Burning Bright at ACMD rapid fire finals

Fourteen exceptional MD Research Project (MDRP) and MD Research Studies (MDRS) students presented their research at the 2021 ACMD Rapid Fire Presentations Finals.  ACMD is Australia’s first collaborative, hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre and several students across year 2, MDRP and MDRS showcased their research and ideas to medical practitioners, researchers and students via a live-stream.

Topics presented ranged from associations between acute hypercarbia and hyperkalaemia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, to understanding the implicit bias towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients within Australian emergency departments.

The three judges were Dr Megan Robertson, Dr Brendan Morrissey and Dr Tim Clement who awarded prizes to four outstanding students. Judges and audience were captivated by the upbeat 3-minute presentations and insightful on-point responses to the judges’ questions.

First prize winner, Vandita Mattoo who is a fourth-year medical student undergoing her research project with the Department of Medicine at St Vincent’s Clinical School, said this of the experience:

“The ACMD Rapid Fire Presentation was a great opportunity for me to reflect on my research and condense the key findings into a compelling story for a wide audience. My interest in IBD therapeutics was inspired by the time I have spent with IBD patients on the wards, and their generosity in sharing the pervasive impacts of this condition with me.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Emily Wright, for her astute guidance and for helping me understand the real world context for the clinical problem we were trying to solve. I would also like to thank the St Vincent's Clinical School for giving us this opportunity, and for fostering a culture that encourages student initiative, and inspires us to pursue research and teaching.”

It was a tight competition and four prizes were awarded.

First Prize: Vandita Mattoo

Topic: Systematic Review: Efficacy of Escalated Maintenance Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor Therapy in Crohn's Disease
Supervisor: Dr Emily Wright

Second Prize: Natalie Yu
Topic: Interventions to Improve Adherence to Preventive Care in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic”
Supervisor: Dr Chamara Basnayake

Equal third prize:
Aidan Jackson
Topic: Which Factors Make a Significant Difference in GDD Success?
Supervisor: Associate Professor Michael Coote

Sachin Phakey
Topic: Rates of immunomodulatory medication use, herpes zoster and herpes zoster ophthalmicus in Australia
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lyndell Lim