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Meeting Registration Grants You Access to ALL Zoom Sessions

Meeting Registration Grants You Access to ALL Zoom Sessions

Pathobiology for Investigators, Students, and Academicians (PISA)
Young Investigators Virtual Meeting

ALL Session Times are Eastern Standard Time (ET)

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Click on the links below to go directly to that day's program information 

Tuesday   |   Wednesday   |   Thursday  

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 

12:30 - 12:45 PM
Welcome to the PISA 2025 Virtual Meeting
Pilar Alcaide, PhD, ASIP President
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine

Organizers
Sarah Dooley, PhD • Medical University of South Carolina 
Maria Antonia Zambrano, BS • Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

SESSION 1 - AI Driven Insights and Novel Approaches in Understanding Human Pathology
12:45 - 2:15 PM
Moderators: Lu Huang • Harvard Medical School
Anna Tingler, BS • Medical University of South Carolina  

Session Description: This session highlights advanced methodologies that combine artificial intelligence, multi-omics, and bioengineering to advance the study of human pathology. Presentations will cover deep learning–enabled cancer stratification, innovative diagnostic platforms, organoid models replicating tissue responses, and regenerative bio-inks. Collectively, these approaches yield mechanistic insights and inform the development of improved diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
Lu Huang      Anna Tingler
SESSION 2 - Biomarker Discovery and Therapeutic Advances in Women's Cancers
2:15 - 3:15 PM
Moderators: Christine Wei • Michigan State University
Francisco Carrillo-Salinas, PhD • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Session Description: This session showcases advances in biomarker discovery and therapeutic innovation for women’s cancers. Topics include predictors of breast cancer metastasis, genomic profiling to guide therapy in ovarian and endometrial cancers, AI-driven drug discovery for triple-negative breast cancer, and stromal pathways shaping immune responses in ovarian cancer.
Christine Wei      Francisco Carrillo-Salinas

3:15 - 3:20 PM
BREAK

Special Session: Uncovering the Role of DCLK1 in HGSOC Pathophysiology
3:20 - 4:00 PM
Moderator: Cole Hladik, MSc • University of Oklahoma Sciences Center

Session Description:  Epithelial ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) accounting for over 75% of cases and representing the most lethal subtype. Standard first-line treatment involves cytoreductive surgery combined with platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy, followed by targeted maintenance therapy in select patients. However, 60–80% of patients relapse within 12–18 months due to the development of chemoresistance. Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1), a serine/threonine kinase has been implicated in malignant progression, metastasis, stemness, drug resistance, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in multiple cancers. Despite these findings, the role of DCLK1 in HGSOC pathophysiology, chemotherapeutic response, and recurrence remains largely unexplored.
Cole Hladik
  • 3:20 - 3:50 PM
    DCLK1 as a Mediator of Chemoresistance and Recurrence in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
    Samrita Dogra, PhD • The University of Oklahoma Health Campus
  • 3:50 - 4:00 PM
    Q&A
SESSION 3 - Microbes, Metabolites, and Models of Diseases
4:00 - 5:15 PM
Moderators: Carla Martinez, BS • Medical University of South Carolina
Oluwashanu (Anu) Balogun, PhD • University of Pittsburgh

Session Description: This session brings together diverse perspectives on how microbial activity and host responses shape health. Topics range from bacterial oxygen depletion in wounds to metabolite production in the neonatal gut and cross-feeding that prolongs C. difficile infection.  Complementary studies explore new models for pediatric hepatic encephalopathy and gestational diabetes. Together, these talks highlight mechanisms at the interface of microbiology, metabolism, and medicine.
Carla Martinez      Anu Balogun
SESSION 4 - Molecular and Therapeutic Insights into Retinal Degeneration
5:15 - 6:00 PM
Moderators: Joseph Maggiore, PhD • University of Pittsburgh
Maria Antonia Zambrano, BS • Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Session Description: This session examines how immune dysregulation and vascular remodeling drive retinal degeneration. Presentations include novel strategies to preserve visual function by restoring immune balance, blocking endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis, and mapping synergistic cytokine networks that shape endothelial dysfunction in age-related macular degeneration.
Joseph Maggiore       Maria Antonia Zambrano
  • 5:15 - 5:30 PM
    ABSTRACT 016 - Unraveling Transcriptomic Crosstalk of Inflammatory and Angiofibrotic Cytokines in Primary Human Retinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells
    Fergus C. McLellan1, Kelvin Huang1, Michele C. Madigan1,2, Yichuan G. Liang3, Andrew J.R. White1,3, Pei Qin Ng4, Pete A. Williams5, and Daisy Y. Shu1
    1School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 2Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 3Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 4Department of Plant Science, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK; 5Division of Eye and Vision, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, St. Erik Eye Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
  • 5:30 - 5:45 PM
    ABSTRACT 017 - Immune Homeostasis Re-establishment by IGFBPL1 Preserves Retinal Function in Experimental Dry AMD
    Lu Huang1,2, Anton Lennikov2, Farris Elzaridi2, Wai Lydia Tai2, Kin-Sang Cho2, Ajay Ashok2, Grace Coyne2, Karen Chang2, Hio Tong Kam2, Qingfeng Li1, and Dong Feng Chen2
    1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
  • 5:45 - 6:00 PM
    ABSTRACT 018 - Targeting Angiogenesis and EndMT in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Therapeutic Potential of VAS2870
    Yuting Jin1, Michele C. Madigan1, Peter R. Wich2, Tushar Kumeria3, and Daisy Y. Shu1 
    1School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 2School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 3School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

6:00 PM
Closing Remarks/Meeting Adjournment

 

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

SESSION 5 - Therapeutic Modulation in Liver Disease
12:35 - 1:50 PM
Moderators: Tyler Yasaka, BS • University of Pittsburgh
Carlos Matellan Martin, PhD • University College, Dublin

Session Description: This session will provide important insights into novel and innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting liver injury, fibrosis, and metabolic dysfunction. These talks will span molecular targets and pharmacologic interventions that reprogram hepatocyte and cholangiocyte responses, restore cellular homeostasis, and improve regenerative capacity in chronic and acute liver diseases. These findings will offer critical insights into mechanisms, preclinical evidence for therapeutic modulation of liver disease, and offer promising avenues for translation into patient care.
Tyler Yasaka       Carlos Matellan Martin
  • 12:35 - 12:50 PM 
    ABSTRACT 019 - The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor MS-275 Mitigates Hepatobiliary Injury by Maintaining Cell Quiescence and Metabolic Reprogramming in a Murine Model of Cholestatic Liver Disease
    Tony (Chun-Cheng) Chiang1,3, Donghun Shin2,3, and Kari Nejak-Bowen1,3
    1Organ Pathobiology and Therapeutics Institute, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA; 2Center for Integrative Organ Systems, Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA; 3Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
  • 12:50 - 1:05 PM 
    ABSTRACT 020 - Dysbiosis in the Gut-Liver Axis is Associated with Low Bone Mass During Murine Cholestasis
    Brooke Hutchison1, Jamie Forsnaglio2, Pam Cornuet1, Fu-Ying Qin3, Xiaochao Ma3, Kari Nejak-Bowen1, and Matthew D. Carson1
    1Organ Pathobiology and Therapeutics Institute, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA; 2Department of Biology, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA; 3School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1:05 - 1:20 PM
    ABSTRACT 021 -  Role of DEK as a Cell Death Switch Molecule in Liver Fibrosis
    Ramsey Rohner, Kamal Baral, Leah Spade, Haitao Zhang, and Bilon Khambu
    Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
  • 1:20 - 1:35 PM
    ABSTRACT 022 - Beta-Catenin Regulates Autophagy in Acute Hepatic Porphyria
    Anu Balogun and Kari Nejak-Bowen
    Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1:35 - 1:50 PM
    ABSTRACT 023 - TET1 Guards Against the Development of Alcohol-Associated Liver Fibrosis
    Muhammad Azhar Nisar1,2,*, Hongze Chen1,4,*, Kevin Cao3, Xinjin Li1,2, Shaolei Lu5, Zhaoli Sun11, Brandon James Peiffer11, Xiao-Ming Yin1, Wenke Feng9, Tung-Sung Tseng6, Hui-Yi Lin6, Peng-Sheng Ting8, Wei-Ting Lin10, Tomilola Olaolu1, Zhijin Wu8, Shang Wu1, Layla Schechner1, Jenna Copes1, Sonali Notani1, Xuewei Bai3,4, and Chiung-Kuei Huang1,2
    1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA; 2Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY; 3Liver Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Research Center, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; 4Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China; 5Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; 6School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center; 7Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI; 8Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA; 9Department Structural Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA; 10Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA; 11Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; *co-first authors
SESSION 6 - Genetic Models Revealing Mechanistic Pathways in ECM Organization, Hormone Signaling, Stress Response, and Multi-Organ Biology
1:50 - 2:50 PM
Moderators: Sarah Dooley, PhD • Medical University of South Carolina
Zoe Libramento, BS • University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Session Description: Discover how cutting-edge genetic models are unraveling the mechanisms that drive extracellular matrix organization, hormone signaling, stress response, and multi-organ development. From rare connective tissue disorders to cardiovascular health, kidney disease, and hormone–immune interactions, this session showcases innovative approaches revealing pathways with broad implications for human health and disease.
Sarah Dooley       Zoe Libramento

2:50 - 3:00 PM
BREAK

Special Session - Trails, Tribulations, and Triumphs: Non-Traditional Paths to Scientific Success
3:00 - 3:30 PM
Moderators: Oluwashanu (Anu) Balogun, PhD • University of Pittsburgh
Anna Tingler, BS • Medical University of South Carolina

Session Description: Join us for Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs: Non-Traditional Paths to Scientific Success--A candid and inspiring conversation with Dr. Evan Delgado (Medical University of South Carolina) and Dr. Bryan Wakefield  (University of Wisconsin, Madison).  Both speakers share refreshingly honest accounts of the unconventional paths, the setbacks that tested their resilience, and the lessons learned along the way.  Through humor, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom, they'll remind us that success in science isn't always linear, but perseverance and passion can carry you through every twist and turn.
Anu Balogun       Anna Tingler
  • 3:00 - 3:15 PM
    Evan Delgado, PhD • Medical University of South Carolina
  • 3:15 - 3:30 PM
    Bryan Wakefield, PhD • University of Wisconsin, Madison
Evan Delgado   Bryan Wakefield

