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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Stark Neurosciences Research Institute
events

Stark Summer Science Symposium

A platform for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees to present research, exchange ideas and network.

Register for the 2026 symposium
trainees present their research at a symposium

Hear about the latest in neuroscience research discoveries

The Stark Summer Science Symposium at the Indiana University School of Medicine was initiated in 2019 and has since become an annual event enabling trainees to connect and share their research.

Predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees at the IU School of Medicine are involved in a series of talks and poster sessions representing all of the major research focus areas of Stark Neurosciences Research Institute. Awards are presented for the best posters and oral presentations. The symposium also includes breakout sessions on mentoring, career development, grant writing and more — furthering Stark Neurosciences Research Institute's focus on developing the next generation of neuroscience researchers.

Register for the 2026 symposium

The 2026 Stark Summer Science Symposium will be July 29-30, 2026, at the University Tower and Hine Hall on the IU Indianapolis campus. Register by July 27, and submit your abstract by June 23.

andy tsai
KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Andy Tsai, PhD

Larry L. Hillblom Foundation Fellow
Stanford ADRD Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellow
Wu-Tsai Neuroscience Research Institute
Stanford University

"Spatial and single-cell transcriptomics reveal the microglial reorganization with aging"

Parking and Location Information

The symposium, set for Wednesday to Thursday, July 29-30, will take place at University Tower and Hine Hall on the IU Indianapolis campus in downtown Indianapolis.

  • University Tower: 911 W North St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
  • Hine Hall: 875 W North Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Attendees are encouraged to park in the University Tower Garage for convenient access. Hourly rates apply for all garage parking.

  • Tower Garage (875 W North St, Indianapolis, IN 46202) – elevator access to the venue

Additional parking may be available:

  • North Street Garage (819 W North St) – skywalk access to venue
  • Gateway Garage (525 N Blackford St) – 5-minute walk to the venue

For campus parking maps and real-time availability, visit the IU Indianapolis Parking Services website.

Know Before You Go

Wednesday, July 29
Time  Session Speaker(s) Location
 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Registration Open    Hine Hall Auditorium Lobby
 8-8:30 a.m.  Poster Setup    Slate Hallway
 8-9 a.m.  Breakfast    Tower Ballroom
 9-10 a.m.

 Keynote Session: "Spatial and
single-cell transcriptomics reveal
the microglial reorganization with aging"

  Andy Tsai, PhD  Hine Hall Auditorium
 10-10:15 a.m.  Morning Break    Hine Hall Auditorium Lobby
 10:15-11:15 a.m.  Oral Presentations: Session 1    Hine Hall Auditorium
 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Lunch    Tower Ballroom
 12:15-2:15 p.m.  Day 1 Poster Session    Slate Hallway
 2:15-3 p.m.  Oral Presentations: Session 2    Hine Hall Auditorium
 3-3:15 p.m.  Afternoon Break    Hine Hall Auditorium Lobby
 3:15-4:15 p.m.  Oral Presentations: Session 3    Hine Hall Auditorium
 4:15-4:30 p.m.  Poster teardown    Slate Hallway

Thursday, July 30
Time Session Speaker(s) Location
 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  Registration Open  Hine Hall Auditorium Lobby
 8-8:30 a.m.  Poster Setup  Slate Hallway
 8-9 a.m.  Breakfast    Tower Ballroom
 9-10 a.m.  Oral Presentations: Session 4  Hine Hall Auditorium
 10 a.m. to noon  Day 2 Poster Session  Slate Hallway
 Noon to 1 p.m.  Lunch  Tower Ballroom
 1-2 p.m.  Quick Synopsis Blitz

 

  Hine Hall Auditorium
 2-3 p.m.  Speaker Breakouts    Hine Hall132/139
 3-4 p.m.  Awards Program and Reception               Brian Pierchala, PhD  Hine Hall Auditorium Lobby
 4-4:15 p.m.  Poster Teardown  Slate Hallway

July 30 | 1–3 p.m.

This interactive networking session is designed to connect trainees with experts across key neuroscience-related career pathways. The session will begin with a fast-paced, panel-style overview, followed by small-group breakout discussions that allow for deeper conversation and individualized questions.

Session Format

  • 1-2 p.m. | Networking Blitz Panel Experts representing each topic area will deliver brief (~5-minute) introductions highlighting their background, area of expertise, and perspectives on career pathways, research focus areas, and professional development.
  • 2-3 p.m. | Small Group Breakout Discussion Attendees will rotate or join focused breakout groups aligned with their interests for informal discussion, Q&A, and networking with each expert.

Networking Topic Groups

  • Alzheimer’s Research and Advocacy Perspectives from nonprofit funding organizations and community engagement leaders, with insight into research funding, advocacy, and translational impact.
  • Industry Careers Discussion of industry-based neuroscience careers, collaboration with academia, and pathways into biotech and pharmaceutical roles.
  • Academic Research Pathways Insights into academic neuroscience careers, research trajectories, and building a successful research program.

