Missouri University of Science and Technology and Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC) are partnering to present a research symposium this month. The symposium is the inaugural event hosted by the Ozark Biomedical Initiative (OBI), a strategic partnership between PCRMC and S&T.

The symposium will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Missouri S&T’s Technology Development Center. The goal of the symposium is to increase research collaboration between S&T faculty and clinicians and physicians at PCRMC.

The event will open with a plenary talk from Dr. Stephanie Markovina, an assistant professor in radiation oncology and cancer biology at Washington University in St. Louis on the physician scientist track. Her talk is titled “Uniting Patient Care and Research – A Case Study in Cervical Cancer.”

“Since Dr. Markovina is both a physician and a faculty member at a university, she can share her work from the perspectives of the physician and the faculty member,” says Dr. Warren K. Wray, vice chancellor for global and strategic partnerships at Missouri S&T and leader of the executive board which oversees the OBI. “She will help to encourage the successful collaboration of S&T faculty and PCRMC clinicians.”

Following Markovina’s talk, symposium participants who submitted a research abstract will briefly present project ideas to the group. Breakout discussion sessions to encourage innovative ideas and potential collaboration will round out the symposium.

“We want physicians to discuss their research interests and for faculty to describe the kind of research they’re doing,” says Wray. “The ultimate objective by facilitating this is to foster a knowledge and equipment exchange that results in problem solutions and research proposals.”

The OBI was formed in July 2015 when Missouri S&T Chancellor Cheryl B. Schrader and former PCRMC CEO John Denbo signed a memorandum of understanding to promote collaboration in research and education and facilitate the exchange of ideas. It leverages each institution’s resources in facilities, sponsored research, scholarly activities and technology transfer, as well as the development of new academic programs.

The partnership calls for collaboration between faculty, post-doctoral fellows, students, physicians and other allied health staff; joint research activities; exchange of academic materials; publication of the results of collaborative research projects and joint academic programs, non-academic programs, seminars and meetings.

“Through this symposium, we will bring researchers together and begin to reach some of the goals of the initiative,” says Wray. “As research partners from both institutions work together, they will become knowledgeable of each other’s special skills. We can expect the teamwork and exchange to continue into more research.”

For more information about the symposium, visit obi.mst.edu/events/ or contact the symposium co-chairs, Dr. Sajal Das, professor and chair of computer science and the Daniel C. St. Clair Endowed Chair in computer science, at sdas@mst.edu or Chris Spencer, a radiation oncologist at PCRMC, at spenc@pcrmc.com.  For more information about the OBI, visit obi.mst.edu.