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

Stark Summer Science Symposium

a student presents research on a poster to attendees at the symposiumThe Stark Summer Science Symposium was initiated in 2019 and has since become an annual event enabling trainees to connect and share their research. The symposium provides a platform for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees to present research, exchange ideas and network with one another.

Predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees 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 2025 symposium!

The 2025 Stark Summer Science Symposium is July 21-22, 2025 at the University Tower and Hine Hall. Register by July 17 to attend. Interested in presenting your research? Submit your abstracts by June 16 if you are a trainee at the IU School of Medicine. Any further questions can be sent to Sarah Castle, event services specialist.

a headshot of Silvia Fossati
KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Silvia Fossati, PhD

Interim Director of the Alzheimer's Center at Temple University
Associate Professor
Department of Neural Sciences
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Lemole Center for Integrated Lymphatics and Vascular Research
Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University

"Alzheimer’s disease, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy and the blood-brain barrier, molecular targets and novel therapeutic strategies"


MONDAY, JULY 21
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
 8:30-9:30 a.m. Breakfast and Session:
"Rest as a Resource: Reframing Wellness in a Burnout Culture"		 Eric Teske, MA, MS, CHWC Tower Ballroom
 9:30-10:30 a.m. Keynote Session: “Alzheimer’s disease,
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy and the
blood-brain barrier, molecular targets
and novel therapeutic strategies"		 Silvia Fossati, PhD Hine Hall Auditorium
 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oral Presentations: Session 1    Hine Hall Auditorium
 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Lunch   Tower Ballroom
 12:15-1:45 p.m. Poster Session   Slate Hallway
 1:45-2:45 p.m. Session: Seeking Out
Academic and Industry
Positions Panel

Moderator
Rene Baugh

Panelists
Susan Conroy, MD, PhD
Lauren Hirschfeld, PhD
Tyler Nguyen, PhD
Xavier Taylor, PhD

 Hine Hall Auditorium
 2:45-4 p.m. Oral Presentations: Session 2   Hine Hall Auditorium
4-4:30 p.m. Poster Teardown   Slate Hallway

TUESDAY, JULY 22
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
8:30-9:30 a.m. Breakfast and Session:
"Navigating Change"		 Angela Smith Tower Ballroom
9:30-11:30 a.m. Welcome Message and
Oral Presentations: Session 3		 Hine Hall Auditorium
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Lunch Tower Ballroom
12:15-1:45 p.m. Poster Session Slate Hallway
1:45-2:45 p.m. Session: "Gen AI"

Kathryn Thompson, PhD

Jen Oaks, BA

 Hine Hall Auditorium
2:45-4 p.m. Awards Program and Reception Brian Pierchala, PhD Hine Hall Auditorium, Tower Ballroom
4-4:30 p.m. Poster Teardown Slate Hallway

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). 

Rene Baugh
Sarah Castle
Debarghya Dutta Banik
Katelynn Krick
Tim Ludden
Adrian Oblak
Michelle Privratsky
Daniel Rivera
Bill Truitt

Symposium Sessions

Date: Monday, July 21
Time: 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Location: University Tower Ballroom

 

headshot of Eric Teske
Speaker
Eric Teske, MA, MS, CHWC 
Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Health and Wellness Promotion 
Office of Health and Wellness Promotion 
Division of Student Affairs 
IU Indianapolis 

Session Objectives 

  • Wellness not as a break from productivity, but a path to it
  • Define self-care as proactive, intentional activities that restore and support wellbeing
  • Distinguish avoidance coping (e.g., procrastination, escapism) from restorative self-care
  • Connection between rest, insight, and creativity
  • Rest isn’t idleness – it’s part of the cycle of innovation
  • What students think they’re doing (“pushing through”), versus what’s actually happening (mental fatigue, errors, burnout)
  • Examples of self-care practices and routines
  • Creating a culture of balance in the workplace, attitudes, future leaders

Date: Monday, July 21
Time: 1:45-2:45 p.m.
Location: Hine Hall Auditorium

Session Summary: This panel explores strategies for pursuing careers in both academic and industry settings within the neurosciences. Panelists will share their experiences navigating the job market, highlight key differences between sectors, and offer practical advice on positioning yourself for success in each path.

Moderator

headshot of Rene Baugh
Rene Baugh 
Education Programs Coordinator 
Stark Neurosciences Research Institute
IU School of Medicine 

Panelists

headshot of Susan Conroy
Susan K. Conroy, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Neurostimulation Program
Associate Director, Mood Disorders Program
IU School of Medicine


headshot of Lauren Hirschfeld
Lauren Hirschfeld, PhD
Director of Research
Multiple Sclerosis Society


headshot of Tyler Nguyen
Tyler Nguyen MS, PhD
Assistant Research Professor in Anesthesia
Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group 
Department of Anesthesia & Stark Neurosciences Research Institute
IU School of Medicine 
Research Scientist
Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center


headshot of Xavier Taylor
Xavier Taylor, PhD 
Advisor-Neurodegeneration
Eli Lilly and Company

Date: Tuesday, July 22
Time: 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Location: University Tower Ballroom 

 

headshot of Angela Smith
Speaker 
Angela Smith 
Assistant Vice President and Senior Executive Advisor 
Office of the Vice President for Student Success
Indiana University 

Session Summary: Change is constant (and sometimes overwhelming!), but your brain is built to adapt. This session unpacks the science behind how we respond to change – and what actually helps. Whether you’re facing academic pressures, life shifts, or future uncertainty, we’ll explore simple, evidence-based strategies you can use to navigate transitions with more clarity and confidence. You’ll walk away with practical tools grounded in neuroscience and psychology to improve your ability to navigate change. 

Date: Tuesday, July 22 
Time: 1:45-2:45 p.m. 
Location: Hine Hall Auditorium

Speakers

headshot of Kathryn Thompson
Kathryn Thompson, PhD 
Student Outreach and Engagement Consultant
Digital Education Programs and Initiatives
University Information Technology Services


headshot of Jen Oakes
Jen Oakes, BA 
Senior IT Training Specialist
Digital Education Programs and Initiatives
University Information Technology Services 

Session Summary: This session will cover topics related to AI including an introduction to the workings of AI and tools available to IU students, faculty, and staff, ethical implications of AI, basics of prompt engineering, and ample time for hands-on activities and discussion of science-related applications of AI.   

Parking and Location Information

The symposium 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.

symposium submissions

Award nominations, image contest, symposium judging

Trainees may nominate a Stark Neurosciences Research Institute investigator or staff member for mentorship or service awards — which will be presented at the science symposium — by June 27. The symposium image contest is open until July 1; voting will take place July 8-22. If you are interested in judging at the symposium, fill out the interest form.

Symposium Award Winners

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

Image Contest Winner
Pablo Martinez, PhD, "Raining Tau"

raining tau

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