Professional Development

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2024 Research Poster Competition Winners

TAFP’s Annual Session and Primary Care Summit promotes scholarly activity by family medicine students, residents, and physicians, providing a unique opportunity to share research with the TAFP membership.

The competition is sponsored by the TAFP Foundation. The posters are designed to demonstrate a specific practice-based research activity, an evidenced-based review, or a case report (students only), with an emphasis on practice-based research. There are required elements for the abstract. 

If you’re interested in applying in 2025, visit the TAFP Research Poster Competition webpage for more information.

First place
Efficacy of Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Acute Treatment of Cluster Headaches

Yatri Desai, DO, and Madelyn Villarreal, DO
Houston Methodist Family Medicine Residency


Second place
In Patients with Dementia, does Light Therapy Improve Distress in Dementia Patients and Caregivers Measured by Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Score in People with Dementia when Compared to Placebo

Zakir Ali, DO, and Mustafa Karagoli, DO
Houston Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency


Third place
Efficacy of Breastfeeding Support Teams to Increase Breastfeeding Rates in Low-Income Mothers

Deidrhe Clayton-Beal, MD, and Thalia Lake-Bougouneau, DO
Houston Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency

First place
Patient Education Resources in the Primary Care Setting to Reduce Non-Emergent Visits to the Emergency Department

Benjamin McKinney, MD; Rojin Nemati, DO; Blair Sprong, DO; Rachel Boyles, DO; Stephen J Titus, MD; Kevin Sykes, PhD, MPH; Mahbuba Khan, MPH; Kashif Waqiee Ahmed, MBBS, ACRP-CP
Baylor University Medical Center Family Medicine Residency


Second place
The impact of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on glucose control among adults with uncontrolled diabetes in a charity outpatient clinic

Krista Heinrich, PharmD; Elie Feghali, DO; Benjamin McKinney, MD; Kiara Talabi PharmD, BCACP; Rolake Neba, PharmD, BCACP; Elizabeth Hearn, PharmD, BCACP; Brittnie Anderson, PharmD; Usha Sambamoorthi, PhD
Baylor University Medical Center Department of Family Medicine


Third place
Exploring the Paradoxical Relationship Between Smoking and Short-Term Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: Insights from a Population-Based Cohort Study

Roy Sebastian, MD, and Vani Selvan, MD
Texas Tech University Health Science Cetner at Permian Basin, Department of Family and Community Medicine

First place
Herpes simplex encephalitis presenting with isolated headache and initial negative PCR and MRI findings: A case report

Justin Yun, MS4; Koushalya Sachdev, MS4; Abdul Khan, MD
The University of Texas Medical Branch


Second place
An Unusual Case of Ascites in a Reproductive Female

Jodelle Kristine Felipe, MD; Henry Ramirez, MD; Daniel Ho, MS; Martin Ortega, MD; Ikemefuna Okwuwa, MD; Vani Selvan, MD
Department of Family and Community Medicine, TTUHSC-Permian Basin

First place
Investigating the Relationship Between Vitamin D Levels and Food Allergies in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review

Alyona Lee, Kierra Jackson, Henry Tremain
Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine


Second place
Promise of Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for alleviating subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced brain dysfunction by neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects

Kiran Sankarappan, Ashok K. Shetty
Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine

First place
Preventing Type II Diabetes through Blood Glucose Self Monitoring and Nutritional Education

Adam Maestas, BSc; Madeline Hazle, MD; Vanessa Sanchez, MD; Alexis Ramos, MD; Marissa Emadi, MD; Yun Shi, MD; Jasmine Rodriguez, MPH; Christine Camacho, MD; Robert Wood, DrPH; Fozia Ali, MD
Department of Family and Community Medicine, UT Health San Antonio


Second place
Healthy Choices Team Year 5: Promoting Health Habits through Community Engagement (ComEn)

Suchit Chidurala, Sawad Kazi, Ryan Packham, Matthew Myers, Tristan Strickland, Yusra Waris, Soneet Kapadia, Zainah Siddiqi, Raluca Popa, Neil Sood, Gabriel Rheiner, Erika Huddle, Vanessa Sanchez, Brooklyn Anderson, Sameed Aijaz, Hrithik Patel, Moeez Akram, Azwa Fatma, Maaha Rajput, Zain Hussain, Zoraiz Zia, Madylin Del Angel, Nicolette Wickes, Hannah Martinez, Samar Dawy, Aafreen Akhtar, Sabeen Abdullah, Areej Twait, Wardah Akram, Shreya Madan, Zeel Patel, Raheela Somro (MBBS), Ariel Gomez (MPH), Robert Wood (DrPH), Paula Winkler (MEd), Jasmine Rodriguez (MPH), Munawar Iqbal (CHW), Moshtagh Farokhi (DDS, MPH), Yajaira Johnson-Esparza (PhD), Suverta Bayana (MD), Yunsha Ehtesham (MD), Cristina Caro (MD), Yun Shi (MD), Alexis Ramos (MD), Sumeyra Tek (PhD), Suhaib Haq (MD FAAFP), and Fozia Ali (MD, FAAFP, DipABLM)
UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine

First place
Bexar County Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL): An assessment of chronic conditions and socioeconomic challenges in Bexar County and surrounding rural areas

Jasmine Rodriguez, MPH; Tharani Ravi, MD; Alvin Estacio, MPH; Paula Winkler, MEd; Robert L. Ferrer, MD, MPH; Ariel Gomez, MPH; Bexar County CEAL Community Partners
UT Health San Antonio


Second place
The Impact of Case Role Play on Medical Students in Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Fredricka Barr, MD, CPPS, FAAFP
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth