Annual Research Day
Research Day is intended as a forum to highlight research conducted at the UIC Health Sciences Campus-Rockford, as well as affiliated and regional institutions. All students, faculty and health care professionals are invited to participate!
Research Day 2022 is Friday, April 8, 2022 at the UIC Health Sciences Campus-Rockford. Primary authors are required to be IN-PERSON for both Judging Night and Research Day.
Submissions can focus on:
Basic Science Research, Clinical Research, Clinical Case Reports, Social Science Research, Quality Improvement Projects, Public Health Research, Program Evaluation, or Community Impact Research
Literature reviews and program implementation projects without outcome data are not permitted.
For more information, contact [email protected]
Learn More About Research Day:
Omar Perez, PhD, PharmD
Dancing with the SARS
Dr. Omar Perez is an Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Associate Director of Clinical Microbiology at UI Health Hospital. Dr. Perez received his PhD from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Medicine at UIC in 2008. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship training in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Northwestern University. Following his postdoctoral training, Dr. Perez joined the US Army Reserves as an officer serving as a microbiologist. He was deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where he served as a military microbiologist conducting public health surveillance and diagnostic testing for various pathogens. Following his deployment, Dr. Perez accepted a position at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Laboratories as the Director of Clinical Microbiology and Virology. During his tenure at ISDH, the first imported case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) into the United States was identified by Dr. Perez’s virology team at ISDH. Dr. Perez furthered his education by earning his Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the College of Pharmacy at UIC in 2019.
Dr. Perez is currently on the frontlines of the COVID epidemic serving at the COVID lead for laboratory medicine at UI Health Hospital and UIC campus. Dr. Perez has brought on various clinical diagnostic testing platforms for SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, Dr. Perez co-led the efforts of developing a saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 test in the Department of Pathology at UIC that has been successful in its surveillance and screening efforts throughout the UIC campus and at UI Health Hospital. His current clinical position allows him to focus on providing cutting-edge diagnostic testing to identify disease-causing pathogens. Dr. Perez works alongside clinicians to help diagnose etiological agents of infectious-disease illness and in selecting the best treatment options for patients. Dr. Perez is also active in basic and translational research studying virus-host interactions. Apart from UIC, Dr. Perez has been in the Armed Forces for over 20 years and is currently an officer in the US Army Reserves where he serves as a microbiologist at the US Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). There he conducts host response biomarker profiling in support of biothreat countermeasure development.
Sandra Martell, DNP, MS
COVID-19 Public Health Response: Intersection of Basic, Applied, and Social Science
Dr. Sandra Martell is only the third Public Health Administrator for the Winnebago County Health Department since 1971 when the City of Rockford Health Department and the Winnebago County Health Department merged to become one agency. Prior to joining the WCHD, she had over 25 years of public health experience including recently serving as the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO). As the Interim Chief Operating Officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, Dr. Martell and her 300 public health staff members provided services to over 2.6 million people. Dr. Martell holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and a Master of Science Degree in Public Health Nursing / Family Nurse Practitioner, from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Loyola University of Chicago.
Moderator:
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara
Panelists:
Thomas Carey, PharmD
Geoffrey Tsaras, MD
Omar Perez, PhD, PharmD
Sandra Martell, DNP, MS
9:15 a.m. Welcome Address
9:30 a.m. Keynote Address
11:00 a.m. Panel Discussion
12:30 p.m. Poster Viewing and Lunch
2:15 p.m. Student Presentations
3:45 p.m. Presentation of Awards
4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks