Research Day

Please save the date for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine’s annual Research Day! The next Research Day is scheduled for Monday, May 11, 2026. 

Abstract Submission Guidelines

We are no longer accepting submissions for abstracts and poster presentations.

• Faculty, staff, CRNAs, and non-resident/fellow trainees: Please submit abstracts in PDF format to Dr. Jennifer DeBerry at jenniferdeberry@uabmc.edu.
• Residents and fellows: Please submit abstracts in PDF format to Dr. Emily Wasson at eawasson@uabmc.edu. 

Research Day Abstract Submission Guidelines

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in submitting your abstract for presentation at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Research Day. Please read these instructions in their entirety before completing and submitting an abstract.

When/Where to Submit

• Faculty, staff, CRNAs, and non-clinical trainees: Please submit abstracts in PDF format to Jennifer DeBerry at jenniferdeberry@uabmc.edu. Deadline is April 13, 2026.
• Residents and fellows: Please submit abstracts in PDF format to Emily Wasson at eawasson@uabmc.edu. Deadline is April 13, 2026.
• Abstract revisions are not allowed after the deadline. The abstract will be listed in the program as submitted. There are no restrictions on the number of submissions per submitter or presentations per presenter.
• Each submitter should receive a confirmation email upon receipt of their abstract.

Who Can Submit

All members of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and CRNAs may submit abstracts. Abstracts will be accepted from medical students who have a mentor within the department, resident physicians, graduate students, undergraduate students, clinical and/or postdoctoral fellows, research faculty, and attending physicians. Research staff may submit abstracts for presentation in conjunction with their faculty if that faculty member has multiple submissions.

Note: Resident physicians and clinical fellows who present at Research Day can satisfy their requirement for the academic component of their training. To satisfy the requirement, the abstract must not be a case report. Research abstracts must present original data generated by the presenter.

What Submission Types Are Allowed

Most submission types will be accepted. Common submission types and/or categories that are generally suitable include:

• Clinical Research
• Basic Research
• Translational Research
• Education Research
• Quality Improvement Research
• Case Reports
• Literature Review

If you feel you have research that does not fit into one of these categories or have another category inquiry, please contact Dr. DeBerry at jenniferdeberry@uabmc.edu or Dr. Wasson at eawasson@uabmc.edu before submission.

Abstract Format (for Original Research)

Abstract text must be in English. The abstract body must be 700-3,000 characters (including spaces). References do not count against the character count. Brand names are prohibited; please use generic drug names.

• Title: Define and clearly reflect the abstract content in the title.
• Author and Institution Listing: Add the presenting author, co-authors(s) and institution(s). The author and institution listing will appear in the program materials as submitted.
• Introduction: Describe the purpose of the study.
• Methods: Provide clear statements in the following areas: Research design; research setting; number of patients enrolled in the study and how they were selected (if applicable); a description of the intervention (if appropriate); and a listing of the outcome variables and how they were measured. Describe the statistical methods used for analysis.
• Results: Describe the subjects that were included and excluded from the study. List the frequencies of the most important outcome variables. If possible, present comparisons of the outcome variables between various subgroups within the study (e.g., treated vs. untreated, male vs. female).
• Conclusions: Summarize the conclusions that are supported by the data presented in the abstract and implications of the study.
• References: List references in the order in which they appear in the abstract. Cite only the name of the publication, volume, page number, and year.
• Human Subjects: Human subjects should not be identifiable. Do not disclose patients’ names, initials, hospital numbers, dates of birth, or other protected health care information. Research performed on human subjects must explicitly state that the study was approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Board (unless it is a case report, is medical quality data, or is otherwise exempt).
• Animal Subjects: Research performed in vertebrate animals must explicitly state that the study was approved by the authors’ Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee for animal research.

Abstract Format (for Case Reports)

Brand names are prohibited. Please use the generic name. References do not count against the character count.

• Title: Define and clearly reflect the abstract content in the title.
• Author and Institution Listing: Add the presenting author, co-authors(s) and institution(s). The author and institution listing will appear in the program materials as submitted.
• Case Description: Describe in 250 words the outline of the case report and why it is unique or explains a unique phenomenon. Additionally, a brief discussion of the relevant literature and new information relevant to patient care should be included.

Awards

Abstracts will be judged by qualified reviewers within the department and judged as outlined below. Two abstracts will be chosen from the pool of submitted abstracts for oral presentation during the Research Day event.

Abstract Selection Criteria (for all Abstract Types)

• Originality and Scientific Merit: Were novel concepts or approaches used? Does the abstract challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies? Does the abstract address an important problem? Was scientific knowledge advanced?
• Quality of Research Design, Data Analysis, and Conclusions: Is the study design clearly described? Are issues of reliability and validity of the measures addressed? Are the statistical analyses appropriate? Are conclusions clearly stated? How well are the conclusions justified by the data?
• Technical Writing: Is the abstract clearly written and well organized? Are there virtually no spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors?