Research at Avalon

Providing Students with Research Opportunities to Shape the Future of Medicine

Research at Avalon2025-04-11T11:04:13-04:00

At Avalon University School of Medicine (AUSOM), research is more than just a component of our curriculum, it’s a vital part of our commitment to academic excellence and medical innovation. Over the past five years, AUSOM students, both in the basic and clinical sciences, have contributed to over 200 research publications, making a meaningful impact on the global medical community.

Our Research and Ethics Committee actively supports and encourages students’ involvement in hands-on research experiences to develop critical thinking, deepen medical knowledge, and provide real-world contributions in healthcare. We believe that every student should have the opportunity to participate in research, whether through faculty-led projects, independent studies, or collaborative projects. Not only is research an invaluable learning experience, but it also strengthens a students CV and residency application, giving them a competitive edge in their medical careers.

AUSOM students don’t just conduct research-they share their findings with the world. Throughout the year, our students and faculty have been selected to present their research at conferences in the United States through poster presentations. These events provide a platform to showcase their research completed with AUSOM, gain recognition, and network with professionals in the field. To further support our students, AUSOM also offers a travel grant to those invited to present at these conferences, ensuring they can embrace these unique kinds of opportunities.

Lifestyle & Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases Conference
Research_ Dr. Lambo and Shaeen Kaplan
research at avalon

Each year, AUSOM hosts the Avalon Research Symposium on our campus in Curacao. This event highlights research conducted by our faculty and students, fostering a collaboration across various medical disciplines. The symposium features research presentations, keynote speakers, panel discussion, and networking opportunities. The Avalon Research Symposium is more than an academic event-it’s a platform for discovery, inspiration , and future collaborations. It provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with the research community, explore new ideas, and take their medical education to the next level.

At Avalon University School of Medicine, we are dedicated to empowering our students with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to make a lasting impact in the field of medicine. Whether publishing research, presenting at conferences, or participating in our annual symposium, AUSOM students are shaping the future of healthcare one discovery at a time.

