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Wistar Trainee Research Symposium

Special Event
Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

The Wistar Institute Trainee Research Symposium is an annual all-day event showcasing academic research excellence and diversity in the Philadelphia area. Trainees who are interested in presenting their research are encouraged to submit an abstract for poster sessions. Wistar’s Trainee Association will select a few of the most exciting trainee abstract submissions to give brief talks at the Symposium. Prizes will be given to the best poster presentations by postdoctoral fellows, graduate, undergraduate, and open categories.

Keynote address
Dr. Erika Pearce, Immunology and Cellular Metabolism, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Special presentation
Dr. Ami Patel, Assistant Professor in the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center at The Wistar Institute.

Agenda
  • 8:00-9:00 am

    Registration/Breakfast

  • 9:00-9:05 am

    Welcome

  • 9:05-9:15 am

    Wistar’s Expanding Education and Training Programs
    Dr. Kristy Shuda McGuire

  • 9:15-10:00 am

    Session 1

    Sabina Hlavaty: ACSS1-dependent acetate utilization rewires mitochondrial metabolism to support AML and melanoma growth and metastasis

    SinoBiological: Sponsored Talk

    Patrick Exconde: The tetrapeptide sequence of IL-18 and IL-1b regulates their recruitment and activation by inflammatory caspases

  • 10:00-11:00 am

    Poster Session 1

  • 11:00-11:45 am

    Session 2

    Alessio Ugolini: Hypoxia-driven histone lactylation controls the function of immunosuppressive CD71+ Neutrophils in Glioblastoma

    Miltenyi Biotech: Sponsored Talk

    Genscript: Sponsored Talk

  • 11:45-12:30 pm

    Special Presentation
    Dr. Ami Patel

  • 12:30-1:30 pm

    Lunch

  • 1:30-2:15 pm

    Session 3

    Gauri Mirji: Boosting macrophage-specific BCAA oxidation enhances immune activation within the tumor microenvironment and diminishes tumor growth in pancreatic cancer

    Nikolas Kinney: Evaluating TDP-43 Dysregulated RNA Targets in Blood for Potential Biomarker Identification

    Diane Rafizadeh: Synthesis and design of macrocyclic collagen mimetic peptides for targeting the cancer-implicated DDR2 kinase

  • 2:15-3:15 pm

    Poster Session 2

  • 3:15-4:15 pm

    Keynote Address
    Dr. Erika Pearce

  • 4:15-6:00 pm

    Awards/Reception

The Wistar Institute
3601 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144