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Representatives from the participating institutions, including UNMC’s Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., second from left, exchanged school flags during the International Student Research Forum’s closing ceremonies. |
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Ivan the Iguana was the life of the party as forum participants enjoyed dinner at the TreeTops Restaurant at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo on Monday night. |
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A group of American Indian dancers performed at the forum’s closing ceremonies. |
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From left: Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Don Leuenberger with Deb Thomas, assistant vice chancellor for business and finance, and Keith Swarts, director of business services, at the forum’s closing ceremonies. |
During the forum’s closing ceremonies on Tuesday at the Durham Museum, Gale said that while previous explorers have ventured to new lands and even into space — students who become biomedical researchers look to unlock fundamental mysteries of human life.
And events such as the ISRF, which help foster international collaboration in research, show how this future trailblazing will be a multinational effort, he said.
“These students are the pioneers of the new millennium,” Gale said. “They present us with a brighter dream and a fresher hope for the future.”
For the past four years, the ISRF has brought together M.D. and Ph.D. graduate students from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions to discuss their research. UNMC has been involved with the past three forums.
This year, 20 UNMC students played host to 24 international students during the forum, marking the first time the forum was held in the United States.
UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., said the forum participants are in position to provide a vital service to mankind.
“With technology that allows for rapid communication with others around the world, the world of research is more conducive to international collaboration than it has ever been,” Dr. Maurer said. “By building relationships with international colleagues at forums such as this, these students are forging relationships that could yield scientific advances that positively affect countless people around the world.”
The two-day forum, which was sponsored by the UNMC Asian Pacific Rim Development Program (APRDP), allowed each student participant to present research.
The forum also included time for the student scientists to discuss research and other topics during more informal activities such as trips to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland.
The caliber of the visiting students and their institutions made it an honor for UNMC to host the forum, said Don Leuenberger, vice chancellor for business and finance.
“These are some of the top students from some of the world’s top universities and it speaks volumes about UNMC that we were the first U.S. institution to host this forum,” he said.
Leuenberger also thanked Omaha-area business such as the zoo, the Durham Museum, The Nebraska Medical Center, Union Pacific Railroad, HDR and UNMC Physicians, for supporting the forum.
UNMC Vice Chancellor for Research Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., said the students and research presented at the forum left him optimistic about the future of scientific investigation.
“Because of students such as these, those of us on the declining side of our careers are pleased to see what’s happening with those whose careers are on the incline,” Dr. Rosenquist said.
The variety of research presented at the forum created a special environment, said Daniel Flaherty, a UNMC student who helped organize the forum. At many conferences, Flaherty said, the subject matter is so specified and the participants are so familiar with the topics that discussions often center on detailed aspects of certain fields.
At the ISRF, students presented on topics ranging from strength training for women undergoing chemotherapy, to snoring in children, to the genetic diversity and evolution of golden monkeys.
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UNMC student organizer Nathan Erdmann said every aspect of the forum — from the research discussions to informal gatherings such as the zoo trip or what he called a “global kickball experience” in Elmwood Park — made the event memorable.
“We were really happy to be able to host this forum and we hope we’re all better scientists because of it,” Erdmann said.
Jialin Zheng, M.D., director of the APRDP, praised the UNMC student organizers for their work in making the forum a success. He also thanked many others, including Leuenberger, Dr. Rosenquist, Deb Thomas, assistant vice chancellor for business and finance; Keith Swarts, UNMC’s director of business services; Alexander “Sasha” Kabanov, Ph.D., director of the UNMC Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine; and Mary Cavell, coordinator of the APRDP; for providing essential support to the forum.
With the support of great administrators, investigators and students, it was natural for UNMC to be able to host top notch forum, Dr. Zheng said.
“Chancellor Maurer says when you have great ideas, great things will come,” Dr. Zheng said. “This forum was a great idea, and thanks to the help of many great people, it turned out to be a great thing, too.”