The Experts

Group 1 | Alzheimer's 

Charles Seaks, PhD
Director of Grants Management
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund

Kevin Enders, MA
Senior Director, Community Engagement
Alzheimer's Association, Greater Indiana Chapter

Group 2 | Industry 

Xavier Taylor, PhD
Scientific Advisor-Neurodegeneration
Eli Lilly and Company

Elizabeth Delery, PhD
Staff Scientist II
Indiana Biosciences Research Institute 

Joseph Ipe, PhD
Account Executive - IN, KY, OH
10X Genomics

Group 3 | Postdocs/Academia 

Rebecca Wallings, DPhil 
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Indiana University School of Medicine

Katie Bryant, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow in Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology
Indiana University School of Medicine

Tyler Nguyen PhD, MS
Assistant Research Professor of Anesthesia
Indiana University School of Medicine
Research Scientist 
Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center

    This session is ideal for trainees at all stages who are looking to explore career options, receive candid advice and build professional connections.

    Presenting your research at the Stark Summer Science Symposium? Make sure you are using the correct IU School of Medicine template. Visit the Visual Media website to learn more about poster printing vendors and acceptable poster templates. Posters must not be larger than 36 inches high by 48 inches wide (landscape orientation).

    Consider using the Multimedia Production Center at IU Indianapolis for printing. 

    Sarah Castle
    Adrian Oblak
    Tim Ludden
    Rene Baugh
    Jess Chalk
    Chloe Ferguson
    Anusha Shivashankar
    Rodahina (Roda) Pasteurin

    Symposium Award Winners

    Oral Presentations
     First Place: Rodahina Pasteurin
    Second Place: Anusha Shivashankar
    Third Place: Joshua Lykins

    Poster Presentations

    Graduate Students:
    First Place: Hannah Rondon-Cordero
    Second Place: Anh Nguyen
    Third Place: Kevin Quist

    Summer Undergraduate Students:
    First Place: Jihoon Kwon
    Second Place: Maggie Blair
    Second Place: Alec Foster
    Second Place: Alyssa Collins

    Stark Faculty and Staff Awards
     Outstanding Service to Trainees - Phillip Starski
    Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor - Erica Weekman

    Image Contest Winner
     Sayanta Dutta, “Eye-to-brain connectivity after optic-nerve crush”

    image contest winner for 2025 symposium

    Oral Presentations
    First Place: Jinhyeong Bae
    Second Place: Kaylee Tutrow
    Third Place: Luke Dabin, PhD

    Poster Presentations

    Graduate Students
    First Place: Michelle Privratsky
    Second Place: Holly Kersey
    Third Place: Daniella Lopes

    Summer Undergraduate Students
    First Place: Bekah Dage
    Second Place: Linnaea Krupke

    Honored Mention (For researchers not categorized for, but received high scores)
    Postdoc: Kate Foley, PhD
    Staff Personnel: Carson Prosser

    Stark Faculty and Staff Awards
    Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Karmen Yoder, PhD
    Outstanding Service to Trainees - Rene Baugh
    Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor - Brittany Needham, PhD

    Image Winner
    Kathryn M. Brewer, "Neuron"

    An image of a neuron

    Oral Presentations
    First Place: Jade Harkin
    Second Place: Hanyu Xia
    Third Place: Nur Jury-Garfe, PhD

    Poster Presentations
    Graduate Students
    First Place: Enrique Chimal-Juarez
    Second Place: Henika Patel
    Third Place: Kaylee Tutrow
    Summer Undergraduate Students
    First Place: Ananya Pendela
    Second Place: Tessa Hedrick

    Honored Mention (For researchers not categorized for, but received high scores)
    Postdoc: Debarghya Dutta Banik, PhD
    Staff Personnel: Ralitsa Kostadinova

    Image Contest Winner
    Nur Jury-Garfe, PhD "Astrocytes' battle against the enshrouding abyss of amyloid-vasculature in the cosmos of the brain"

    Astrocytes

    Oral Presentations
    First Place: Peter Lin
    Second Place: Stephanie Philtjens, PhD
    Third Place: Muriel Mardones, PhD

    Poster Presentations
    Graduate Students
    1st Place: Yuexi Yin
    2nd Place: Kari Haines
    3rd Place: Nicole Bodi
    Summer Undergraduate Students
    1st Place: Carlos Gonzalez
    2nd Place: Melina Alviar

    Image Contest Winner
    Debarghya Dutta Banik, PhD, "Regenerating Cells in Postnatal Geniculate Ganglia"

    regenerating cells

    Regular Talks
    First Place - Hendrik Greve
    Second Place - Miguel Moutinho, PhD
    Third Place - Catia Gomes, PhD

    Flash Talks
    First Place - Nur Jury Garfe, PhD
    Second Place - Sailee Lavekar

    Oral Presentations
    First place: Hendrik Greve
    Second place: Grace Hallinan, PhD
    Third place: Kang-Chieh Huang

    Poster Presentations
    Graduate students
    First place: Austin Reilly
    Second place: Sailee Lavekar
    Postdocs
    Shared first place: Carla Garza Lombo, PhD
    Shared first place: Stéphanie Philtjens, PhD
    Second place: Luke Dabin, PhD

    Image Contest Winner
    Paula Monje, PhD, "Myelin in a Dish"

    Yellow green and orange swirling image titled ""Myelin in a Dish""

    Oral Presentations
    First place: Darryl Watkins
    Second place: Stéphanie Philtjens, PhD

    Poster Presentations
    Graduate students
    First place: Hendrik Greve
    Second place: Hayley Drozd
    Postdocs
    First place: Staci Engle, PhD
    Second place: Hande Karahan, PhD
    Undergraduates
    First place: Asmaa Mahoui
    Second place: Katherine Long