Congratulations to our Kansas City University student intern, Kennedy Davis! She was recently awarded ‘Graduate Student Best Poster Award and Scholarship’ at BioNexus KC’s One Health Day research symposium.
BioNexus is a local organization that connects biological research across a four state region, specifically around Kansas City. This year’s symposium focused on using research to advance both human and animal health, at the same time.
When asked about her poster presenting experience, Kennedy shared her story:
“As I matriculated into Kansas City University‘s College of Biosciences Master’s Degree Program in the fall of 2021, I’ve pursued graduate studies partnering with Likarda in cell therapy research. My research initiatives seek to support the development of an FDA-Approved, GMP Manufactured cell delivery for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Within the field of regenerative medicine, there are current challenges associated with clinical outcomes for improving knee osteoarthritis, a major public health condition suffered by countless U.S. citizens. Utilizing novel encapsulation technology and facilitating surgical inductions in rat models to simulate human osteoarthritis, I have gained insights about the steps needed to move a cell therapy through the FDA regulatory process.
As an aspiring physician-scientist, I am eager to facilitate research-driven, interdisciplinary teams in establishing novel pain management care plans to address physical and mental health across the fields of pain and rehabilitation, pediatric medicine, and family medicine. Through my research at Likarda, I have learned about intra-articular (IA) injections utilized by orthopedic clinicians to address osteoarthritis, the challenges and promises of stem cell therapies for osteoarthritis, and I have developed a thorough understanding of quality assurance and supply chain regulatory measures that are critical in drug discoveries to address musculoskeletal health conditions. Aligning with my professional goals as an aspiring physician scientist, I aim to implement biotechnological, therapeutic management programs to address health disparities that are associated with musculoskeletal diseases in the clinical practice.
Through BioNexus KC’s One Health Day research symposium, I was afforded the opportunities to enhance my foundational knowledge about the intersection of animal and human health. Upon presenting my research efforts for engineering cell delivery vehicles to improve knee osteoarthritis, I was truly honored to represent Kansas City University and Likarda as a recipient of the One Health Day: Graduate Student Best Poster Award and Scholarship.”
