CARTI Ignites Innovation at First-Ever Research Spark Session

On August 6^th, three UMB faculty members participated in the inaugural Research Spark Session, hosted by CARTI and designed to help faculty refine emerging research ideas for upcoming grant applications.

Drs. Elizabeth Dennis (SOM), Se-Lim Oh (SOD), and Kristen Stafford (SOM) each presented a three-minute lightning talk on their proposed projects in front of an audience and received real-time feedback from a panel of senior research leaders.

Elizabeth Dennis, PhD, RD, discussed studying the impact of addressing malnutrition in critically ill patients on improving recovery.

Se-Lim Oh, DMD, MS, discussed studying the relationship between oral health and glycemic control in adults with diabetes. 

Kristen Stafford, PhD, MPH, discussed studying lifestyle interventions to improve outcomes for people living with HIV in Botswana. 

 “I appreciated the feedback and discussion from the panel of established investigators that I believe will help strengthen my project. It was very helpful having experts from outside my own field review my project like they were reviewing a NIH grant because they provided perspectives that I hadn't considered.” says Dr. Dennis.

The expert panel had similarly positive reviews of the event.

“I’m so pleased that my senior colleagues are willing to take the time to help faculty members fine tune their research ideas. Oftentimes the science is solid but the proposal needs more clarity, focus, and better readability.” says E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, the Director of CARTI. “We look forward to providing this opportunity again in the future.”

Other panelists included Claire Fraser, PhD, James Kaper, PhD, Jay Magaziner, PhD, MSHyg, and Stuart Martin, PhD.

Following the hour-long program, participants, panelists, and attendees stayed around to network and further discuss research and ideas.

Ready to spark your next research idea?

Apply for our next upcoming Research Spark Session on February 25, 2026 at 9am. Come share your new ideas, gain valuable insight, and elevate your next grant application.

To participate, you must be a full-time UMB faculty member and have a well-developed research question based on prior work in the field. Apply by submitting your CV and a draft specific aims page of your new project by January 30, 2026 (12pm) to umsomcarti@som.umaryland.edu. Presenters will be chosen based on the maturity of the proposed work.