TTU Amarillo students, researchers share findings, ideas at inaugural symposium
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and the TTU School of Veterinary Medicine (TTUSVM) held a symposium with more than 100 student and trainee researchers Friday at its Student Research Day held at the veterinary school's campus in Amarillo.
This year was the first time that both schools have come together to give recognition to the amazing research being done on the campus.
“Previously, individual schools were provided opportunities to present their work; this year, the research offices at both TTU and TTUHSC have supported the planning of this campus-wide event that included all of the schools in Amarillo,” TTUHSC Assistant Vice President of Research Christine Garner, Ph.D., said. “We are excited for this event to bring us all together, foster connection, learn from each other and open up more opportunities for research collaborations.”
During this event, research accomplishments of students, residents, and faculty of respective fields of study made poster and oral presentations highlighting their work.
Bailey Samper, a PhD candidate in the One Health Sciences program, spoke about the event and the importance of collaboration.
“A number of graduate students and other researchers are here to present their research,” Samper said. "It is really just a great opportunity to get together and share all the thoughts and new ideas that are being generated out of Texas Tech in Amarillo.”
Samper emphasized that at the university, there is a remarkably diverse portfolio of research done on campus day and night.
“It's gratifying to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition at such a great event like this,” Samper added.
Samper has been hired as an assistant professor at WT, with most of her research so far being focused on animal health economics. Her presentation at the symposium focused on the capability of consumers' beliefs to be influenced about organic and conventional beef production and looking at how it affects their willingness to pay for ground beef.
“Not everyone responds to information the same way,” Samper said. "It is interesting to see which type of people take in new information and update their views and beliefs about the world. Some people process and interpret that differently, which leads to interesting results in willingness to pay more. It is always fun to do research with human subjects, because you always get some interesting and surprising results.”
With this symposium, Samper feels that it is a wonderful way to learn about what other researchers are doing, to be able to broaden their perspectives to advance health in the community and the planet.
“Knowing that each little incremental step, no matter how difficult, is ultimately going to help that industry that I care so deeply about, makes it worth it in the end,” Samper added.
Heidi Villalba, an assistant professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, spoke about the event and its importance in collaborating on research.
“I am here to interact with our students to get to know what their research is about across disciplines and see how we can collaborate together,” Villalba said. “As a former student who did training here at the School of Pharmacy, we did not have such events to bring in both veterinary medicine and the Health Sciences Center, so now, as a faculty member, I can see our students interact. I am incredibly happy to see our student and veterinary physicians coming together to showcase the research happening in the Texas Panhandle.”
Villalba emphasized that these groups working together is the key to being able to advance animal and human health sciences.
“With our initiative here at the School of Veterinary Medicine, we are looking at the intersection of human health, animal health, and the environment and how they all relate and work together," Villalba added.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Ideas, findings shared at TTU Amarillo Research Symposium
