Keynote Speakers:

Mayssa Mokalled, PhD

Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Mokalled’s lab aims at exploring and promoting spinal cord (SC) repair after injury or disease.

Regenerative capacity is unevenly distributed across organisms. While mammals exhibit limited abilities to repair SC damage, adult zebrafish are capable of remarkable cellular and functional regeneration after complete SC transection.

Their current research projects are focused on elucidating cellular and molecular mechanisms of glial bridging after SC transection in zebrafish. Investigating mechanisms of neurogenesis and functional repair. Also, performing comparative studies to uncover the bases for differential regenerative capacity between the highly regenerative zebrafish and poorly regenerative mouse models. The central goal of their research is to inspire and guide innovative molecular and cellular approaches for SC treatment.

Dr. Trainor is an Investigator at the Stowers Institute joining in 2001, and is a leader in the fields of craniofacial, neural crest cell, and developmental biology.

Dr. Trainor’s lab investigates the genetic and developmental programs that cause rare diseases. In particular, they focus on how disruptions in neural crest cell formation lead to congenital disorders of the head and face like Treacher-Collins Syndrome and Acrofacial Dysostosis-Cincinnati Type.

Trainor believes that rare diseases deserve the same attention and resources as more common conditions.

Dr. Rothenberg’s lab uses Drosophila embryos and human cell lines as models for studying cell adhesion and collective cell migration. Cells receive and transmit mechanical and biochemical information through contacts they make with other cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Cells must integrate this information to make decisions about their fate, including differentiation, growth, and migration.

When a group of cells migrate collectively, they can create, shape, and repair tissues. Thus, studying how cell adhesions contribute to mechanochemical signaling pathways that drive collective migration can further our understanding of many questions in human health and disease.

Dr. Radin’s lab is interested in the evolution of organellar mechanics within the green lineage.

Their current focus is the investigation of vacuolar and chloroplastic mechanosensitive ion channels from Physcomitrium patens (moss) and Arabidopsis thaliana (flowering plant). Vacuoles are by far the largest plant organelles with many vital functions, including ion and metabolite storage, maintenance of cellular osmotic potential and pH, and autophagy. And chloroplasts do not need an introduction. As sites of photosynthesis, they directly or indirectly supply food and energy for most of life on Earth.

Dr. Merkle’s lab research focuses on addressing the basic developmental and cell biological question of cell fate during animal development. Their research connects the fields of genetics, developmental biology, cancer biology and cell biology and involves the use of microscopy, molecular biology techniques (e.g., RNAi, cloning, CRISPR), gene expression analyses, and genetic and biochemical assays.

Research projects involve investigations of cell fate, cell cycle regulation, protein trafficking, and DNA damage repair using the ovary of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system. Further elucidation of these processes will allow for a better understanding of these pathways during animal development and fertility, as well as provide valuable insight into potential therapeutic targets and disease mechanisms.

Dr. Organ’s lab at IUSM studies the relationship between bone and muscle mechanics at the whole-organ level, and how tissue-level mechanisms influence whole-organ function. They utilize numerous in vivo model systems to understand how disease, exercise, and pharmaceutical intervention influence bone and muscle structure, cellular activity, and biomechanical properties.

Dr. Organ is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA) and has used this position to advocate for the importance of effective science communication and public outreach. He is also Co-Editor and Writer of the Public Library of Science (PLOS) Science Communication Blog. In 2018, Jason received the prestigious AAA Basmajian Award for excellence in teaching gross anatomy and outstanding accomplishments in biomedical research and scholarship in education.