  • Ibikunle I I, Olaboopo S O, Kaza S (November 12, 2024) A Comprehensive Review of Splenic Cysts: Case Reports and Clinical Insight. Cureus 16(11): e73502. doi:10.7759/cureus.73502
  • Kiran A, Marwaha V, Pel D, et al. (October 23, 2024) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19)-Induced Hyponatremia: A Challenging Geriatric Case. Cureus 16(10): e72202. doi:10.7759/cureus.72202
  • Zainab Haider khan, Suma Kaza. Poland Syndrome Presenting with Failure to Thrive: A Case Report. Journal of Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health. 8 (2024): 95-97.
  • Olonade I, J, Adegunle A, Kaza S (August 23, 2024) Pathology of the Salpinx: A Retrospective Literature Review. Cureus 16(8): e67624. doi:10.7759/cureus.67624.
  • Lambo J, Keli S, Khan Kaplan S, Njideaka-Kevin T, Arja SB, Altahir AK, Olonade I, Kumar R. The Descriptive Epidemiology of Adverse Events Following two doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination in Curaçao, the Caribbean. Infectious Diseases 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2024.2399108
  • Arja, S.B., White, B.A.A., Kottathveetil, P. Thompson, A (2024). What are the perceptions of faculty and academic leaders regarding the impact of accreditation on the continuous quality improvement process of undergraduate medical education programs at Caribbean medical schools? BMC Medical Education 24, 781. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05699 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39030576/
  • Arja, S. B., Kumar, A., White, B. A., & Thompson, A. (2024). Did the students’ satisfaction rates at Avalon University School of Medicine correlate with the occurrence of accreditation site visits? Medical Teacher, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2024.2359967 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38833017/
  • Arja SB, White BA, Fayyaz J and Thompson A (2024). The impact of accreditation on continuous quality improvement process in undergraduate medical education programs: A scoping review. MedEdPublish, 14:13 https://doi.org/10.12688/mep.20142.2 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38800136/
  • Amber J. Heck, Sateesh Arja, Laura D. Bauler, Khalil Eldeeb, Kathryn N. Huggett, Alana D. Newell, Kelly M. Quesnelle, Amina Sadik, Norma Saks, Paula J. W. Smith & Jonathan J. Wisco (2024). Evaluation of an Educational Scholarship Fellowship Program for Health Professions Educators. Medical Science Educator. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-024-02036-6
  • Arja SB, Arja SB, Ponnusamy K, Kottath Veetil P, Paramban S, Laungani YC (2024). Medical Education Electives Can Promote Teaching and Research Interests Among Medical Students. Advances in Medical Education and Practice; 15:173-180 https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S453964https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38469135/
  • Reddy K, Unar M, Unar H, Arja SB (2024). Cross-Border Accreditation in the Caribbean: A Potential Threat to the Integrity of the Accreditation Process? Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 15:97103 https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S447269 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38327850/
  • Tawde P, Igburuke L, Olanipekun D, Marwaha V, Lambo J. Prognostic Factors for mortality in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Americas. Cureus 2024;16(2): e55044. DOI 10.7759/cureus.55044.
  • Tawde P, Mohammad S, Lambo J, Khan Y. Mantle cell lymphoma manifesting as a cavitary lesion in the lung: A rare finding. International Journal of Scientific Research 2024;13(2):1-3.
  • Loveth Igburuke, Dr. Vasu Alluri, Dr. Suma Alluri, Shreya Rekhi, Rajesh Aithagoni, Dr. Sarat Chandra. Mean Platelet Volume – a novel biomarker in various Cardiovascular Diseases. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Suma Alluri, Swathi C, Sushma V, Suhas Kondareddy, Vahini Gudeli. Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio – a severity predictor of Acute Appendicitis? Assessment of Appendicitis histology prior to Surgery. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Suma Alluri, Dr Vasu Alluri, Yoshitha Y, Dishitha Reddy, Dr Rick Steward. Pilot Study of Hypertension and Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio variations in the Afro-Caribbean population of Curacao. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Lorentia Ugoji, Kafayat Razaaq, Mangyung Kandangwa, Dr. Suma Alluri, Dr. Rosina A, Dr. Rick Steward. Idiopathic Eosinophilia with Pulmonary Infiltrates: A case report. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Goodness Njoku, Vaidehi Joshi, Suma Alluri, Abhishek Reddy, Dr. Sumalatha Kasturi & Dr. Santoshbabu Rendla. Determining the variations of the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Cancer Patients – A prospective Study. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Victory E Oparacha, Dr. Suma Alluri, Christabel C Anyika, Dr. Mahathi Thotakura, Dr. M Ashok. Role of Mean Platelet Volume as a predictive biomarker in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Mangyung Kandangwa, Damandeep Kaur, Johnson Ingwe, Christo Lamprakos, Dr. Suma Alluri. Sex-Specific Differences in Platelet Parameters and the Utility of Mean Platelet Volume / Platelet Count Ratio in Diagnosing Iron Deficiency Anemia. Poster presentation 2024.
  • Descriptive Epidemiology of Adverse Events following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in Curacao” at 6th Edition of World Congress on Infectious Diseases Paris, France 24-26, June 2024 (Invited Speaker).
  • Descriptive Epidemiology of Adverse Events following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in Curacao” at 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiologists and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) Barcelona, Spain, 27-30 April 2024 (Poster presentation).
  • Sateesh B. Arja, B. A. White, Praveen Kottathveetil, Anne Thompson. What are the perceptions of faculty and academic leaders regarding the impact of accreditation on the continuous quality improvement process of undergraduate medical education programs at Caribbean medical schools? AMEE annual conference, 24-28 August 2024. Basel, Switzerland.
  • Sirving Keli. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Misdiagnosed as Pharyngitis in: The Misdiagnosis Casebook in Clinical Medicine, A Case-Based Guide, edited by Hassan Tohid, Larry Baratta, Howard Maibach. Springer Nature, Cham Switzerland, 2023, p. 319-328.
  • Sirving Keli. Early Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed as Influenza in: The Misdiagnosis Casebook in Clinical Medicine, A Case-Based Guide, edited by Hassan Tohid, Larry Baratta, Howard Maibach. Springer Nature, Cham Switzerland, 2023, p. 329 338.
  • Raza MM, Njideaka-Kelvin T, Polo J, Azimudin K (2023). Long-term Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review. doi: 10.7759/cureus.39638.
  • Gudeli V, Kaza Suma. (2023) Intraoperative frozen section: a golden tool for diagnosis of surgical biopsies: In Advanced Concepts in Medicine and Medical Research. BP publisher. West Bengal, India.
  • Raghavendra Rao M.V, Balaramiah Meka, Kumar Ponnusamy, Hitesh Lakshmi Billa and Rekha A (2023). Bilateral Intranuclear Ophthalmoplegia is a Key Driver and Presenting First Sign of Multiple Sclerosis. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 13 (01), Jan 2023, 2249 – 555X.
  • Diann S. Eley, Claudio Cortes, Sateesh Arja, Francisco Raúl Barroso Villafuerte, Yawar Hayat Khan, Joseph Grannum & Zhimin Jia (2023). Perspectives on Medical Education in an Increasingly Globalized Society: Recognizing and Embracing Our Diversity. Medical Science Educator. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-022 01705-8 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37008439/
  • Sateesh Arja, Sireesha Bala Arja, Praveen Kottathveetil, Ijioma Nwosu, Kumar Ponnusamy, Yoshita Languani. “Can Medical Education Electives promote teaching and Page 5 of 10 research interests among medical students?” International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) annual conference Cancun, Mexico June 10-13, 2023.
  • Tawde P, Igburuke L, Olanipekun D, Marwaha V, Lambo J. Prognostic factors for mortality in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 infection in the Americas: A systematic review” at American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine meeting. San Diego. April 27-29, 2023.
  • Nzegwu V.I, Nzegwu, M.A, Kachi Nwokoro, Nzegwu C.O. Oncocercoma presetting as a breast mass in the anterior sternal region in a 36-year-old Nigerian woman. A novel report. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2023.
  • Nithya Sowndharyaa, Joy Thikan, Sekinat Olaboopo and Kumar. Neuroprotective Epigenetic and DNA Damage Repairing Molecular Mechanisms of Bioflavonoids Against Alzheimer’s Disease. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2023.
  • Goodness, Vijay Amirtharaj, Muhammad Sadiq Ali and Kumar Ponnusamy. Prevalence Etiopathogenesis Epigenetic-Molecular Mechanisms and Management of Pancreatic Cancer. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2023.
  • Fateh A. S. Relation between Metadata and Voice Search Results. High Technology Letters. 2022May;28(05):220–9. https://doi.org/10.37896/HTL28.05/5817
