Norfolk native Ishan Perera, VCOM-Virginia ’25, originally thought he would be an engineer. He spent his time in high school pursuing all kinds of engineering certificates and volunteering at nearby Tidewater Community College helping to fix computers to donate to students.

Ten years ago, when Gunnar Brolinson, DO, launched VCOM’s first-ever research retreat, he didn’t know that the retreat would continue to grow—just as the College itself has. Yet, with the help of many hands across the last decade, the College recently hosted its 10th retreat, welcoming researchers from all four campuses, plus partners including government agencies, universities, and more.

Gunnar Brolinson, DO, VCOM’s vice president for research, is the principal investigator on a research project that has recently been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).