 

SESSION 7 - Inflammation and Injury
3:45 - 5:00 PM
Moderators: Anna Tingler, BS • Medical University of South Carolina
Cole Hladik, MSc • University of Oklahoma Sciences Center

Session Description: From neonatal infections to brain tumors, host barriers and immune systems are constantly challenged by pathogens and microenvironmental stress. This session examines the mechanisms by which microbes and tumors manipulate host defense.
Anna Tingler       Cole Hladik
SESSION 8 - From Genetic Models to Therapeutic Strategies in Vascular Biology
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Moderators: Louisa Tichy, PhD • Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Maria Antonia Zambrano, BS • Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Session Description: This session highlights innovative approaches linking molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies in vascular biology. Talks will cover how heme and thrombin disrupt angiogenic balance in sickle cell pregnancies, the role of lymphatic YAP1 in hypoxia-induced vascular remodeling, Drosophila models of SERPINE1 deficiency and longevity, and anti-fibrinolytic strategies that enhance liver regeneration and reduce post-hepatectomy liver failure.
Louisa Tichy       Maria Antonia Zambrano

6:00 PM
Closing Remarks/Meeting Adjournment

 

Thursday, October 30, 2025

SESSION 9 - Modulators of Disease: Microbiota, Mucus, and Intestinal Remodeling
12:35 - 1:35 PM
Moderators: Selene Shore, PhD • Medical University of South Carolina
Cristina Bauset, BPharm, MEd, PhD • University College, Dublin

Session Description: This session will examine how environmental factors such as diet and antibiotics influence epithelial health and disease risk through interactions with the microbiota and host signaling. Talks will highlight how high-fat diets drive gastric epithelial metaplasia by reshaping mucus-producing lineages and fostering a pro-inflammatory niche. Additional presentations will show how antibiotic-induced microbiota changes impair goblet cell function and weaken the mucus barrier in cystic fibrosis. Finally, mechanistic insights from Drosophila models will illustrate how V-ATPase driven endocytic control of signal transduction regulates intestinal restitution. 
Selene Shore       Cristina Bauset

1:35 - 1:40 PM
 BREAK

Special Session - Career Talk: Finding Your Fit in Science Careers
1:40 - 2:40 PM
Moderator: Sarah Dooley, PhD • Medical University of South Carolina

Session Description: Many trainees feel uncertain about what comes after graduate school or a postdoc, especially if they know academia is not the right fit. In this session, Chloe Kirk, PhD, will share her own experiences navigating career pivots and highlight lessons learned along the way.  She will discuss how to recognize transferable skills, explore opportunities outside traditional academic tracks, and make intentional choices rooted in personal values. The session will provide encouragement, perspective, and practical advice for graduate students and early-career researchers who want to build careers that feel both meaningful and sustainable.
Sarah Dooley
  • 1:40 - 2:30 PM
    Chloe Kirk, PhD • University of Miami
  • 2:30 - 2:40 PM
    Q&A
Chloe Kirk

 

SESSION 10 - Liver Metabolism and Injury
2:40 - 4:10 PM
Moderators: Taylor Petrucci, BS • Medical University of South Carolina
Oluwashanu (Anu) Balogun, PhD • University of Pittsburgh

Session Description: This session will examine how environmental factors such as diet and antibiotics influence epithelial health and disease risk through interactions with the microbiota and host signaling. Talks will highlight how high-fat diets drive gastric epithelial metaplasia by reshaping mucus-producing lineages and fostering a pro-inflammatory niche. Additional presentations will show how antibiotic-induced microbiota changes impair goblet cell function and weaken the mucus barrier in cystic fibrosis. Finally, mechanistic insights from Drosophila models will illustrate how V-ATPase driven endocytic control of signal transduction regulates intestinal restitution.
Taylor Petrucci      Anu Balogun
SESSION 11 - Cancer Molecular Pathways and Therapeutic Strategies in Diverse Cancers
4:10 - 5:25 PM
Moderators: Shehnaz Bano, PhD • University of Pittsburgh
Cole Hladik, MSc • University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Session Description: This session explores diverse molecular drivers of cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Presentations highlight purinergic signaling in colorectal cancer, strategies to resensitize anoxic melanoma to targeted therapy, microbial and epigenetic regulation of cancer-associated genes, fibroblast-driven remodeling in HPV-related cancers, and β-catenin–mediated immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Shehnaz Bano       Cole Hladik

5:30 - 6:00 PM
Closing Remarks/Announcement of Award Recipients
Jonathon Homeister, MD, PhD, ASIP President-Elect
Sarah Dooley, PhD • Medical University of South Carolina
Maria Antonia Zambrano, BS • Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

6:00 PM
Meeting Adjournment