The University of Miami’s annual Undergraduate Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum (RCIF) gives students from all disciplines and campuses the chance to present their work and share knowledge with their extended academic community. The 18th installment of RCIF: Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum, held April 27, featured several School of Nursing and Health Studies students.
Michael Coffie, B.S.P.H. ’26, presented his practicum project, which involved creating an app designed to help address the public health problem of foodborne illness. The app Coffie designed uses grocery store receipts to keep users apprised in real time of any food safety issues, like any recalls on their food purchases, for example. Carlee Beck, B.S.H.S. ’26, a member of the Dallman Lab since 2024, shared her work helping to study gastrointestinal function in Zebrafish models of SynGAP1-linked Autism. “This semester, we worked on a gut transit assay to assess the ability of different drugs to rescue functional GI motility in these models,” Beck explained.
Health science seniors Varsha Karthikeyan and Janice Darkwah presented at RCIF on work they are contributing to as research assistants for the PEDIMETS study led by principal investigator Arsham Alamian, an associate dean at the School of Nursing and Health Studies. “Our project, ‘Metabolic Syndrome as a Marker of Cardiometabolic Risk in Patients Treated with Second-Generation Antipsychotics,’ examines how antipsychotic treatment contributes to metabolic dysregulation and increased cardiometabolic risk in individuals with schizophrenia,” said Karthikeyan. “Our findings highlight that metabolic syndrome is not only influenced by medication side effects, but also by underlying biological mechanisms. Understanding these interactions is critical for improving long-term health outcomes and developing more personalized, preventative care strategies.”
RCIF was “an incredible learning opportunity,” said Isabella Cukrow, B.S.P.H. ’26, a research assistant in the Vidot Lab at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Through this experience, I was able to strengthen my public speaking skills by refining my elevator pitch and presenting my work to judges from a variety of professional backgrounds. I also really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn from other students’ presentations and research, which made the experience even more meaningful and inspiring.”
At RCIF, Cukrow presented her final thesis poster on patient–provider communication around medical cannabis use in oncology care, focusing on the barriers that prevent open conversations during cancer treatment. “My work specifically targets oncology providers, aiming to equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to create a more comfortable, informed environment where patients feel safe discussing cannabis use,” she said. Earlier in April she presented her thesis at the 6th Annual Cannabis and Psychedelics Symposium hosted by her research mentor, Denise Vidot, a faculty member at the school. “I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Denise Vidot for creating this opportunity and fostering a space that brings together research, innovation, and community,” said Cukrow, who is on her way to earning her Master of Public Health degree at the Miller School of Medicine through the 4+1 program.
Isabella Gudin, B.S.H.S. ’26, and John Brown, B.S.H.S. ’26, presented posters sharing their work on projects under way in the Sexual Health Dissemination and The Sex Wrap (TSW) labs led at the school by Andrew Porter, associate professor. “Being a part of TSW has been one of the most impactful and rewarding parts of my time here at the University of Miami,” said Brown, who helped develop a forthcoming human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intervention for the University of Miami campus before graduating in May. “Every week, I’ve been able to help run this intervention by engaging in meaningful conversations online about sexual health, policy, and care, all relating back to TSW academic podcast.”
Shannon Healey, B.S.H.S. ’26, presented a risk assessment protocol she created for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital under the preceptorship of school faculty member Yui Matsuda, whose Baby Steps program helps parents make the critical transition home with their infants graduating from the neonatal intensive care unit. Healey’s data collection and evaluation plan for monitoring impact of the program over time was created as part of her graduation practicum. Nicklaus was so impressed with Healey’s protocol that they are adopting it.
Finally, RCIF gave public health majors Gillian Aaronson, Trisha Sakamuri, and Camila Urdaneta a chance to share their collaboration with Ashley Falcon, an associate professor of clinical, titled “Educating Aspiring Nurses to Enhance Healthcare Delivery for Patients with Disabilities. Their poster, coauthored with nursing faculty members Matsuda, Regine Reaves, and Kenya Snowden, referenced a short educational training video for nursing students the team created and presented. “Research says we don't spend enough time talking about how to care for patients with disabilities of different types,” said Falcon. “Brief intervention can be really helpful in improving confidence and knowledge around how to care for patients with disabilities.”
Now, she and the team are working on a publication from their findings, as well as a more rigorous study to inform how this knowledge can be advanced in practical settings. “The point is for the research to inform practice, to discover what would be a natural fit within the educational curriculum,” said Falcon. “We're connecting it to other competencies the students are learning.”
