Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series Hosts Inaugural Resident & Fellow Research Showcase

The UC Irvine School of Medicine hosted its inaugural Resident & Fellow Research Showcase on April 23, 2025, providing a platform for residents and fellows to share their innovative research. Presented as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series, the event aligned with two lectures featuring Adrian F. Hernandez, MD, MHS, the vice dean and executive director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and professor of cardiology in the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.

Between giving a community lecture on “Speeding up Science: How Everyone Matters!” and a scientific lecture on “Accelerating Evidence Generation: AI or HI or Both?”, Hernandez attended the showcase at the UCI Medical Center. He and other clinicians, mentors and institutional leaders met with the residents and fellows, viewing their posters and discussing their innovative work to advance medical discovery.

The showcase aims to strengthen UCI Health’s physician-scientist community and foster collaboration across departments.

The Department of Pediatrics featured three posters:

• “Population Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Continuous Oxacillin in Preterm and Term Neonates and Infant,” presented by Adam Lee, MD;
• “Infants Born Following Intrauterine Drug Exposure: Disparities in Obtaining Custody at Discharge,” presented by Haley Anne Palaganas, MD; and
• “Healthcare Implementation of a Cellphone-Based Pediatric Social Care Screener and Social Work Intervention Protocol,” presented by Peggy Kuo, DO.

The Department of Family Medicine featured two posters:

• “Exploring the Impact of Sleep Extension on Performance and Heart Rate Variability among Competitive Esports Athletes,” presented by Peter Hoang, MD; and
• “A Longitudinal Analysis of Physical and Mental Health Changes During First-Year Family Medicine Residency Training,” presented by Rachel Duong, MD.

There were also posters from the following four departments:

• Dermatology: “Non-invasive Imaging and Spatial Transcriptomics of Vitiligo Skin and its Response to Therapy,” presented by Kathryn Hinchee-Rodriguez, MD, PhD;
• Hematology & Oncology: “Efficacy of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 with or without ARPIs for the Treatment of mCRPC,” presented by Omid Yazdanpanah, MD;
• Plastic Surgery: “Ex Vivo Assessment of Muscle Fixation Techniques,” presented by Mikhail Pakvasa, MD; and
• Urology: “Testosterone Replacement Therapy Reduces Biochemical Recurrence Post-Radical Prostatectomy Without Increasing Cardiovascular Events: Long-Term Outcomes,” presented by Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad, MD.

The top two presenters received a $1,000 travel grant, awarded to Adam Lee for his research into pediatric use of Oxacillin and to Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad for his research on testosterone replacement therapy.

This was the third and final Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series event for the 2024-25 academic year, but check back in the fall to learn about the three featured speakers for 2025-26. The series highlights an extraordinary person from the basic sciences, an influential leader from the clinical arena, and an exemplary individual from the area of clinical trials. The program will also continue its new tradition of hosting an annual Resident & Fellow Research Showcase. (More photos from the lectures and showcase are available online. Credit for all photos: Carlos Puma/Puma Images.)