RCSI Bahrain has announced the top three winners of its Research Summer School – Research Review Competition 2022, held under the guidance of the School of Postgraduate Studies and Research with the aim of introducing RCSI Bahrain undergraduates to the world of research.

The first place prize winners for the Research Review 2022 Competition, Ms Sania Shabbir, Ms Emaan Khurram, Ms Vedhika Moorthi and Mr Youssef Eissa for their review titled ‘The Interplay Between Androgens and the Immune Response in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome’, who were mentored by Dr Alexandra Butler, RCSI Bahrain Senior Research Fellow and Dr Mohammad Kamal, former RCSI Bahrain Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Winners of the second place prize are Mr William Junior Khalil, Ms Meriem Akeblersane and Ms Ana Khan for their review titled ‘Environmental pollution and risk of developing metabolic disorders: Obesity and diabetes’, and were mentored by Dr Butler and Dr Abu Saleh Moin, RCSI Bahrain Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The winners of the third place are Ms Prianna Menezes and Ms Isabell Lawrence, for their review titled ‘Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the physicians’ psychological health; a scoping systematic review’, who were mentored by Ms Shaista Salman, RCSI Bahrain Professionalism Lecturer and Professor Fiza Rashid-Doubell, former RCSI Bahrain Associate Professor in Physiology.

Professor Stephen Atkin, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies and Research, commented, “Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 Research Review Competition for their outstanding efforts and taking steps towards becoming future researchers and healthcare leaders. With research being a core pillar of RCSI Bahrain, we encourage our students to get involved in research early on in their academic journey to develop their research skills and boost their learning experience.”

As part of the Research Review Competition, all students from the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing and Midwifery are invited individually or in groups, to submit a research review on a topic of their choice. Students are provided with training and resources by the University’s Library as well as mentorship by RCSI Bahrain academics, alumni and external academics. The top three winners of the Research Review Competition receive monetary rewards along with a Certificate of Participation, and all students who submit research reviews receive letters of commendation.