The Life Sciences Research Symposium (LSRS) provides an opportunity for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows to present their research through oral and poster presentations, according to the general format of main scientific conferences. It is an important event to promote student excellence and collaboration among researchers across the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics and Psychology.
Life Sciences Research Symposium
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024
The Life Sciences Research Symposium provides an opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to present their research through speed talks, oral presentations and posters, according to the general format of remote scientific conferences. It is an important event to promote student excellence and collaboration among researchers in various fields of the Life Sciences.
The Life Sciences Research Symposium will take place on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 (in-person) at the D'Ambra Auditorium, Life Sciences Research Building.
We are excited to feature three distinguished guests in our keynote lectures:
- Dr. Victor Ambros, Silverman Professor of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
- Dr. Paul Turner, Rachel Carson Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University
- Dr. Nim Tottenham, Professor of Psychology, Department Chair, Columbia University in the City of New York
Past Research Symposiums
2022
Life Sciences Research Symposium XIII
Friday, January 14, 2022
See the full program and abstract booklet
2022 LSRS Awards
Outstanding Platform Talks
Lindsey Tolman, BMS
"Single-dose immune complex vaccination"
Allix Coon, Chemistry
"Diagnosis of Ménière’s Disease"
Outstanding Speed Talks
Joseph Ellis, RNA Institute
"Alternative splicing in mouse and humans"
Eduardo Peru, Psychology
"Amygdala from male and female rats"
Alexis Weber, Chemistry
"Bloodstains in crime scene conditions"
Outstanding Flashtalk
Rachel Lange, BMS
"Powassan Virus in New York State"
Scientista Awards
Outstanding Speed Talk: Alexis Weber, Chemistry
"Bloodstains in crime scene conditions"
Outstanding Selected Platform Talk: Allix Coon, Chemistry
"Diagnosis of Ménière’s Disease"
2021
Friday, January 22, 2021
See the full 2021 symposium schedule.
Award Winners
Best Flash Talk Session 1
Pearl DeVeer, Biology Department
‘Effect of NF-kB on ATF3 Activation in ZIKV Infection’
Best Flash Talk Session 2
Justin Waldern, Biology Department
‘Ribosomal RNA Modification Limits Group II Intron Retrotransposition’
Best Flash Talk Session 3
Christopher Smith, Chemistry Department
‘Coupling RT-LAMP with CRISPRCas12a for Detection of Lyme Disease’
Best Selected Ten-Minute Talk 1
Pheonah Badu, Biology Department
‘ATF3 Regulates Antiviral Response in ZIKVPR Infected Cells’
Best Selected Ten-Minute Talk 2
Ya Ying Zheng, Chemistry Department
‘Mapping and Functional Study of RNA Phosphorothioate Backbone’
Scientista Awards
Best Flash Talk
Emmanuel Edem Adade, Biology Department
‘Understanding the Spatial Structure of the Gut Microbiome in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)’
Best Selected Ten-Minute Talk
Pheonah Badu, Biology Department
‘ATF3 Regulates Antiviral Response in ZIKVPR Infected Cells’
2019
Friday, November 15, 2019
A celebration of training scientists
Assembly Hall, Campus Center
Award Winners
Best Poster - Session I
Jared Richardson, Berglund Lab (Biology/RNA Institute)
Understanding myotonic dystrophy through transcriptomic analysis of humans, mice, and zebrafish
Runners Up Best Poster - Session I
Javier Vilcapoma, Halvorsen Lab
Toward tailored biostability of DNA nanostructures
Mahera Kachwala, Yigit Lab (Chemistry)
Hybridization Chain Reaction for metal ion detection
Best Poster - Session II
Maurice Petroccione, Scimemi Lab (Biology)
Modulating excitation and inhibition in striatal medium spiny neurons: The role of glutamate transporters
Runners Up Best Poster - Session II
Ankana Naik, Forni Lab (Biology)
Smad4 mediated transcription is required to establish the somatosensory map of basal vomeronasal sensory neurons
Nicole Ralbovsky, Lednev Lab (Chemistry)
Diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using Raman Hyperspectroscopy
Rose De Guzman, Zuloaga Lab (Psychology)
The plasticity of CRFR1 within the rostral anteroventral periventricular nucleus during the postpartum period
Best Oral Presentation
Grant Ostrander, McNay Lab (Psyhology)
Novel inhibitor of GSK-3 facilitates neuronal glucose uptake: Potential therapeutics for insulin resistance and Alzheimer's Disease
Runners Up Best Oral Presentation
Joanna Medina, Workman Lab (Psychology)
Prolactin mitigates depression-like behavior associated with chronic variable stress
Serene Durham, Sammons Lab (Biology)
Deconvolution of the transcriptional response to cell stress
LSRS Winners Accept Their Awards
Pictured with Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Alex Valm, from top: Ankana Naik, Grant Ostrander, Joanna Medina, Serene Durham, Nicole Ralbovsky.
2017
Award Winners
Awards for Best Oral Presentations
Christopher Lennon, Belfort Lab (Biology)
Gaston Bonefant, Pager Lab (Biology)
Lisa Marie Ramirez, Pande Lab (Chemistry)
Vibhav Valsangkar, Sheng Lab (Chemistry)
Best Oral runner-up
Allison Catizone, Sammons Lab (Biology)
Clare Miller, Fuchs Lab (Biology )
Rachel Netzband, Pager Lab (Biology)
Zeinab Hosseini Larsen Lab (Biology)
Best Posters
John McCauley Scimemi Lab (Biology)
Danielle Kelley, Belfort Lab (Biology)
Mattew Koslow, Larsen Lab (Biology)
Justin Walden, Belfort Lab (Biology)
2016
Friday November 4, 2016
Award Winners
Awards for Best Oral Presentations (Sponsored by Krackeler)
Jennifer Lin (Forni)
Claire Muro (Lednev)
Maitreyi Upadhyay (Rangan)
Anana Naik (Forni)
Special Awards for Oral Presentation (sponsored by Sinauer and Krackeler)
Kelsey Fleming (Scimemi) Sinauer
Phensinee Haruehanroengra (Sheng) Sinauer
Danielle Kelley (Belfort) Sinauer
Rachel Cary (Pager) Krackeler
Best Posters (Sponsored by Krackeler)
Pooja Flora (Rangan)
Matthew Koslow (Larsen)
De Modhurik (Scimemei)
2015
Life Sciences Research Symposium VII
Friday, September 25, 2015
Full Life Sciences Research Symposium VII Program
The 7th annual Life Sciences Research Symposium was held on Friday September 25, 2015 in the Life Science Research Building’s D’Ambra Auditorium. This annual event is designed to facilitate communication between researchers working within the realm of life science research at the University at Albany. Researchers that are not housed in the Life Science Research Building were welcome to participate.
Event Details
General Information for Attendees
The symposium will be held on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in the D'Ambra Auditorium on the second floor of the LS Research Building. Please check your presentation time and let Mindy or Jia know of any conflicts or changes. Please plan to attend the symposium for the entire day and to be present at the starting time. The symposium program will start and end on time. Promptness and consideration for the speakers and poster presenters who have devoted a significant amount of time to the preparation of their presentations is deeply appreciated. Please turn off or mute phones during the oral presentations. Specific information for speakers, poster presenters, and judges is provided below.
Refreshments and meals
Continental breakfast will be available beginning at 8 a.m. in the atrium area of the D'Ambra Auditorium. Lunch and refreshments will be served in the same area. Feel free to take your lunch outside, to tea rooms, to second floor conference rooms (LSRB 2101 or 2094), or first floor conference rooms (LS1143 or 1144) if you prefer to sit down for lunch. Please dispose of any waste in garbage or recycling bins, as appropriate. A happy hour will be held concurrent with the Poster session from 4:15-5:45 p.m. to be followed by an awards ceremony at 5:45 p.m.
Speakers
Because we have a limited amount of time and many speakers, each presenter is asked to adhere to the time limit of 12 minutes for the presentation and 3 minutes for questions. Speakers, please plan accordingly. Presenters will be asked to stop after 15 minutes.
All speakers for the two morning sessions must load your slides into the computer in the D’Ambra auditorium between before 8:45 a.m. on Fri. Sept. 25. Similarly, all speakers for the two afternoon sessions must load your slides during the lunch break (Noon - 1 p.m.). Please do not plan to bring your own laptop. Instead bring a USB flash drive containing your files to the auditorium.
All speaker presentations must be prepared in a presentation software compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 version/Wn7 (PC compatible).
