This summer, 13 medical students will join Department of Pediatrics faculty mentors for an immersive research training experience through the Shapiro Summer Research Program. The program is designed to educate students about the process of scientific research and to develop skills in research study design, methodology, statistical analysis, and presentation of findings.
Since 2002, the Shapiro Summer Research Program has provided opportunities for UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) students to participate in eight- to 10-week research projects in the summer between their first and second years of medical school. Students are paired with UW–Madison faculty mentors who propose a wide range of hypothesis-driven projects in basic science, clinical, translational, health services, population/public health, or global health research. Funding for the program comes from the Herman and Gwendolyn Shapiro Foundation with additional support from departments and investigator grants.
Below is a list of students who will conduct research with the Department of Pediatrics this summer, their faculty mentors, and the titles of their research projects:
| Shapiro Scholar | Mentor | Project Title |
| Simrah Ahmed | Bikash Pattnaik, PhD | Molecular Mechanism of a Novel CACNA1F Mutation-associated Congenital Stationary Night Blindness and Its Therapeutic Targeting |
| Evan Decker | Benjamin Spector, MD, MS | A Comparative Analysis: cfDNA Methylation and Fragmentation Profiles of Acute Kidney Pathologies Amongst Kidney Transplant Recipients |
| Zoe Dezeeuw | Cathy Lee-Miller, MD | Understanding the Reach and Impact of the UWCCC Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Clinic |
| Austin Jentz | Carey Wagoner, DO | Usefulness of History, Physical Exam, and Standard Imaging in Determining Necessity for Advanced Imaging in Pediatric Patellofemoral Instability |
| Madeline Kotz | Janet Legare, MD | Updates to Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18 Outcomes and Clinical Care |
| Jeronimo Najarro | Nicholas Pytel, DO | Assessing Second Neoplasms after Treatment from Pediatric Primary CNS Malignancies at UW Health Kids |
| Mazen Razzaq | Eileen Cowan, MD | Medical Student Activities, Trajectories, and Career Outcomes through Interest Groups (MATCH-InG) |
| Sarah Scalzo | Amy Hanson, MD | Variability In Telemetry-based AnaLysis at CRRT Initiation (VITAL CRRT) |
| Maika Thao | Jill Denson, PhD, MSW | Where Do the Babies Go: Data Analysis of Interviews with Incarcerated Pregnant People and Caregivers |
| Makayla Thomas | Amy Hanson, MD | Variability In Telemetry-based AnaLysis at CRRT initiation (VITAL CRRT) |
| George Verdelis | Ryan Coller, MD, MPH | Caregiving Duration and Self Efficacy in Caregivers of Children with Special Healthcare Needs |
| Jackie Wallin | Janet Legare, MD | Clinical and Neurodevelopmental Characterization of Hypochondroplasia |
| Tania Yunez | Kerry Gannon-Loew, MD, MS | A Retrospective Review of Adolescent and Young Adult Retention Rates in an Outpatient Substance Use Clinic |