Life Sciences Research Symposium

Life Sciences Research Symposium

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 (in-person) at the D'Ambra Auditorium, Life Sciences Research Building

The Life Sciences Research Symposium brings together researchers in UAlbany and the capital region to discuss recent progress in their research programs and foster interdisciplinary collaborations. The symposium provides a platform for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to present their research through oral presentations and posters, with awards given for the best presentations.

Our three distinguished keynote speakers
 

Dr. Elisa Franco
Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, UCLA
Topic: "Programmable artificial RNA condensates in mammalian cells”

Dr. Andrea Brand
Frederick L. Ehrman Professor of Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Professor, Department of Neuroscience at NYU Grossman School of Medicine as well as Chair, Department of Cell Biology
Topic: “Genetic networks regulating neural stem cell behavior”
 

Dr. Victor Ambros
Nobel Laureate
Silverman Professor of Natural Sciences and Professor, Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical College
Topic: “Genetic networks controlling developmental timing in C. elegans”

Thursday, November 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 took place on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 (in-person) at the D'Ambra Auditorium, Life Sciences Research Building.

Our three distinguished keynote speakers

• Victor Ambros, Silverman Professor of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
• Paul Turner, Rachel Carson Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University
• Nim Tottenham, Professor of Psychology, Department Chair, Columbia University in the City of New York

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"

Life Sciences Research Symposium

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’

Life Sciences Research Symposium

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 (Psychology)
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.

Life Sciences Research Symposium

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)

Life Sciences Research Symposium

Friday November 4, 2016
 

Award Winners

Awards for Best Oral Presentations (Sponsored by Krackeler)

• Jennifer Lin, Forni Lab
• Claire Muro, Lednev Lab
• Maitreyi Upadhyay, Rangan Lab
• Anana Naik, Forni Lab

Special Awards for Oral Presentation (sponsored by Sinauer and Krackeler)

• Kelsey Fleming, Scimemi Lab, Sinauer
• Phensinee Haruehanroengra, Sheng Lab, Sinauer
• Danielle Kelley, Belfort Lab, Sinauer
• Rachel Cary, Pager Lab, Krackeler

Best Posters (Sponsored by Krackeler)

• Pooja Flora, Rangan Lab
• Matthew Koslow, Larsen Lab
• De Modhurik, Scimemei Lab

Life Sciences Research Symposium

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.

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

Life Sciences Research Symposium

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