Two Research and Clinical Experience in Pathology (RaCE4Path) students, Jack Alford and Lily Kilgore, presented at the 2026 UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dale J Benos Medical Student Research Day on September 14. Alford and Kilgore tied for first place in the poster presentation competition for pathology.
RaCE4Path is an 8-week summer program that represents an innovative and unique medical education opportunity focused on growing the pipeline of first year medical students into pathology as physician-scientists. The program blends both clinical and research training in pathology for a shared-science approach to learning.
The Heersink School of Medicine Dale J Benos Medical Student Research Day celebrates the research accomplishments of medical students and provides them with the opportunity to present their projects to fellow students and faculty.
Jack Alford presented the poster “Expansion of Harm Reduction and Post-COVID Opioid Overdose Mortality: A Three-Segment Interrupted Time Series Analysis of Opioid Overdose Deaths in Jefferson County, Alabama.”
“The Race4Path summer research program was a great experience,” Alford said. “Rotating through the different pathology subspecialties opened my eyes to how integral pathologists are to nearly every medical specialty. I spent most of my time this summer in forensic pathology, which was such an awesome learning opportunity. Thinking through problems from a forensic perspective was challenging, but it really helped to solidify my understanding of anatomy and pathophysiology. My research took a similar approach by looking at a public health issue like opioid overdose through the lens of forensic data. Throughout the program, the pathology residents, fellows, and attendings acted as teachers and mentors and helped answer any questions that I had. I am so grateful to have had this experience in Race4Path, and I would highly recommend it to other students.”
Lily Kilgore presented the poster “Understanding Femicide in Jefferson County, AL: Demographic Patterns and Homicide Characteristics.”
“Participating in RaCE4Path this summer gave me the opportunity to explore forensic pathology firsthand while developing my research skills and learning more about the role of pathology in understanding and addressing patterns of violence in our community,” said Kilgore. “Presenting our work at MSRD was a great way to share what we learned and reflect on how meaningful this experience was.”