Research Week has been succeeded by Academic Week.

Keynote Speakers

Jerome P. Kassirer, MD

Distinguished Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine

"How Financial Conflicts of Interest Endanger Our Profession"

• Tuesday, May 18, 2010
• Noon
• Chestnut 1

Jerome P. Kassirer is Distinguished Professor and Senior Assistant to the Dean at Tufts University School of Medicine, and is Visiting Professor at Stanford University.

In editorials in the New England Journal of Medicine, and in multiple publications since, he has promoted professionalism, ethical scientific conduct, patient involvement in decision making, appropriate use of firearms, and reliable approaches to the assessment of the quality of health care. He was been highly critical of for-profit medicine, the abuses of managed care, political intrusions into medical decisions, and financial conflicts of interest.  His 2004 Oxford University Press book, “On The Take: How Medicine’s Complicity With Big Business Endangers Your Health,” was about financial conflict of interest in medicine, and his latest book, published in 2009 by Lippincott, is entitled, “Learning Clinical Reasoning.”

Dr. Kassirer has also published numerous original research and clinical studies, textbook chapters and books on nephrology (in particular, acid-base equilibrium), medical decision making, and the diagnostic process. He was a co-founder and co-editor of Nephrology Forum in the journal Kidney International and of Clinical Problem Solving in Hospital Practice until 1991. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine between 1991 and 1999. 

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine in 1957, Dr. Kassirer  trained in Internal Medicine at Buffalo General Hospital and in Nephrology at the New England Medical Center in Boston.  He joined the faculty of Tufts University School of Medicine in 1961, served as Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine from 1971 - 1991, was named Professor of Medicine in 1974, and was the Sara Murray Jordan Professor of Medicine from 1987 to 1991.  He has received the Distinguished Faculty Award from Tufts University School of Medicine and the Distinguished Service Award of the Alumni Association of Tufts University. He was on the adjunct faculty of Yale (2000-2005) and Case School of Medicine (2005-2006). 

Dr. Kassirer is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and Open Medicine. He has been elected to the Association of American Physicians, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mary Y. Lee, MD, MA, MS

Associate Provost, Tufts University School of Medicine

"Bridging Global Health, Medical Education Innovation, and Technology"

• Thursday, May 20, 2010
• Noon
• Chestnut 1

Mary Y. Lee, Associate Provost for Tufts University, manages multidisciplinary educational initiatives spanning Tufts' undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, particularly efforts that leverage the synergies between the schools' unique strengths in the health sciences and commitment to international service. 

Dr. Lee works closely with faculty to encourage increased collaboration in educational and research-related initiatives, such as the University Seminar program. In addition, she provides key academic leadership for the educational use of information technology; the University Library Council, and faculty development in conjunction with the University Committee on Teaching and Faculty Development (UCTFD) and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), which provides faculty training and support across the university. Dr. Lee was most recently Dean for Educational Affairs for over twelve years as the strategic and operational leader in curriculum, evaluation, faculty development, educational programming and grants.

Dr. Lee has a particular interest in how information technology can help further educational goals. She is the project steward of both the Tufts University Sciences Knowledgebase (TUSK) and Tufts OpenCourseWare (OCW). She leads the Tufts team that is contributing to the global Open Educational Resources movement by offering high quality content (particularly in the health sciences), open-source tool development, and faculty development in the innovative uses of technology to support education.

After receiving her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Lee trained in internal medicine at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, MA. Dr. Lee holds Masters degrees in both Health Services Research and Asian Studies from Stanford University. Dr. Lee is a Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and was the recipient of the Tufts University Distinguished Faculty Award for 2006.

2010 Research Projects

Download pdf of the complete Research Week 2010 abstract booklet (374 KB)

Award Winners

About the Research Week Awards

Significance in Research

• Sharon Wretzel MD, Resident, Department of Pediatrics
• Paul Visintainer PhD, Director, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
• Laura Koenigs MD, Associate Program Director, Pediatrics Residency

"Does a Condom Availability Program in an Inner City Public School Decrease the Rates of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Infection?"

Innovation in Research

• Connie Rossini MD, Resident, Department of Surgery
• Sabha Ganai MD PhD, Resident, Department of Surgery
• Richard Arenas MD, Chief, Surgical Oncology Division
• Neil Forbes PhD, Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute

"Tumor-Targeted Delivery of TRAIL Using Salmonella Typhimurium in Metastatic Breast Cancer in the Syngeneic Murine Model"

Excellence in Clinical Education Research

Quantitative Award

• Peter Wu MD, Resident, Department of Surgery
• Ron Bush BS, Skills Trainer, Simulation Center
• Neal Seymour MD, Director, Simulation Center

"Proficiency-Based Virtual Reality Laparoscopic Skills Training: A 7-Year Experience"

Outstanding Achievements in Clinical Research

• Alex Knee MS, Research Coordinator, Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology