Celebrating Curiosity, Collaboration, and Discovery: Tulane Neurology Hosts Scholarly Activity Day

The Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences' Department of Neurology came alive with energy, ideas, and academic excellence during its second annual Scholarly Activity Day. More than a research showcase, the event brought together medical students, graduate researchers, and residents in a celebration of innovation and intellectual curiosity.

The day featured over 20 poster presentations, each representing months, if not years, of focused work, long nights, and a shared drive to move neurology forward. Attendees explored topics ranging from Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral aneurysms to COVID-19’s impact on Parkinson’s risk. PGY-4 neurology residents delivered oral presentations, and the event was headlined by keynote speaker Dr. Deborah Friedman, a distinguished Tulane School of Medicine alumna. Dr. Friedman presented “Clinical Trials in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: What's the Evidence?”—a thoughtful and compelling look into current research and its clinical implications.

For many participants, this event was a milestone—proof of how far they’ve come and a glimpse of how far they might go. And for Tulane, it was a testament to the department’s growing culture of mentorship, scholarship, and scientific curiosity.

Award winners included:

• Graduate Category – Yingjie Wang
  “Investigate the Role of Irg-1/Itaconate Signaling in Modulating Metabolic Dysfunction of Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease”
• Medical Student Category – Khashaiar Motazedian
  “Nitro-oleic acid (CXA-10) prevents cerebral aneurysm formation via endothelial PPARδ activation”
• Postgraduate Category – Meenakshi Umar, PhD
  “MTHFR Deficiency and SARS-CoV-2 Infection Synergistically Increase the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease”
• Resident/Fellow Category – Sarah Zanjani, MD
  “Blinded by the Dye: Transient Cortical Blindness after Angiography”
• PGY-4 Best Oral Presentation – Cate Picou, MD
  “Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: A Unique Case Presentation and Review of Imaging, Neuropathology, and Genetics”
• Gwinn Akin Bowers Award – Michele Longo, MD

With each presentation, Tulane’s future in clinical neuroscience grew a little brighter, driven by the students, residents, and researchers who are turning knowledge into impact, one discovery at a time.