Hosted by the MedStar Health Research Institute, MedStar Health Academic Affairs, and Georgetown University Medical Center, the MedStar Health-Georgetown University Research and Education Symposium is open to all members of the research and education community interested in learning more about scholarship at MedStar Health and Georgetown. The symposium brings together the MedStar Health and Georgetown University communities to celebrate the breadth of our academic pursuits. The event offers the opportunity to connect with researchers, educators, residents, executive leaders, and collaborative partners from across the region and our system to build meaningful relationships to further advance the health of our community.
Symposium 2026: Another successful year
The 2026 MedStar Health–Georgetown University Research & Education Symposium was held on Monday, April 27. More than 1,000 physicians, scientists, researchers, educators, students, residents/fellows, professors, collaborative partners, executives, and other members of the academic community came together for the event highlighting the importance of the partnership between MedStar Health and Georgetown University to transform health, innovate education, and advance research, patient care, and science.
The Symposium featured more than 375 peer-reviewed poster presentations, dozens of oral presentations, and numerous academic workshops.
Towards the end of the day, attendees were treated to a fireside chat with plenary speaker, Julie Freischlag, MD, FACS. Vascular surgeon, Dr. Freischlag, has achieved many “firsts”: the first female surgeon-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the first female chief of vascular surgery at UCLA, and the CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Recognizing Rising Investigators and Educators
Representing the development and recognition of emerging research talent, top honors for Best Oral Abstracts in Resident & Fellow Research were awarded to:
- First Place: Seunghee Han, MD (Internal Medicine, PGY 1–3); Sara Kiparizoska, MD (Gastroenterology, PGY 4+); and Margaret Hornick, MD (General Surgery Fellow)
- Second Place: Ardashvardhan Tangella, MD (Internal Medicine, PGY 1–3); Alexandra Snyder, MD (Complex Benign Gynecology, PGY 4+); and Navya Vemula, MD (General Surgery Fellow)
- Third Place: Gregory Furletti, MD (Pathology, PGY 1–3); Patrick Mooney, MD (Endocrinology, PGY 4+); and Jeffrey Breton, MD (Neurosurgery Fellow)
The event also recognized the following individuals who presented the top-scoring abstracts related to health professions education:
- First Place: Jose (JV) Nable
- Second Place: Katie DePalma
- Third Place: Theodora Balis
Check out the full list of accepted abstracts across all categories.
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