Poster presenters
Posters should be printed no larger than 42 high x 48 inches wide. Please hang up your poster on Thurs, Sept. 24 between 1-4 p.m. if you wish to be eligible for an award. Please look for your number and hang it on the appropriate board. Plan to stand by your poster during the poster session 4:15-5 p.m. (odd numbers) and 5:5:45 (even numbers). Biology students and postdocs, please contact Dave Graper to schedule a time to print your poster if you want to print it on the department printer. View the poster presenter details worksheet.
Judges
Posters will be available for judging starting at 4 p.m. on Thurs. Sept. 24, and presenters can be disqualified from awards if their poster is not available at that time. Score each poster or presentation using rubrics that will be delivered to your mailbox a week in advance of the symposium. Please plan to meet with the other judges for your session at the times indicated by the leader of your group to identify the first place winner and runner up winner for your assigned session. The head judges should provide the names of the winner and runner up for your session to Mindy Larsen before 5:15 pm on Fri. so that award certificates can be made out for the award ceremony.
Award Winners
Krackeler First Place Awards: Oral Session
Kyle Doty (Lednev Lab, Chemistry) | A Raman ‘Spectroscopic Clock’ for Bloodstain Age Determination: the First Week After Deposition
Gabrielle Todd (Agris Lab, Chemistry/Biology) | Identification of Novel Gram-positive Selective Antibiotics that Target T-box Regulatory Systems
Krackeler First Place Awards: Poster
Arun Richard Chandrasekaran (Halvorsen Lab, RNA Institute) | Label-Free Detection of Nucleic Acid Sequences Using DNA nanoswitches
Kara DeSantis (Larsen Lab, Biology) | Retinoic Acid Receptor Isoform-Specific Regulation of Cytokeratin 5-Positive Progenitor Cells
Maruda Shanmugasundaram (Lednev Lab, Chemistry) | Deconstruction of inclusion bodies and refolding of bioactive protein using archaeal chaperones
Runner Up Awards: Oral Session
Alicia McCarthy (Rangan Lab, Biology) | A Tip of the HAT to the ATAC Complex: Transcriptional Regulation During Oogenesis
Neil Robertson (Yigit Lab, Chemistry) | Enhanced miRNA Detection Using Graphene and Oligonucleotide Nanodevices
Runner Up Awards: Poster
Mustafa Balcioglu (Yigit lab, Chemistry) | Two Dimensional Nanoparticles and Oligonucleotide Assemblies for Biosensing
Stefania Bellini (Scimemi Lab, Biology) | Neuronal Glutamate Transporters Regulate Cross-Talk Between Glutamatergic and Dopaminergic Circuits
Zeinab Hosseini (Larsen Lab, Biology) | Nanofiber/Basement Membrane Scaffolds Support a ckit-Positive Salivary Epithelial Progenitor Population
2014
Life Science Research Symposium VI
Friday, December 12, 2014 | University at Albany, SUNY
See the full 2014 symposium schedule.
Award Winners
Krackeler Awards for Best Talk
Mustafa Salih Hizir (Yigit lab, Chemistry) | Simultaneous Detection of Circulating OncomiRs from Body Fluids for Prostate Cancer Staging Using Nano-graphene Oxide
Seth Pearson (Belfort lab, Biological Sciences) | Interrogating Thiazoline Ring Formation in an Engineered RecA Intein
Krackeler Awards for Best Poster
Diana Lalitsasivimol (Wagner lab, Psychology) | Aggressive behavior in progesterone receptor knock out (PRKO) mice
Elena Ryzhikova (Lednev lab, Chemistry) | Raman Spectroscopy of Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostics
Dharmacon Award for Best Poster
Neil Robertson (Yigit lab,Chemistry) | Improving the miRNA detection using DNase and nano-graphene oxide
Runner Up Awards for Best Talk
Mustafa Balcioglu (Yigit lab, Chemistry) | Smart Polymer Functionalized Graphene Nano-devices for Thermo-switch Controlled Biodetection
Leah M. Seebald (Royzen lab, Chemistry) | Design and Synthesis of Cu(II)-Based Shift Reagent for In-Cell NMR
Runner Up Awards for Best Poster
Kara DeSantis (Larsen lab, Biological Sciences) | Influence of Retinoic Acid Signaling on Innervation and Progenitor Cell Populations in the Embryonic Salivary Gland
Olga Novikova (Belfort lab, Biological Sciences) | Interaction between conjugative and retrotransposable elements in horizontal gene transfer
Dustin Trufanoff (Osuna lab, Biological Sciences) | Translational Control of dksA Involves a Structure in the 5'-Untranslated Region