SCORE’s annual workshop and symposium connect researchers across institutions

Augusta University’s Specialized Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) hosted its second annual workshop and symposium on sex as a biological variable (SABV) at the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine in Columbia, SC. The two-day event brought together attendees from USC, Augusta University (AU), and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) for interactive case studies, lectures featuring SABV experts, and comprehensive trainee poster presentations. In attendance were undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty, who contributed to a valuable conversation and exchange of ideas across career stages.

“I hope attendees gained an understanding of why it is important to include SABV in research and that we dispelled some of the most common excuses that are used to investigate a single sex (often males).” Fiona Hollis, PhD, faculty at USC and co-organizer of the event, commented, “This year, we tried to make the workshop more interactive by having attendees break out into groups to discuss a case study both together and with our guest speaker, Dr. Jasnow.” She emphasized the importance of these continued conversations, “When we share the statistics that even within recent studies, certain fields are still predominantly studying males, I think people find it surprising. When we can gather a group of trainees and show them data supporting these disparities, I think it automatically increases awareness, but also reinforces the need for SABV incorporation.”

Presenters highlighted the importance of SABV, emphasizing how it can enhance research quality and lead to improved outcomes across a wide range of health science disciplines. Michael Ryan, PhD, faculty member at USC and principal investigator of one of the SCORE projects, expressed his excitement about the programmatic offerings and engagement from attendees.  “The feedback we received was very positive about the quality of the presentations during the symposium. We were fortunate to have Dr. Aimee McRae-Clark as a guest speaker, and Dr. Georgia Hodes as the keynote speaker.”

In addition to the workshop and lectures, attendees also had the opportunity to engage with fellow SABV researchers at a poster session. Breanna Kennedy, a second-year Physiology PhD student at AU, had the opportunity to share her research on kidney injury. “I wanted to better understand how accounting for SABV can strengthen research, and to learn about findings that are often overlooked when sex isn’t considered,” she shared, “The workshop and symposium gave me the chance to present my own work, hear about other fascinating studies, and leave with a clearer understanding of the importance of applying SABV principles to future projects.”

By engaging researchers at all career stages through a variety of formats, SCORE continued to advance its mission of deepening both academic and community understanding of SABV in the context of life-saving research. The initiative’s expansion into South Carolina marks an exciting milestone, with next year’s workshop and symposium set to take place at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. This growing network of SABV-focused researchers will continue to drive collaboration and innovation across institutions, elevating outcomes for all.