2025 Statewide Biomedical Science and Engineering Research Symposium
September 24 & 25

Thank you for attending this year’s symposium and congratulations to the ten students who received awards for outstanding posters!

  • Michael Babcock, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø
    • Increasing Rural Lung Cancer Patient Access to Precision Medicine to Improve Overall Survival
  • John Butts, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/Jackson Laboratory
    • Identifying Functional Non-Coding Variants at Scale with Models of Cis-regulatory Reporter Activity
  • Samuel Cousins, MDI Biological Laboratory
    • Understanding the Organization and Localization of Nucleolar Proteins in C. elegans
  • Cory Diemler, Ph.D. Candidate GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/Jackson Laboratory
    • The Role of Trem Family Genes in an Acute Inducible Model of Ocular Hypertension
  • Bidhi Diwedi, Graduate Student, MDI Biological Laboratory
    • Neural Crest-like Cell Trans Differentiation Underlie a New Mode of Neuronal Regeneration in the Zebrafish Retina
  • Gabriela Johnson, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/MDI Biological Laboratory
    • Development of Two Mechanistically Distinct Transgenic Axolotl Cell-Ablation Systems
  • Hilda Opoku Frempong, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/Jackson Laboratory
    • Assessing the Impact of PRDM9 Programmed DSB Sites on the Enrichment of Structural Variants Using Diverse Mouse Strains
  • Muthumeena Ramanathan, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/Jackson Laboratory
    • Investigating Morphogenesis and Cytoskeletal Polarity of Cochlear Supporting Cells
  • Courtney Willey, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/Jackson Laboratory
    • NBL1 Correlates with Renal Phenotypes in Mouse Models of Kidney Disease, but is not Causal
  • Emma Yvanovich, Graduate Student GSBSE, University of º£½ÇÉçÇø/º£½ÇÉçÇøHealth Institute for Research
    • Mouse Model of Cardiac Arrest Mimics Human Immune Response

THANK YOU TO OUR JUDGES!

  • Jacquelyn Ames
  • Eva Rose Balog
  • Greg Cox
  • Jane Disney
  • Eben Estell
  • Geoffrey Ganter
  • Anyonya Gunter
  • Hermann Haller
  • Matt Havrda
  • Gareth Howell
  • Laura Jackson
  • Qingchu Jin
  • Robert Koza
  • Ghanahshyam Kshirsagar
  • Daniel Moore
  • Katie Motyl
  • Joseph Nadeau
  • Patsy Nishina
  • Judith Roe
  • Douglas Sawyer
  • Juyoung Shim
  • Emily Spaulding
  • Jared Talbot
  • Phillip West
List of Posters Full Poster Abstracts


This year’s symposium was held Wednesday & Thursday, September 24 & 25 on the University of Southern º£½ÇÉçÇø campus in Hannaford Hall. The event was hosted by the University of º£½ÇÉçÇø – Institute of Medicine, , , , , , and .

The symposium kicked off Wednesday with speaker presentations on neuromodulation & vision (session chair Giovanna Guidoboni, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø), with lunchtime poster sessions-judging, and reconvening on metabolic factors in aging & disease (session chair Karen Houseknecht, UNE). The day ended with a banquet hosted in the McGoldrick Salon.

Thursday began with a keynote discussion on the State of Biomedical Science & Healthcare in º£½ÇÉçÇø by Drs Clifford Singer, James Jarvis, and Douglas Sawyer. Presentations throughout the day included topic areas on genetic & epigenetic influences on aging & disease (session chair Gareth Howell, JAX), skeletal & cardiac muscle (session chair Clarissa Henry, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø), with lunchtime poster sessions-judging, and reconvened on cell signaling & tissue regeneration (session chair Hermann Haller). Integrated into these themes were presentations on stem cells and tissue regeneration.

If you have any questions regarding the symposium, please email tanya.pinkham@maine.edu

We would like to remind everyone the public and social health portion of the symposium will be a part of the which will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Monday, October 27.

vENUE

University of Southern º£½ÇÉçÇø – Hannaford Hall

A warm and welcoming performance space located at 88 Bedford Street on the USM Portland campus, Hannaford Hall is an intimate 520-seat venue with 130-seat mezzanine. 

Schedule

9:30 – 9:50 Giovanna Guidoboni, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø
Mechanisms of Aging Related Macular Degeneration
9:50 – 10:05 Matthew Havrda, UNE
Inflammasome Signaling in Aging and Disease
10:05 – 10:20 Suzanne Angeli, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø
C. elegans as a Model for Inter-tissue Communication During Aging
10:20 – 10:35 Romain Madelaine, MDIBL
Sox10-derived Progenitors Transdifferentiation Underly Neuronal Regeneration in the Zebrafish Retina

10:35 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 11:00 Teena Joy, JAX
Circuit and Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Repair Post-stoke
11:00 – 11:15 Patsy Nishina, JAX
Genetic Models of Aging Related Macular Degeneration