  • Shmarhalov A, Vovk O, Ikramov V, Acharya Y, Vovk O. Anatomical variations of the parietal foramen and its relations to the calvarial landmarks: a cross sectional cadaveric study. Wiad Lek. 2022;75(6):1648-1652. doi: 10.36740/WLek202207106. PMID: 35962674.
  • Sateesh B Arja, Samir Fatteh , Sailaja Nandennagari , Sai Sarath Kumar Pemma , Kumar Ponnusamy, Sireesha B Arja. Is Emergency Remote (Online) Teaching in the First Two Years of Medical School During the COVID-19 Pandemic Serving the Purpose? Adv Med Educ Pract, 2022 Mar 1;13:199 211
  • MV Raghavendra Rao, Mubasheer Ali, Siva Anoop Yella, Kumar Ponnusamy, et al. “The Anomalous DNA Methylation Patterns in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Prader Willi Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Angelman’s Syndrome”. EC Neurology 14.1 (2022): 01-09. Research Gate
  • Raghavendra Rao M.V, Chennamchetty Vijay Kumar, Kumar Ponnusamy. Early Onset Of Diabetes Is Associated With Worse Outcomes of Diabetes Neuropathy. International Journal of Medical Science and Current Research, Volume 5, Issue 4 , Page No: 617-622 July-August 2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/36259 241_617_Early_Onset_Of_Diabetes_Is_ Associated_With_Worse_Outcomes_Of_Diabete _Neuropathy
  • Conference Paper Presentation entitled K. Ponnusamy, “Neuroprotective Epigenetic and DNA Damage Repair Molecular Mechanisms of Ac tyl-L Carnitine and Astaxanthin Against Experimentally Induced parkinsonism in ged Rats” in the “4th Pan American Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Congress at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Miami, FL, USA, May 26-28, 2022” https://pascongress.omnibooksonline.com/#p=1
  • Bhattacharyya S, Kumar R. XE variant of the novel coronavirus. Indian Journal of Microbiology Research 2022;9(2):92–94.
  • Sanyaolu A, Marinkovic A, Prakash S, Desai P, Haider N, Abu Fahad Abbasi AF et al. (2022). Reactogenicity to COVID-19 vaccination in the United States of America. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2022 Jan;11(1):104-115. http://www.cochranelibrary.com/cochranedataba e-of-systematic-reviews/index.html
  • Arja, S. Medical Education during COVID-19. Keynote speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Ruddock-Scott, Z. Multiple Sexual Partners in Caribbean Countries. Keynote speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Senior-Crosby, D. Physical Exercise & its Relation to Bone Mineral Density in North American Children. Speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Tarig, A. COVID – 19 and Pregnancy. Speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Balaramaiah, M. Relationship of ACE-2 Receptors to COVID-19 Pathophysiology. Speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Keli, S. Surveillance of COVID-19 in Curacao. Keynote speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Kumar, P. Potential Role of Antioxidation, Anti Inflammatory and Nutritional Therapy to Prevent Severe SARSCoV-2 Complications. Speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Kumar, R. Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Species from Various Clinical Specimens: A Study from India. Speaker at the Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Rosa De Leon. Case Report: Alveolar Soft-Part Sarcoma in the Sacrum. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Aquinta Missick. A Systematic Literature Review Dopamine Cell’s Role in Mediating Reinforcement Learning. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Dr. Kumar, Anjali Sharma, Sherin Shaji, Seetha Vasudevan, Shareyar Azeez. Potential Role of Antioxidation, Anti-Inflammatory and Nutritional Therapy to Prevent Severe SARSCoV-2 Complications. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Rohit Kumar, Sheetal Jain, Ramanath Karicheri. Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Coagulase Negative Staphylococci Species from Various Clinical Specimens: A Study from India. Avalon University School of Medicine Annual Research Symposium held on July 23, 2022.
  • Sateesh B. Arja, B. A. White, Praveen Kottathveetil, Anne Thompson (2024). What are the perceptions of faculty and academic leaders regarding the impact of accreditation on the continuous quality improvement process of undergraduate medical education programs at Caribbean medical schools? AMEE annual conference, 24-28 August 2024. Basel, Switzerland.
  • Reshma Fatteh (2023). A Multi-institutional Study on the Effectiveness of constructive feedback on medical students in medical education. International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) annual conference Cancun, Mexico June 10-13, 2023.
  • Sateesh Arja, Sireesha Bala Arja, Praveen Kottathveetil, Ijioma Nwosu, Kumar Ponnusamy, Yoshita Languani. 1. “Can Medical Education Electives promote teaching and Page 8 of 10 research interests among medical students?” International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) annual conference Cancun, Mexico June 10-13, 2023.
  • Regan Taylor1 , Adam Weinstein2 , Radha Nandogopal3 , Rebecca Toonkel4 , Sateesh Arja5 , 1. University of Nebraska Medical Center 2. Quinnipiac University 3. Washington State University 4. Florida International University 5. Avalon University School of Medicine. Need help assessing your students’ history and physical exam skills? We made checklists that can help! Directors of Clinical Skills Education (DOCS) annual meeting held in conjunction with the national Learn-Serve Lead annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). November 11th, 2022.
  • Puja Dullo1 , Charokar Kailash2 , Sateesh Arja3. 1. National University Hospital System (NUHS), Singapore, 2. People’s College of Medical Sciences & Research Centre. 3. Avalon University School of Medicine. Challenges for Developing the Self Directed Learner in Health Professions Education: Offline and Online Pedagogy Approach. Symposium, Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference, May 27th, 2023, Singapore.
  • The IAMSE ambassador program: building our future through global collaboration. Sateesh Arja1, Claudio Cortes2, Diann Eley3, Joseph Grannum4, Yawar Hayat Khan5, Francisco Raúl Barroso Villafuerte6 and Jia Zhimi7. 1 Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao, Caribbean, 2 Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI 48309 USA, 3 The University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia, 4 University of Tartu, Centre for Educational Technology, Estonia, 5 Faculty of Dentistry, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan, 6 Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Mexico City, Mexico, 7 Shenzhen Hospital of SMU, Guangzhou, China. Poster presentation. IAMSE 2022 Annual Conference, June 4-7, 2022, Denver, CO, USA.
  • Dr. Lambo and Shaheen Kaplan presented an abstract (poster presentation) at the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), which was held in Barcelona, Spain, from April 27 to April 30, 2024.The abstract’s title is “The Descriptive Epidemiology of Adverse Effects Following Two Doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination in Curacao.”.
  • Anushka Halagatti’s (student). Future Physicians for Change convention-AMSA in Washington, DC, May 30 – June 1, 2024
  • Conference in Barbados for the Caribbean Cardiac Society Yoshita Laungani- The poster presentation is “Are some cardiomyopathies reversible?” Loveth Igburuke- The poster presentation is “MPV – a novel biomarker in various cardiovascular diseases ” (Loveth Igburuke, Shreya Rekhi and Rajesh Authigenic) Dr Suma Alluri. The oral presentation titled ‘Pilot Study of Hypertension and Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Variations in the Afro Caribbean Population of Curaçao. Page 9 of 10 4) 53rd Annual Conference of ISEH (Aug 29th to Sep 1st) 2024 in Chicago.These projects are Hematology analyzer-based Research with data from various hospitals and clinics in India and Curacao.
  • Poster Mean Platelet Volume – a novel biomarker in various Cardiovascular Diseases Speaker – Rajesh Aithagoni, Clinical Rotations Student, AUSOM
  • Poster Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio – a severity predictor of Acute Appendicitis? Assessment of Appendicitis histology prior to Surgery. Speaker- Dr Suma Alluri, Professor of Pathology, AUSOM • Poster Pilot Study of Hypertension and Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio variations in the Afro-Caribbean population of Curacao. Speaker: Vansh Marwaha, Clinical Rotations Student, AUSOM
  • Poster Idiopathic Eosinophilia with Pulmonary Infiltrates: A case report Speakers: Lorentia Ugoji & Kafayat Razaaq Basic Sciences Students, AUSOM
  • Poster Determining the variations of the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Cancer Patients – A prospective Study Speaker: Vansh Marhawa, Clinical Rotations Student, AUSOM
  • Poster: Role of Mean Platelet Volume as a predictive biomarker in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. Speaker: Christabel C Anyika, Clinical Rotations Student, AUSOM
  • Poster Sex-Specific Differences in Platelet Parameters and the Utility of Mean Platelet Volume / Platelet Count Ratio in Diagnosing Iron Deficiency Anemia Speaker: Mangyung Kandangwa, Clinical Rotations Student, AUSOM

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