This March, #NOSMUniversity marks #ResearchMonth.

Meet Dr. Amal Osman and Ethan Horner, two NOSM University Master of Medical Studies learners who enrolled in the program for the same reason—to use research to improve the patient care that they deliver. 🧪🩺 #NOSMUMMS

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A woman stands at a lectern while her daughter stands next to it. On the big screen behind them is a slide that says A Future in Progress and has 3 photos on it of their hospital visits.

Two photos stacked on top of each other showing poster award winners. The top photo is of Eric Geanes and Tyandra Moore along with her daughter. The bottom photo is of Stephanie Kukora and Lynette Lartey. Each person holds their award sign.

Five women stand in a circle laughing.

Two women stand with Sporting KC mascot Blue and goalie John Pulskamp.

Thinking back to this day last week when we wrapped up #ResearchMonth at @childrensmercy.org. The afternoon was filled with reflective remarks, awards, a social hour, and a heartwarming connect to purpose from the parent of one of our research participants...a perfect conclusion to the month!

Six people stand side by side on a stage. On the big screen behind them is a slide that says Speed Round Showcase.

Photo taken from back of auditorium, looking towards the stage. A man stands at the lectern on the left. On the big screen behind him is a slide that says "what are the critical factors that determine the efficacy of P53 activation induced by MDM2 antagonists?" The backs of some people's heads who are sitting in the audience are seen.

A woman wearing glasses stands at the lectern. She looks up at the big screen behind her. On the slide is a model that says Plasma Membrane > Biotinylation with membrane-impermeant labeling reagent > protein extractions.

3 people stand on stage near each other. One woman holds the microphone. She is smiling and answering a question.

Our final #ResearchMonth lunch & learn was a speed round showcase spotlighting some of our poster presenters from the week prior. A huge thanks to the 6 presenters for giving us brief glimpses into their important research!

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from Ana Cohen, PhD FACMG, Assistant Director Clinical Molecular Genetics Lab, Lab Medicine/Genomics. She says "Finding diagnoses through DNA analysis is unlocking new personalized therapies, and this field will grow exponentially as more knowledge becomes available. Diseases that can only be managed today will become treatable in the future!"

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Dr. Ana Cohen shares her hopes for the future of personalized therapies.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from the Radiology research team. They said "We are saving lives by creating a modern tricorder (think Star Trek medical scanner) for patients with necrotizing enterocolitis and patients undergoing bone marrow transplant using advanced ultrasound techniques."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Our Radiology research team explains how they're using seemingly futuristic technology to help kiddos.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from Dr. Laramie Pence, GEMM Core Director. She says "The models that our team generates are used to investigate the cause of diseases and to develop therapeutics to treat diseases. The work I am doing today will pave the way for treatment discovery for children in the future."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Dr. Laramie Pence of our GEMM Core shares her hopes.

Two gentlemen stand talking next to a research poster. One has a beard and is motioning with his hands. The other man stands with his arms crossed.

A man and a woman stand in front of a research poster. Both are laughing. The woman wears a blue dress. The man wears a white and blue plaid button-up, collared shirt.

Three people stand looking at a research poster. The woman farthest from the camera, wearing a lime green dress, motions towards the poster.

A room full of people standing and talking to each other between rows of research posters hung up on cork boards.

Last week we held our #ResearchMonth poster session. Authors were present for the interactive opportunity to talk about their research and answer questions. At our closing event this week, we'll present awards for best: abstract, poster presentation, trainee poster presentation, and crowd favorite.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from the Formative Research Team, Health Services & Outcomes Research. They said "Qualitative research methods amplify the voices of patients and families, giving them power to impact future health research, treatment, services, and outcomes. We listen and analyze to improve the health experiences for children now and in the future."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Our Formative Research Team shares their thoughts.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from Jordon Mitzelfelt, MD, Pediatric Critical Care. She says "With an annual volume of nearly 6,000 pediatric transports, we are using data from the Children’s Mercy Critical Care Transport Team to understand how helicopter transportation is used to support the medical needs of children in the CMH catchment area. This data will inform ongoing discussions needed to better understand the safest and most effective ways of transporting pediatric patients to definitive pediatric expert care for the best possible outcome."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Dr. Jordon Mitzelfelt in pediatric critical care shares her hopes.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from Richard M Schwend MD FAAP FAAOS, Orthopaedic Research. He said "We have a opportunity but also responsibility as the major children hospital in the region. We must cherish our planet and region so our children have a place to thrive. The research we do is one small part of providing this healthy environment for our children."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Dr. Richard M. Schwend, Orthopedic Surgery, reflects on his thoughts.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from the Research Accounting team within Research & Sponsored Projects Administration. They wrote "Research Accounting plays a crucial role in shaping the future for children by ensuring that internal and external funds awarded are allocated and spent efficiently. By maintaining transparency and accountability, we help support our PIs and reduce administrative burden on them. Ultimately, these efforts contribute to the well-being and development of future generations."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Research Accounting is one of the many teams who help support our investigators & study teams.

Dr. Brooke Fridley stands on a stage at a lectern. People sit in the audience. On the big screen behind Dr. Fridley is a slide that's titled "Current Faculty and Staff". It lists people's name as well as a photo of the team.

A photo from the back of an auditorium looking at the front. People sit in the audience. A woman stands at the lectern talking. On the big screen behind her is a slide that's titled "The ticking biological clock".

A close up photo of Dr. Dolores Lamb standing at the lectern, talking. She has blonde hair. Her hand is up motioning.

A photo from the back of the auditorium looking at the front. People sit in the audience. Dr. Lamb stands at a lectern on the stag speaking. On the big screen behind her is a slide that's titled Genetic Conditions in Offspring Associated With Advanced Paternal Age along with a list of conditions.

Our 3rd #ResearchMonth lunch & learn featured Dr. Dolores Lamb with an introduction by Dr. Brooke Fridley, Director, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Core. Dr. Lamb presented on her fascinating research: "The Ticking Biological Clock and the Problem of Advanced Paternal Age".

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from the Vivian Lab in rare disease therapeutic discovery. They said "Our work is discovering novel therapies for rare diseases for which there are no treatments. Our studies have identified repurposed drugs, new small molecules, and advanced molecular therapies. Looking into our magical crystal ball, we see these novel therapies will soon be used in clinical trials for our rare disease children."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Our Vivian Lab in rare disease therapeutic discovery share their thoughts.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from Jennifer Flint MD and Lisa Pruitt, RN, BSN. CNPT, CMTE, Critical Care Transport. They said “Pediatric critical care transport isn’t just about the destination—it’s about the journey, especially for children experiencing psychological or behavioral health emergencies. There is an exponential increased need for emergency services for the management of acute mental health crise, and ensuring a developmentally appropriate, patient-centered approach that maintains personal dignity with a focus on patient and staff safety is critical. Our research is shaping the future and setting new standards for how we transport and care for this extremely vulnerable patient population."

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Lisa Pruitt and Dr. Jennifer Flint reflect on their hopes for Critical Care Transport.

Photo taken from the back corner of the auditorium looking toward the front. People sit in the audience. The female presenter is on the stage at the podium. On the large screen behind her is a drawing of a stresses person. The title text says "School-Related Anxiety".

A close up of Dr. Jenny Scheurich standing at the podium talking. She has blonde hair and is wearing a blazer.

A photo taken from the back of the auditorium looking toward the front. People sit in the audience. A man stands on the stage at the podium. On the big screen behind him is a photo of young boy with his fingers in his ears. The boy is yelling. Over the photo is text the says "physical aggression" "self-injury" "property destruction" "elopement" "Pica" "medical noncompliance".

A close up photo of Dr. Alec Bernstein standing at the podium talking. He has a shaved head, facial hair, and is wearing a brown blazer.

Our second #ResearchMonth lunch and learn was a success due to these great developmental & behavioral health research talks! Dr. Alec Bernstein presented on research informing their team's practice & vice versa. Dr. Jenny Scheurich discussed optimizing treatment outcomes for youth with chronic pain.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from the Advanced Neuroimaging Lab of Radiology. They said "Our work in pediatric neuroimaging, leveraging quantitative imaging applications and AI, will enhance early diagnosis and personalized treatment plans, significantly improving long-term outcomes for children affected with neurologic diseases such as epilepsy, stroke, developmental delay, brain tumors and traumatic brain injury.”

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. The Advanced Neuroimaging Lab of Radiology shares their hopes.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" This response is from Luis E. Sainz y Diaz, Bilingual Clinical Research Coordinator, Endocrine & General Pediatrics. They responded with: My work will improve diabetes management for our families and increase Spanish-speaking participant inclusion in research. By focusing on these goals, I can significantly impact both the health outcome of children with diabetes and the diversity of research participant populations.

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. Luis E. Sainz y Diaz, a bilingual clinical research coordinator, shared his response.

A photo from the back of an auditorium looking toward the front. People sit in the seats. A man stands on the stage at the podium. On the big screen behind him is the title "Transmission of PeV-A" along with some images.

A close-up photo of Dr. Dhar standing at the podium talking. His hands are up and forming a large circular shape.

A photo taken from the back right corner of an auditorium, looking toward the front. People sit in the audience. A man stands on the stage at the podium. On the large screen behind him, it says "Going back to the original question: How do we study TIME?" There are a list of patient characteristics, count dataset, and initial hypotheses.

A close up photo of Dr. Sakitis standing at the podium talking.

Thank you to Dr. Debarpan Dhar & Dr. Chase Sakitis for kicking off our 2025 #ResearchMonth lunch and learns with their post-doc talks. Dr. Dhar presented on Parechovirus-CNS infections. Dr. Sakitis' presentation was on Bayesian Statistical Modeling for analyzing single-cell protein imaging data.

This graphic is on a light blue background. It has two hexagonal shapes on it. It asks "how do you see the work you are doing today having an impact on children in the future?" The first response is from Varberg Lab, Fetal Health Center. They responded with: We are driven by the question, “How can we improve child health outcomes starting at development?” Our work to better understand how the placenta can best support fetal development during pregnancy will (hopefully) improve pregnancy and child health outcomes in the future.

This year's #ResearchMonth theme is Foundations for the Future so we asked our research colleagues how they see the work they are doing today having an impact on children in the future. We'll be sharing their responses all month. The first team we're spotlighting is the Varberg Lab!

Listen to this powerful conversation with Dr. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. Dr. Zeleza’s research is surrounding African economic history! Learn from his insight by watching below. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe.

youtu.be/vcnzM8y7eXs

#HBCUResearchmatters #TheHBCUCenter #Researchmonth #HBCUs