Cross Institutional Research

11:15 – 11:35 Rai Winslow, Roux
Healthcare Enabled by AI in Real-Time
11:35 – 11:55 Christine Lary, Roux
Collaborative Aging Research in º£½ÇÉçÇø

2:30 – 2:45 Karen Houseknecht, UNE
Factors Leading to Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) in Aging
2:45 – 3:00 Michaela Reagan, MH
The Role of Adipocytes in Mediating Progression of Multiple Myeloma
3:00 – 3:15 Briana Taylor, Roux
Changing Sleep Patterns and Metabolic Health in Midlife Women

3:15 – 3:30 Break

3:30 – 3:45 Matthew Lynes, MH
Unique Endocrine and Metabolic Roles of Vascular Smooth Muscle Derived Adipocytes
3:45 – 4:00 Katherine Motyl, MH
Osteoclast Beta 1 Adrenergic Receptors Contribute to Age-related Bone Loss
4:00 – 4:15 Phillip West, JAX
Mitochondrial Control of Immunity in Disease and Aging
4:15 – 4:30 Scott Wood, UNE
Stiffness-Mediated In-Vitro Model of Aging Cartilage

State of Biomedical Science & Healthcare in º£½ÇÉçÇø

Clifford Singer, Acadia Hospital
Douglas Sawyer, MH
James Jarvis, NLH

9:30 – 9:45 Gary Churchill, JAX
Dietary Restriction Extends Lifespan in Genetically Diverse Mice
9:45 – 10:00 Joseph Nadeau, MH
Parsing Disease Complexity: A Phenotype-guided Perspective
10:00 – 10:15 Benjamin Harrison, UNE
The Alzheimer Susceptibility Locus, CD2AP in Aging and Alzheimer’s
10:15 – 10:30 Greg Carter, JAX
Genetics of Plasma Markers in Aging Marmosets
10:30 – 10:45 Kristen O’Connell, JAX
Beyond the Transcriptome Charting the Brain Lipodome in Aging & Alzheimer’s

10:45 – 11:00  Break

11:00 – 11:15 Clarissa Henry, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø
Mechanisms of Neuromuscular Development/Degeneration in Congenital Muscular Atrophies
11:15 – 11:30 Anyonya Guntur, MH
Uncovering the Mitochondrial Pathways controlling Osteoblast Activity
11:30 – 11:45 Jared Talbot, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø
Mechanisms of Muscle Development and Disruption
11:45 – 12:00 Ilka Pinz, MH
Membrane Lipid Composition Affects Caveolin Expression & Cardiac Performance

2:00 – 2:15 Lucy Liaw, MH
Perivascular Adipose & Modulation of Vascular Tone
2:15 – 2:30 Hermann Haller, MDIBL
Vascular Aging in a New Animal Model African Turquoise Killifish
2:30 – 2:45 Joshua Kelley, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø
Yeast as a Model for Cell Polarity & G Protein Signaling
2:45 – 3:00 Emily Spaulding, MDIBL
Exploring Tissue-specific Mechanisms and Requirements for Nucleolar Organization

3:00 – 3:15 Break

3:15 – 3:30 Jennifer Garcia, UNE
RNA Turnover, Phosphate Recycling & Replicative Lifespan: A New Role for RNAase T2 Enzymes in Yeast
3:30 – 3:45 Halyna Shcherbata, MDIBL
Neuropathy Target Esterase NET and Progressive Neuronal Degeneration
3:45 – 4:00 Cara Frankenfeld
Utility of Gut Microbial Metabotypes to Evaluate Gut Microbiome Functionality and Scale Data Collection for Large Observational Studies
4:00 – 4:15 Kwaku Agyekum, Uº£½ÇÉçÇø
Unraveling the Delivery and Localization of Endocytic Factors as Synapses in C. elegans

Organizing Committee

David Harder, PH. D

University Research Professor of Medicine; Director Uº£½ÇÉçÇø Institute of Medicine

Hermann Haller, MD

President, Professor, MDI Biological Laboratory
Professor, Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Hannover Medical School

Karen L. Houseknecht, PH. D

Professor of Pharmacology, Senior Associate Provost, Vice President for Research


James W. Jarvis, MD, FAAFP

Director of Clinical Education, Eastern º£½ÇÉçÇø Medical Center, Senior Physician Executive, System Incident Command, Northern Light Health

Gareth Howell, PH. D

Professor, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Chair for Glaucoma Research

Kevin Stein, PH. D

Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Population & Health Research (CIPHR); Faculty Scientist III, º£½ÇÉçÇøHealth Institute for Research (MHIR); Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine; Full Member, University of Vermont Cancer Center, Cancer Population Sciences Program

Douglas Sawyer, MD

Chief Academic Officer, º£½ÇÉçÇø Medical Center and º£½ÇÉçÇø Health, Co-Director, Myocardial Biology and Heart Failure Laboratory, º£½ÇÉçÇø Medical Center Research Institute


Raimond Winslow, PH. D

Director of Life Science and Medicine Research; Professor of Bioengineering.

Previous Symposiums

2023/2024 Symposium
2022 Symposium

Check out photos from the 2025 symposium!

Photos from Past Symposiums