WVU Health Outcomes Research Ph.D. students receive accolades at international meeting
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Ph.D. students from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy were recognized as award recipients at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 20th Annual International Meeting. The meeting was held May 16-20 in Philadelphia.
The WVU student chapter of ISPOR received second place for the ISPOR Outstanding Student Chapter Award. Ph.D. students Rahul Garg, chapter president; Doug Thornton, vice president; Arijita Deb, secretary; and Rashmi Goyat, treasurer, along with their chapter adviser, Dr. Kimberly Kelly, associate professor in the WVU School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy, accepted the award. Of the approximately 130 ISPOR student chapters from around the world, 18 chapters were eligible and applied for this award. Student chapters were judged on their level of year-round activities, which included educational activities, volunteerism, membership outreach and social events.
The students from the WVU ISPOR chapter and their mentors also submitted a total of 23 research posters for the research competition. Out of more than 1,600 research abstracts presented, three of the WVU posters were chosen as finalists for presentations.
Rituparna Bhattacharya received an Outstanding Research Poster Award for her research, “Does Treatment for Newly-Diagnosed Depression Reduce Healthcare Expenditures among Medicaid Beneficiaries with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus?” Bhattacharya conducted her research under the mentorship of Dr. Usha Sambamoorthi, professor in the WVU School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy.
Rashmi Goyat and Traci Jo LeMasters were finalists in the competition. Goyat presented her research, “Pre-existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and 5-year Mortality among Medicare Beneficiaries with Colorectal Cancer.” LeMasters presented her research, “Determinants for Guideline Concordant Care among Elderly Women with Stage I-III Breast Cancer in a SEER-Medicare Population.” Both conducted their research under the mentorship of Dr. S. Suresh Madhavan, professor and chair of the WVU School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy.
The students are studying in the Health Outcomes Research Pathway of the Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences program. The Health Outcomes Research Pathway focuses on the results of healthcare treatments as they relate to the improvement of patient care and quality of life, decreasing morbidity and mortality, health policy research, and cost effectiveness of treatments.