Balbo Day Resumes as Hybrid Event

Merna Botros' Balbo Day Power Point presentation

Balbo Day went hybrid this year, with on-site presentations, a remote audience, and judges who gave feedback both in person and via Zoom.

Although the pandemic switched things up from past years, organizers found a way to pull it off. That was impossible last year, when RSDM was closed at the height of the COVID-19 crisis in the spring.

“The challenge this year was creating a format for students to present their research and get the word out about what they had done,’’ said Balbo Day judge Dr. Steven Singer, chair of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences.
The event, held annually at RSDM, shows off the school’s research and helps students learn the finer points of presentation. Its namesake is Dr. Michael Balbo, a faculty member and student advocate who started the exposition.

This year, to accommodate social distancing, Balbo Day was spread out over three days, with 27 participants presenting in small groups. They used Power Point Slides to project their work, rather than traditional printed posters. Balbo Day 2021 was limited to predoctoral student researchers and friends and family were able to join our presenters via Zoom, said Singer.

But some elements of traditional Balbo Day remained, including students who ditched their scrubs for professional wear to communicate their findings in a clear and compelling style.
“The public has a picture of scientists as working in the lab behind closed doors, but if you don’t share your research with the world, it doesn’t have much of an impact,’’ said Dr. Singer.

Third-year student Merna Botros, who was awarded third place in the Predoctoral Research category, presented her findings on Aa bacteria, a cause of periodontal disease. Her work investigated whether human serum can penetrate different types of the bacterial biofilm.

During her work on the project, she learned that the process of designing the structure of her experiment is just as important as the results. Definitive outcomes can take many trials, she discovered. “You have to be patient.’’

Additional Balbo Day winners were Azadeh Nemati-Rad, who won first place in Predoctoral Research and Charles Estrada, who won second place with his Clinical Research presentation.