Biology Department 43rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium
May 1, 2026
Undergraduate Research Symposium
The Biology Department Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium features oral presentations displaying the research contributions of undergraduates from various College of Arts and Sciences departments, including Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences, and Psychology, as well as the College of Nanoscale and Engineering, RNA Institute, New York State Department of Health and Albany Medical College.
May 1, 2026 Schedule
9 to 9:30 a.m.: Check-in, Coffee & Welcome
9:30 to 10:15 a.m.: Microbiology & Infectious Disease Presentations
Note: There will be two-minute transitions between each presentation.
| Presentation Time | Student Presenter | Mentor | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:30 to 9:35 a.m. | Sam Azadi | Cheryl Andam | Enterobacter Cloacae Complex |
| 9:37 to 9:42 a.m. | Maeve Donnelly | Stephanie Da Silva Rodrigues De Souza | Uncovering Virulence in the Human Microbiome: A Focus on Virulence Factors in Commensal Bacteria |
| 9:44 to 9:54 a.m. | Tristan Suarez | Stephanie Da Silva Rodrigues De Souza | Evaluation of Commercial Disinfectant Wipes for Removal of Escherichia coli K-12 from a Non-Porous Acrylic Surface |
| 9:56 to 10:06 a.m. | Emma Doughty | Stephanie Da Silva Rodrigues De Souza | Genomic Surveillance of Guillain-Barré Syndrome-Associated Genes in Campylobacter Isolates from Non-Human Sources |
| 10:08 to 10:13 a.m. | Ethan Palacio | Stephanie De Souza | Dissemination and Diversity of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in the Human Microbiome |
10:15 to 11:40 a.m.: Cell Biology, Molecular Disease & Therapeutics Presentations, Part 1
Note: There will be two-minute transitions between each presentation and a 15-minute break from 11 to 11:15 a.m.
| Presentation Time | Student Presenter | Mentor | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:15 to 10:20 a.m. | Jordene Wynter | Todd Gray | What's the Message? The Role of Transcription Factor EspM and its Regulation of WhiB6 in Mycobacterial Conjugal Signaling |
| 10:22 to 10:32 a.m. | Sanjida Ahmed | Dr. Ting Wang; Dr. Andy Berglund | Modified Polycyclic Compound Synthesis and Screening in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 |
| 10:34 to 10:39 a.m. | Julissa Forde | Melinda Larsen | Using antagomirs to knockdown TGFβ1-induced miRNAs driving fibrosis during Myofibroblast Transition |
| 10:41 to 10:51 a.m. | Humayra Islam Oishi | J. Andrew Berglund | Potential of Combined Small Molecule Treatment in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1) |
| 10:53 to 10:58 a.m. | Diya Mangatt | Dr. Soma Dash | Med24 Is Required for Normal Feeding Behavior in Zebrafish |
| 11:15 to 11:25 a.m. | Parmesh Thakoordial | Morgan A. Sammons, PhD | Dissecting transactivation by the ∆N-specific N-terminal domains of p63 and p73 |
| 11:27 to 11:37 a.m. | Ishaan Singh | Michelle Lennartz | Role of PKCε in Atherosclerosis explored through Macrophages. |
11:40 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Neuroscience & Behavior Presentations
Note: There will be two-minute transitions between each presentation.
| Presentation Time | Student Presenter | Mentor | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:40 to 11:50 a.m. | Meagan Leung | Maxwell Turner | Visual Fixation Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster |
| 11:55 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Peter Oloruntola | Annalisa Scimemi | Period Genes Reveal Circadian Rhythmicity in Suprachiasmatic Nucleus |
| 12:03 to 12:08 p.m. | Izabella Czajkowski | Annalisa Scimemi | Neuronal glutamate transporters encode dopamine co-release with glutamate and GABA |
| 12:10 to 12:15 p.m. | Baran Mohammadi | Annalisa Scimemi | Neuronal glutamate transporters limit dopamine release in the striatum |
12:15 to 12:45 p.m.: Cell Biology, Molecular Disease & Therapeutics Presentations, Part 2
Note: There will be two-minute transitions between each presentation.
| Presentation Time | Student Presenter | Mentor | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:17 to 12:22 p.m. | Ethan Krupa | Cara T. Pager | Development of a Zika Virus Single Cell Fluorescent Reporter |
| 12:25 to 12:30 p.m. | Winnie Ou | Dr. Yubing Xie | Evaluation of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Changes in Steroid-Induced 3D Glaucoma Models |
| 12:32 to 12:37 p.m. | Jessica Teague | Dr. Douglas Conklin | Alternative Promoter–Driven Kinase Isoforms: Implications for ABL1 Regulation and Cancer Progression |
| 12:40 to 12:45 p.m. | Lemma Khogali | Dr. Bijan K. Dey | Exploring Gene Expression Signatures in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) |
1 p.m.: Lunch
1:30 p.m.: Winners of talks announced