Atlanta — Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) hosted the 20th Annual Student Research Symposium as part of Curtis L. Parker Student Research Day. Parker served as a primary facilitator in providing opportunities for aspiring research students to interact with scientists of national and international acclaim.

Betty S. Pace, M.D., Alpha Omega Alpha visiting professor; director, Sickle Cell Disease Research Center; professor, Molecular and Cell Biology at The University of Texas at Dallas, served as keynote speaker. Pace presented "Biomedical Research in the Genome Era."

Oral and poster presentations were other highlights of the symposium.

The event was held February 13, 2008 and was championed by the Office of Sponsored Research Administration, the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program and the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society at MSM.

History of Curtis L. Parker Day

Curtis L. Parker, Ph.D. was chairperson of the MSM Department of Anatomy from 1989 until his death in 1998. Parker served as associate dean for Basic Science and Research from 1992 to 1996, and acting dean from 1995 to December 1995. He was chairperson of the Student Academic Progress and Promotion committee and served as chairperson or a member of virtually every major committee at MSM.

His tireless efforts made it possible for almost 90 medical students to participate in the Fellows Program of the National Center for Infectious Diseases. This program is instrumental in exposing medical students to an environment where innovative and state-of-the-art research is being performed, and encourages them to participate.

On Nov. 6, 1998, former Dean E. Nigel Harris proclaimed Student Research Day at MSM as the Curtis L. Parker Annual Research Day Symposium.