Symposium Schedule
Thursday, October 30, 2025
9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
Stella Goulopoulou, PhD
Chair, Basic Sciences Symposium Organizing Committee
Tamara Thomas, MD
Dean of Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Penelope Duerksen-Hughes, PhD
Associate Dean, Basic Science and Translational Research
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 AM - ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS: TRAINEE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Chairs:
Rameshwar Patil, PhD
Associate Professor, Basic Sciences, Neurosurgery, Cancer Sciences
Julio Sierra, MS
PhD Candidate, Basic Sciences, - Neuroscience, Systems Biology, and Bioengineering
Roundtable Topics & Facilitators:
- Effective Scientific Communication
Kerby C. Oberg, MD, PhD, The S.H. Crooks Professor of Anatomy, Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy
- How to Prepare a Strong Resume for Non-Academic Positions
Paul Vallejos, PhD, Senior Manager, Medical Science Liaison
- Networking for Career Success
Ryan Fuller, PhD, Assistant Professor, California Baptist University
- Building a Competitive and Effective CV
Carlos Casiano, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Medicine
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Flash Talk Presentations
Chairs:
Salma Khan, MD, PhD
Associate Research Professor, Basic Sciences, Biochemistry, Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine
Jeanyoung Kim, MS
PhD Candidate, Department of Pathology & Human Anatomy
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch
Patty Beltran, Coordinator
11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - Vendor Show
Chairs:
Patty Beltran, Coordinator
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. - Poster Presentation and Judging
Chairs:
Isaac Kremsky, PhD
Assistant Professor, Basic Sciences, Biomedical Engineering Science
Christian Hurtz, PhD
Assistant Professor, Basic Sciences, Cancer Sciences
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Odd Numbered Posters
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Even Numbered Posters
2:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. - Focused Research Talks
Chairs:
Julia Unternaehrer, PhD
Associate Professor, Basic Sciences, Biochemistry
Ubaldo Soto, PhD
Associate Professor, Basic Sciences, Microbiology
Research Talks:
Erik Behringer, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Neurovascular Insights into the Aging Brain & Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
Johnny Figueroa, PhD
Associate Professor of Physiology
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Hormones, Stress, and the Teenage Brain: Understanding Sex Differences in Eating Behavior and Obesity Risk
Nataliia Hula, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Sterile inflammation and cardiovascular complications during pregnancy
Ed van Veen, PhD
Adjunct Professor and Vice Chair of Postdoctoral Affairs
UCLA
Heterogeneity of estrogen response across the hypothalamus
3:50 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Break
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Raymond Ryckman Endowed Lectureship
Chair:
Stella Goulopoulou, MS, PhD
Associate Professor, Basic Sciences, Lawrence D. Longo MD Center for Perinatal Biology
Keynote:
Targeting the gut to improve brain health after ischemic stroke
Farida Sohrabji, PhD,
Department Head and Regents Professor, Dept. of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Director, Women’s Health in Neuroscience Program
Texas A & M University, Naresh K. Vashisht, College of Medicine
5:00 p.m.– 5:15 p.m. - Poster Winners & Closing Remarks
Isaac Kremsky, PhD
Christian Hurtz, PhD
Stella Goulopoulou, MS, PhD
5:15 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Networking Session
Facilitators:
Vivien Mao, MD
Research Professor, Basic Sciences, Biomedical Engineering Science
Olivia Francis-Boyle, PhD
Assistant Professor, Basic Sciences, Microbiology, Pathology & Human Anatomy