Rules and Regulations

2018 Rules and Regulations

Please note that the call for abstracts for London Health Research Day 2018 is now closed.

Please note that the LHRD rules and regulations have been updated for the 2018 event. Ensure you read through the rules and regulations carefully before submitting your abstract.

General Information & Participation Requirements
Abstract Submission Details
Abstract Submission Format
Abstract Scoring Criteria
Abstract Research Categories
Feature Platform Presentation - Guidelines
Poster Presentation - Guidelines
The Lucille & Norton Wolf LHRD Trainee Publication Awards
Contact Information
Submit Your Abstract

General Information & Participant Requirements

London Health Research Day (LHRD) 2018 will be held on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Abstract submissions for London Health Research Day are open to:

Lawson Health Research Institute trainees in the following capacities: graduate, postdoctoral scholars, residents and clinical fellows.*
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry students and/or trainees in the following capacities: graduate, residents, postdoctoral scholars, clinical fellows.
Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) trainees in the following capacities: MSc, PhD and post-doctoral scholars. This year, Faculty of Health Sciences trainees should use the LHRD online submission form to enter their abstract. Faculty of Health Sciences trainees should indicate "Faculty of Health Sciences" in the Affiliation field of the online submission form. Faculty of Health Sciences trainees must submit their abstract by the extended LHRD Abstract submission deadline of Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Submissions are not accepted after the deadline.

*Clinical fellows are eligible to submit research that is hypothesis-driven only. Chart reviews are not eligible for submission.

NOTE: Research Assistants/Associates are eligible to display a research poster for presentation purposes only. Please indicate your role as Research Assistant or Associate.

Abstract Submission Details

The deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Only one abstract may be submitted per person. The submitted abstract must represent the student/trainee’s research.

Research must be conducted predominantly at Lawson or Schulich Medicine & Dentistry.
Students who represent the Faculty of Health Sciences will be pre-selected by the Dean’s Office.
Trainees/scholars may be the first author on only one abstract.
Presentations must reflect the submitted abstract.
Please follow the requested abstract format outlined below.

The event site can accommodate up to 400 poster presentations for the day. If more than 400 poster abstracts are submitted, the abstracts will be subject to a post-submission review by the program committee to reduce the total number of poster presentations to the maximum of 400. The program committee therefore reserves the right to approach individuals regarding the inclusion of their abstract in the overall program for the day.

The LHRD Academic Committee will adjudicate all abstracts submitted, and will select the top 40 abstracts for oral presentation (feature platform presentations). Trainees must indicate a desire to participate in the oral presentations by selecting “both” or “oral” with their abstract submission.

The LHRD Academic Committee consists of members from Lawson and Schulich (students, postdocs and faculty members). The LHRD Academic Committee will conduct a full and robust review of the abstracts.

Those selected for an oral presentation will be contacted by email no less than four weeks before the LHRD event date on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Following selection of the oral presentations (40 abstracts), the next strongest abstracts (no more than 150) will be selected for the poster presentation competition.

All remaining abstracts up to a total of 400 presentations will be invited to present at LHRD, but will not be entered into the poster award competition.

Trainees/Scholars entered into the poster competition will not be notified in advance. All posters presenters must come prepared with a two-minute pitch.

You must submit your abstract by Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The online system will not accept new submissions beyond this date and time, and no late submissions will be accepted.

Abstract Submission Format

All abstract submissions must not exceed 3500 characters, including spaces and headings (Introduction, Hypothesis, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion and Conclusions). Your name, title, supervisor, role and authors will not be included in the total abstract count. Submissions must be text based only. Images will not be accepted.
All abstracts are to be submitted online using a standardized format including five main headings. You MUST include the following sections in order to qualify for submission:

Introduction
Hypothesis
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion and Summary

In addition to the abstract the submission must also include a clear statement of the role that the submitting author had in the generation of the data that will be presented.
The online system contains mandatory fields such as: trainees’/scholars’ full name; work email; organizational affiliations; area of research; abstract title; author names; and name(s) of supervisor(s).
All abstracts should be targeted to a general scientific audience comprised of basic and clinical researchers.
Trainees/scholars must clearly identify which part(s) of the research project is their own work, and which part(s) were previously completed by other individuals. For presentation purposes, trainees/scholars will be asked to present only work they completed themselves.

Abstract Scoring Criteria

The pre-judging committee will review and score submitted abstracts based on the following criteria, for a total of 40 potential points:

Title (out of 2)
Introduction, clearly stating background for study (out of 5)
Clear rationale for studies (out of 4)
Clearly stated hypothesis and objectives (out of 4)
Clearly stated methods, study design and statistical analysis (out of 10)
Results presented in systematic, logical way (out of 5)
Overall impression (out of 5)
Clearly stated objectives to address research questions; methods appropriate to meet objectives; results aligned with objectives (out of 5)

Only original trainee work will be considered for judging.

Abstract Research Categories

Two different methods will be used simultaneously to determine research categories, for comparison purposes to determine the best practice for future years. The goal is to provide an opportunity for trainees/scholars to more accurately identify their research category, and for the planning committee to group abstracts into categories in a more holistic manner and better assign judges when scoring abstracts and oral presentations.

