RBC and ADS Fellows Annual Symposium
2026 Two Fields. One Stage.
VIEW PICS: 2026 UGA RBC and ADS symposium pictures
2026 Abstracts CLOSED: Submit Here
Event:
- When: Wednesday April 15th
- Where: Rhodes Animal & Dairy Science Bldg., 425 River Rd., Athens, GA
- Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Agenda 2026:
| 9:00 am – 9:50 am | Light Breakfast / Registration (lobby) |
| 9:50 am – 10:00 am | OPENING REMARKS : CHARLIZE NAKATSU |
| ORAL PRESENTATIONS I | ROOM 136, DAN DANIELS CONFERENCE ROOM |
| 10:00 am – 10:15 am | Speaker: BRUNO BATISTA DE MEDEIROS |
| 10:15 am – 10:30 am | Speaker: KENZIE ELLIS |
| 10:30 am – 10:45 am | Speaker: RUIPING TANG |
| 10:45 am – 11:00 am | Speaker: EVA SAFAIE |
| Lunch 11am – 12pm | LOBBY MAIN BUILDING 1501 |
| POSTER SESSION 12 – 2pm | 1ST FLOOR, BOTH ADS BUILDINGS |
| Break 2pm – 2:15pm | Free time |
| ORAL PRESENTATIONS II | ROOM 136, DAN DANIELS CONFERENCE ROOM |
| 2:15 pm – 2:30 pm | Speaker: YAOCHAO ZHENG |
| 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Speaker: MOIRA TABER |
| 2:45 pm – 3:00 pm | Speaker: RÉBEKA MAGALHAES DA COSTA |
| 3:00 pm – 3:15 pm | Speaker: DAVID MILLER |
| 3:15 pm – 3:20 pm | CLOSING REMARKS (HUNTER PEREZ) |
| 3:20 pm – 3:45 pm | AWARDS CEREMONY (DRS. STICE & KINDER) |
SUBMISSION & QUESTIONS
Abstract poster submission: submit here
Questions regarding the event can be addressed by Francisca Burnley.
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2026 Winners!
ORAL PRESENTATION WINNERS
1st Place – Yaochao Zheng, Ph.D. Candidate, Mentor – Yao. Title:Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Muscle-to-Brain Signaling Drives Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Progression
2nd Place (tie) – Kenzie Ellis, Ph.D. Student, Mentors – Duberstein and Hart. Title: Characterizing Skeletal Muscle Alterations in Horses with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)
2nd Place (tie) – Moira Taber, Ph.D. Candidate, Mentor – Kaiser. Title: Sexual dimorphisms in structural and functional traumatic brain injury outcomes in a pediatric piglet model
GRADUATE STUDENT POSTER PRESENTATION WINNERS
1st Place (RBC) – Charlize Nakatsu, Ph.D. Student, Mentor – West
1st Place (ADS), – Lucas Melo Goncalves, Ph.D. Candidate, Mentor – Fontes.
2nd Place (RBC), – Austin Hammond, Ph.D. Student, Mentor – Easley.
2nd Place (ADS), – Molly Smith, Ph.D. Student, Mentor – Fontes.
3rd Place (RBC) – Maria Levy, Ph.D. Student, Mentor – West.
3rd Place (ADS) – Clint Lee, Ph.D. Student, Mentor – Stelzleni.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POSTER PRESENTATION WINNERS
1st Place – Maxmilian Petropoulos, Undergraduate, Mentor – Karumbaiah. Title: Glioblastoma Spheroids Impair Vasculogenesis in a 3D Tumor-on-a-Chip
2nd Place – Wade Webb, Undergraduate, Mentor – Stice Title: Evaluating Parameters Influencing Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Manufacturing
3rd Place – Mariana Vega Aranda & Eli Hewitson, Undergraduate, Mentor – H.Liu Title: Comparative analysis of tongue morphology and taste papillae in heat-stressed and heat-protected cattle