The Cottage Health Research Institute’s 2024 Collaborative Research Symposium, held on Friday, April 19, brought together a diverse community of healthcare professionals, academic faculty and researchers for a day of discussions and collaboration centered on healthcare innovation.
More than 170 participants gathered in person and virtually for the free, one-day event that featured 16 presentations on innovative research on topics ranging from age-related diseases and longevity to innovative applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Researchers presented from Cal State Channel Islands, Westmont College, Santa Barbara City College, UCSB, and Cottage Health.
The keynote address, Rethinking Aging: Bridging the Health Gap for Older Women, was presented by Paula Rochon, a geriatrician and founding director of the Women’s Age Lab at the University of Toronto.
Rochon shared insights into understanding aging in contemporary society. Her talk underscored the significance of understanding how sex, gender and age considerations in research translate into improved health and well-being for older women.
The symposium featured the inaugural Cottage Resident Poster Session, showcasing clinical projects led by Cottage residents. Attendees voted for the Andy Gersoff Resident Award for Excellence in Research, which was presented to Dr. Meghali Singhal and Dr. Anastasia Malek for their work on gender-based differences in STEMI vs NSTEMI diagnosis and management.
Now in its 10th year, the annual CHRI symposium is made possible through the support of Janet Dunbar and Alex Pananides, who envisioned a way to inspire collaboration and joint projects among local clinicians and researchers that could improve health and medicine.
The Cottage Health Research Institute offers consultation, liaison and administrative resources to researchers to support the translation of clinical and academic research and graduate and post-graduate training for future physicians and other healthcare professionals.
For more about the Cottage Health Research Institute, visit cottagehealth.org/research.