Avalon University School of Medicine Faculty and Staff is proud to announce that between faculty, staff, and students, Avalon University has published 53 publications in peer-reviewed journals between the years 2022 and 2024! Through hard work and dedication, our faculty and students were able to make this achievement happen together.

The work of research and publication that was and continues to be done provides benefits to medical health outcomes and overall medical knowledge both locally and through the rest of the world. To make sure that Avalon University is able to continue this work, we make sure that individuals interested in participating in research and publishing are given all of the tools and resources necessary to conduct research in many areas of interest.

Avalon University focuses on research from day one in the Basic Sciences. Basic Science students interested in research are given opportunities to collaborate with faculty members. Avalon’s Research & Ethics Committee maintains a database that keeps track of the research interests of faculty members and then uses this database to help pair students research interests with that of the faculty. The committee members are composed of both faculty and student representatives, which allows for student engagement and ensures that the research interests of both students and faculty are understood and accommodated. With a growing interest in research among the student body , there has also been a growing trend of students approaching faculty directly with research interests to begin projects of their own!

When students and faculty begin to work together on a piece of research, the faculty member acts as a mentor to the students, helping the students gain valuable skills in research and collaboration. Students gain skills in research, collaboration, and preparing a finalized project for publication, which can help to enhance a doctor’s (and medical student’s) ability to provide patient care by increasing their medical knowledge in evidence-based medicine and critical thinking skills. Additionally, developing these skills will open up new opportunities for students to find a career in research or an area of interest and can help in applying to residency programs.

As a part of Avalon’s curriculum, in the Clinical Sciences, Avalon offers a research election run by Dr. Lambo and a medical education election run by Dr. Arja. Dr. Lambo’s research elective sets students up with skills needed to conduct research. These skills include the ability to review existing literature, analyze population-based data, utilize statistical software, write a research paper, and have it published in a reputable journal. Dr. Arja’s medical education elective takes a more focused look at medical education itself and how to conduct research on the topic of medical education. Dr. Arja’s elective also helps students develop skills in research methodology, which is a critical aspect of any kind of research a student may conduct.

One of the most important results of doing medical research is the impact that it can provide to affected communities around the world. On the island of Curacao, Avalon took a look into COVID-19 on the island in the published work on the Adverse Events of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination 2020-2023*. This work would go on to be presented at the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiologists and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain, and published in the Infectious Diseases Journal. Students also have the opportunity to participate in meaningful school-wide projects like the Otrobanda Demographic Health Surveillance Project, the Antimicrobial Resistance Project, and the Curacao Infectious Disease Surveillance Network. Through this work, Avalon is able to give back to our home in Curacao and its residents by taking steps towards better health outcomes for those on the island.

Avalon understands that to be able to prepare students to take on research and achieve their goals of becoming a doctor, it is important to understand the best practices for medical education. For that reason, Avalon, as an institution, also engages in research to better understand how things like accreditation and electives impact a student’s education. This work allows Avalon to be better able to improve the quality of Avalon’s education, which can in turn allow for students to be better equipped to engage in research and a medical career.

A manuscript being published in a journal is an incredible feat that can ONLY benefit a student in their medical education and future career as a practicing physician. With this understanding, Avalon makes sure that there are systems in place to cultivate our students’ curiosity in different research topics and give them the tools necessary to carry out their research. With the interest in research opportunities growing in the student body, Avalon is excited to continue to publish more findings from faculty and students in the years to come!

• 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.S453964 | https://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.