Research Day
April 27-28, 2026
Read the DOM Research Day 2025 recap HERE!
We are pleased to announce that the 24th Annual Department of Medicine Research Day will be held on Monday, April 27 and Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Petersen Events Center.
The annual event showcases plenary and poster presentations to highlight the breadth and depth of current research being conducted by clinical residents, junior faculty, fellows, graduate students, and trainees in the Department. At the end of the event, awards are given to the highest rated poster presentations.
Important Dates
Monday, January 5, 2026
Abstract Submission Form Opens at 9:00am EST
Monday, February 2, 2026
Abstract Submission Form Closes at 5:00pm EST
Monday, April 27, 2025 – Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Research Day
Contact
For more information about the course, please contact:
Matt Freidhoff
domuim@upmc.edu
412-760-4981
Keynote Speaker
TBD
Research Day Schedule
Coming soon!
Abstract Submission
The online abstract submission opens at 9:00am EST on Monday, January, 5, 2026; the form will close at 5:00pm EST on Monday, February 2, 2026. No paper abstracts will be accepted. Upon submitting your form, a confirmation email will be generated.
If a confirmation email is not received, please let us know by emailing domresearchday@upmc.edu.
Abstracts will be limited to 400 words and will need to include the following information: background, methods, results, and conclusions. Tables, charts, graphs, etc. will not be accepted.
* Only one abstract may be submitted per person and late submissions will not be accepted.
* Case studies and literature reviews cannot be submitted.
For Research Day 2026: All presentations will be in-person at the Petersen Events Center, so the number of abstracts that are assigned a poster presentation will be limited. As in the past, abstracts will be assigned as a plenary presentation, or poster presentation, based on a judge scoring process. Depending on the number of submissions, and final judging scores, everyone who submits an abstract may not receive a presentation assignment for Research Day.
Eligibility for Submission
Faculty with rank at or below the assistant professor level, medical residents, and graduate and medical student researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts. We also encourage post-doctoral fellows who are research associates or assistants, working in Department of Medicine laboratories with the following degrees: MD, PhD, DDS, DO, MBBS or ScD, to submit. Multiple abstracts from one laboratory are allowed. However, investigators and fellows from a single laboratory cannot submit identical abstracts.
Research Categories
- Bench or Basic Science Research
This type of research is conducted in the laboratory with solutions, test tubes, cell cultures, pipettes, etc. Traditionally, basic science research focuses on the acquisition of knowledge regarding fundamental questions about the structure and function of the basic structures of human life (DNA, proteins, etc.). While basic science research often has clinical significance, the research has not yet been directly applied to patient care.
- Clinical Research
Clinical research aims to advance medical knowledge by studying people, either through direct interaction or through the collection and analysis of blood, tissues, or other samples. Clinical research is typically conducted with humans or on material of human origin, such as tissues and specimens and can include mechanisms of human disease, therapeutic interventions, and clinical trials.- *Note: Other forms of research, including HSR Epidemiology and QI are often considered clinical research, so if your research fits into one of those categories, select one of those rather than this broader category.
- Health Services Research (HSR)
The field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to and use of health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately health outcomes. (Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy)
- Epidemiology Research
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of public health problems. (https://www.cdc.gov/OPHSS/CSELS/DSEPD/SS1978/Lesson1/Section1.html#_ref1)
- Medical Education Research
Medical education research aims to advance the knowledge, skills, and professionalism of health professional learners by understanding and evaluating educational ecosystems. Research in medical education often seeks to design and evaluate curricular innovations and/or assess and transform the culture underlying medical education (AAMC).
- Quality Improvement (QI)
Involves systematic, data-guided activities designed to bring about immediate and improvements in health delivery in particular settings. The QI process involves evaluating and learning from experience and is thus usually an iterative process. (Hastings Center workgroup)
- Translational Research
Describes a continuum of research from the laboratory into real-world practice. T1 research typically tests findings from basic research for clinical applicability or effect. T2 research tests new interventions in controlled environments (efficacy studies, phase II and phase III clinical trials). T3 tests how interventions work in real-world settings (effectiveness trials, phase IV clinical trials, implementation studies). T4 studies factors and interventions that influence population health. (University of Minnesota CTSI website). - Note: Since T2-T4 research describes studies that might also fit other categories of research listed in this document, this category should be primarily for early (T1) research. T1 research has commonly been referred to as “bench-to-bedside” and harnesses knowledge from basic science to produce drugs, devices, treatments, etc. for patients.
Day-Of Presenter Information
From the submitted abstracts, day-of presenters will be assigned as a plenary presenter or poster presenter, based on a judge scoring process. Please note that all presenters (plenary and poster) must present in-person this year at the Petersen Events Center.
Research Day 2026: All presentations will be in-person, and space is limited at the Petersen Events Center, so the number of abstracts that are assigned a poster presentation will be limited. Depending on the number of submissions, and final judging scores, everyone who submits an abstract may not receive a presentation assignment for Research Day.
Plenary Presenters
On the day of the event, you will have ten (10) minutes to present and five (5) minutes for a Q&A session with attendees. Plenary presenters are required to be in-person and available during the session to which they are assigned. You should have no more than 1 PowerPoint slide per minute (i.e. 10 slides for a 10 minute presentation) and animations should only be used if necessary. If you choose to use them, Pitt and UPMC PowerPoint templates have been provided below for your convenience. Based on your assignment as a plenary presenter, you will not need to prepare a poster.
Final PPT presentations are due from plenary presenters on April 7, 2025 – submit to: domresearchday@upmc.edu.
>> Pitt template for plenary presenters
>> UPMC template for plenary presenters
Poster Presenters
Each poster presenter will prepare a physical poster that they will present to judges and attendees during the event. Poster presenters are required to be in-person and available during the session to which they are assigned.
The DOM Chair’s Office will manage the printing of posters this year, free of charge to you and your division. You are required to have your poster printed by us for the event – existing posters from a previous meeting will not be accepted. If you choose to use them, Pitt and UPMC poster templates have been provided below for your convenience; utilization of these templates is not required but is highly encouraged as they have been formatted for optimal printing. The page layout dimensions are 18″ H x 31″ W. Final display posters will be printed at 200% (36″ H x 62″ W) so high-resolution figures/graphs are optimal. You are encouraged to ask your mentor to provide a final review of your poster, prior to submitting, as no printer’s proof will be provided.
Final PDF files are due from poster presenters on April 7, 2024 – submit to: domresearchday@upmc.edu.
>> Pitt template for poster presenters
>> UPMC template for poster presenters
Registration Information
Research Day will be held on Monday, April 28, 2025, at the Petersen Events Center. This year, Research Day will comprise of three separate events: Research Day, PostDoc Career Session, and Resident/Clinical Fellows Session!
For all three Research Day events, all presentations and activities are entirely in-person; everyone participating in, or attending, will need to register at the link below with their individual email address.
Research Day: 8:30am-3:00pm
PostDoc Career Session: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Resident/Clinical Fellows Session: 3:30pm-5:30pm / Networking Reception 5:30pm-7:30pm