As part of the submission process, there will be selection options for two different groupings of research categories:

Primary research category from Group 1
Primary research category from Group 2

By using the two different groupings, the LHRD Academic Committee can identify the best breakdown of categories for judging and student participation, based on the abstracts submitted each year.

Research Categories

Group 1:

Cancer Biology
Circulatory
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Fetal, Family Development
Infection and Immunity
Medical Physics, Engineering and Imaging
Molecular Cellular
Musculoskeletal Health and Rehabilitation
Neuroscience
Mental Health and Wellness
Population Health and Education
Transplantation, Biomedical Devices and Surgery
Translational Research

Group 2:

Mechanisms of disease - E.g. lab or clinical evidence of how a disease is caused or mitigated. For example, Clostridium difficile toxin production; Inflammatory processes; epigenetics.
Determinants of health - E.g. what key factors have influenced the health status of the person. For example, poverty and malnutrition of mother during pregnancy and effect on the infant; genetic risk.
Prevention of diseases and health conditions and promotion of well-being - E.g. what specific factors were studied that prevent a disease or promote well-being of a person, or which show promise in vitro or in vivo. For example, exercise and dietary controls to prevent gestational diabetes; prevention of cognitive loss
Advances in structural and physiological treatment of disease and therapeutic intervention (includes surgery, drugs and other advances) - E.g. this should include evidence that the advances occur in humans. For example, novel personalized joint replacement; drugs tested against patient samples prior to administration to optimize effect; personalized medicine.
Detection, screening and diagnosis of health and disease - E.g. describes a novel methodology or evidence of functionality of an existing system. For example, new imaging methods; genetic tests; metabolomics.
Early life programming and development - Includes physiology and assessment of the fetus and newborn as it develops (could be imaging, microbiome, immune etc), and factors affecting the mother (drugs, nutrition, microbes etc). E.g. animal studies showing generational effects; nutritional intervention;, imaging tools; vascular studies showing organ development.
Advancing health services provision and health policy - E.g. what research data has been provided and tested, or disseminated and incorporated into policy documents at local, national or international level. For example, programs to manage mental health patients; antibiotic management of hospital patients; new strategies of triage in emergency departments.
Population and public health - E.g. how has (or might) your research affected specific populations and/or the wider health of the public, and what evidence supports this? For example, impact of flu vaccine or probiotic use on respiratory infection outcomes; support for caregivers of patients with debilitating conditions; the effect of environmental chemicals on pregnancy or cognitive development in children.

Feature Platform Presentation - Guidelines

For those selected to give an oral presentation, guidelines are as follows:

The presentation must be on your own research and must be conducted predominantly at Lawson Health Research Institute or the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Please ensure you give credit where credit is due by identifying which part(s) of the project were previously completed by other individuals.
The presentation must reflect the submitted abstract.
The Background, Purpose, Hypothesis/Problem Identification, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion should be emphasized.
We strongly recommend you tailor your presentation so that it is delivered in language that is easily understood by an audience composed of basic and clinical researchers, not just for those within your area of expertise.
Presentations are allotted 10 minutes for delivery and 3-5 minutes for a question and answer period.

Presenters will be randomly divided into four presentation areas and compete against the other presenters in their room.

View a sample evaluation form for Feature Platform Presentations.

Presentations will be judged by a panel of three judges based on the following criteria, for a total of 100 potential points:

Mechanics (out of 25) – volume, pace, articulation, slide quality, appropriateness, ability to use audiovisual equipment, effectively organized slides
Content (out of 50)
- Did the presentation include an introduction, hypothesis, purpose and a conclusion?
- Did the conclusion address the hypothesis?
- Was the overall concept and importance of the research understandable by a general scientific audience?
- Was the work presented completed primarily by the trainee him/herself? Did he/she specify which part(s) of the project were completed prior to his/her contribution?
- Was the presentation clear?
- What was the overall impression given by the presentation?
- Was there a clear direction towards future research?
- Was all content explained?
Questions (out of 25) – Was the trainee/scholar able to answer and interpret questions carefully, effectively and concisely?

First place prizes will be awarded to the top-scoring presentations in each seminar room for each session (eight awards in total). Winners will receive a cash award in the amount of $650.

Poster Presentation - Guidelines

Poster Presentation– Judging Guidelines

Two judges will evaluate each poster selected for the poster competition (up to 150 posters will be evaluated). Each judge will have approximately ten minutes to review and evaluate the poster, and to coordinate any discussion. Students are expected to prepare a two-minute pitch to provide an overview of their research.

Posters will be judged on the following criteria, for a total of 100 potential points:

Appearance – appropriate font size; well-organized; good use of graphics; good use of colour
Content – Is the title clearly displayed? Does the poster include an introduction, hypothesis, purpose and a conclusion? Does the conclusion address the hypothesis? Is the conclusion clearly supported by results? Is the overall concept and importance of the research understandable by a general scientific audience? Was the work completed primarily by the trainee/scholar him/herself?
Presentation/Questions – Was the two-minute pitch well organized and concise? Did it indicate a clear understanding of the research? Was the trainee/scholar able to interpret and answer questions carefully and effectively? Did the trainee/scholar demonstrate enthusiasm?

View a sample evaluation form for Poster Presentations.

Certificates will be awarded in each of the eight categories based on the number of posters submitted.

LHRD Poster Passport Program

The “passport” system is being continued for the second year. This system encourages all guests and participants to visit different posters, engage with presenters and provide valuable feedback on the posters and presentations. Trainees/scholars will now be visited by many guests. Poster presenters may also be evaluated by two poster judges if they have been selected for poster judging. Please be prepared to give your presentation many different times (to different audience members).

The goal is for trainees/scholars to have several opportunities to practice and refine your presentation skills, and interact with colleagues from different research areas.

All students and trainees participating in LHRD can visit different posters in an attempt to fill their passport. Completed Poster Passports for the morning and afternoon sessions will be entered into a draw for great prizes. Winners will be announced at the Networking and Awards Reception by random draw. Please note that you must be present at the Networking and Awards Reception in order to claim your prize. If your name is drawn and you are not present, organizers will redraw.

*Trainees must have two different types of presentations ready: general scientific and layperson (general non-scientific).

Guidelines for Poster Passports

Each poster presenter will be given ten stickers at registration.
When a visitor goes to a poster, the presenter will give a 2-3 minute overview (elevator pitch) of their research. If a presenter is unsure which presentation to give (general scientific or layperson), please ask the visitor about their work and background in the area.
The visitor must ask at least one relevant question. They are also encouraged to provide feedback on the poster and presentation.
In return, the poster presenter gives the visitor a sticker for the Poster Passport.
When the Poster Passport is filled with five stickers, it can be entered into the prize draw.
Only trainees/scholars presenting at LHRD may compete in the Passport system for prizes. Poster presenters can fill up their own passport after they have handed out all ten of their stickers.

Guidelines for Poster Presentations

Posters (with the title banner included) must not exceed 4 feet wide by 4 feet high. The poster display board will be 4’ high by 8’ wide, with two posters on each side of each display board.
Posters should be targeted to a general scientific audience, including both basic and clinical researchers, as well as a layperson (general non-scientific) audience.
Invited poster presenters are expected to prepare a 2-3 minute elevator pitch to provide an overview of their research. You must be able to tailor your presentation for both scientific/academic and layperson (general non-scientific) audiences.
Posters should be appealing and interesting. Poster presenters are encouraged to plan well and practice your delivery.
Each poster presenter will receive ten stickers to give out to LHRD participants as they visit your poster.
In order to give out a sticker, you must do the following:
- Give the 2-3 minute overview of your research (scientific or layperson)
- Answer at least one relevant question posed to you by the person requesting a passport sticker.

Once you have handed out ten stickers for your poster presentation, you are free to visit other posters in your session and complete a Poster Passport yourself. You’re also encouraged to visit the other poster session (morning or afternoon) to fill out a second passport, increasing your chances of winning a prize.

*Please note that guests and other participants will be encouraged to provide you with feedback on your poster and presentation.

*Completed Poster Passports must have 5 stickers.

*There will be formal judging of up to 150 poster presentations.

The Lucille & Norton Wolf London Health Research Day Trainee Publication Awards

Please note the submission deadline for The Lucille & Norton Wolf London Health Research Day Trainee Publication Awards has been extended to Friday, April 6 at 4:00 p.m.

Thanks to the personal generosity of Lucille and Norton Wolf, we are pleased to issue a call for The Lucille & Norton Wolf London Health Research Day Trainee Publication Awards. These awards will be announced at London Health Research Day on Thursday, May 10, 2018 at the London Convention Centre. Up to four awards will be given to recognize the top-scoring publication submissions. Cash awards will be given in the amount of $1,000 for each of the prizes awarded (up to four).

These awards have been created to recognize the outstanding research discoveries of trainees, postdoctoral scholars, medical residents and clinical fellows of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry working in labs across Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, including Robarts Research Institute, or in labs at Lawson Health Research Institute.

*Please note that undergraduate students are not eligible to participate.

The awards will be provided to the top-scoring (up to four) trainee peer-reviewed publications that have appeared in press from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. All trainees and students as described above are eligible to apply. To do so:

The trainee must be participating in the 2018 London Health Research Day through a poster or feature platform presentation.
The trainee must be first author on the publication and have contributed significantly to both the research and the writing of the manuscript.
To apply: a full copy of the published manuscript must be submitted along with a maximum 300 word description prepared by the first author trainee describing why the publication is of significant merit; their contributions to the study and the publication; and generally why the publication is worthy of consideration for one of these awards.
Publications submitted last year for the period January 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017 are not eligible for resubmission.
Submitted publications and the descriptions of their impact will be adjudicated by the London Health Research Day Academic Committee.
All submissions must be sent to sheila.fleming@lawsonresearch.com and received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2018.

Contact Information

Questions?
Contact Janelle Pritchard at jpritch7@uwo.ca or 519.661.2111 ext. 80389 or Sheila Fleming at sheila.fleming@lawsonresearch.com or 519.646.6100 ext. 64672.

Submit your abstract