variation in Patient-Managed Exercise and Activity after Total Knee Replacement , Joseph McLaughlin

Frequency of Ascending Aorta Replacement: A Description of 105 Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement, Elizabeth C. Mitchell

National Patterns of Immediate Breast Reconstruction for Neoplastic Disease , Jaisa Olasky

Determination of Cystic Fibrosis Frequency Among Newborns Diagnosed with Meconium Ileus and other Bowel Obstruction, Allison Paroskie

Investigation of Noninvasive Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Sensor for Measurement of Blood Hematocrit, Anh T. Tran

The Influence of Message Framing on Adolescent Females' Intention to Obtain Chlamydia Screening, Andrea B. Urban

The Effect of Age on Postoperative Pain Medication Requirements Following Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery , Kenneth Walton

Submissions from 2005

Femur flap for tibial reconstruction: % Circumference Required to Convey a Mechanical Advantage over the Fibula , Genevieve Bartels

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Anatomical Layer Specificity in the Cat Retina , Thomas Chang

Readability of informed-consent forms used in mental health research, Paul Christopher

Emotional Health and Level of Post-Total Knee Arthroplasty Exercise , Peter DeNoble

Analysis of Acute Perihematomal Edema in Warfarin-Related Intracerebral Hemorrhage, David Finkelstein

The Association Between Serum Cholesterol Levels and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors , Kathryn Fleming-Ives

Association between Emotional and Physical Health and Resource Utilization after Total Knee Arthroplasty, Michael Kelly

Uterine Papillary Serous Carcinoma and Endometrioid Carcinoma: Novel Immunostains with Respect to Clinical-Pathologic Factors , Emily Ko

Is a Paleolithic Age Diet an Optimal Diet for Modern Human Beings? , Lauren McClure

Irradiation Upregulates EGFR and Survivin in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells , Joshua Meyer

A Lymphocyte Surface Protein Produces the Signaling Molecule Poly (ADP-ribose) from NAD, Alan Morrison

Expanding the Indications: Titanium Elastic Nailing of Femur Fractures in Children Under Six , Robert Nascimento

The Use of Flexible Funds for Respite Services in a Managed Care Wraparound Program , Joseph O'Garr

Gamma-synuclein is a marker for retinal ganglion cell loss in glaucoma , Dustin Pomerleau

Pediatric Hospice: The career potential for pediatric residents and a comparison between systems in UK and US, Nicola Smith

Submissions from 2004

The Role of Nitric Oxide in the Anti-adrenergic Effects of Adenosine in Isolated Perfuse Rat Hearts , George Cancel

A Beta Test of a Computer-Assisted Instruction Module in Improving Dermatologic Physical Exam Skills in Third Year Medical Students , Konstantinos Deligiannidis

The Effect of Epidural Anesthesia on Oncologic Outcomes After Surgery for Colon and Rectal Cancer, Jaimee DeMone

Construction of a Virtual Microscope that can Accurately Assess Diagnoses Rendered Over the Web, Ernest DiNino

Investigation of the Approach to Tracking Cardiac Catheterization Complication , Michele Manzon

The Effect of Facial Fractures on the Treatment and Outcome of Trauma Patients Presenting with Acute Cervical Spine Fractures, Andrea Marvin

Bicycle Riding Associated Erectile Dysfunction: Treatment Outcome of Surgery, Andrew Nisbet

Prescription Trends of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEi) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) as Estimated in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), Benjamin Prentiss

CXCL12 expression in murine stomach regions, & lack of correlation between its expression and H.felis-induced gastritis and gastric carcinoma, Thomas Tadros

Nutritional and Weight Status of Job Corps Students , Eric Wallace