2025 Life Sciences Symposium

Are you ready to share your research with us?

We are bringing back the annual Huck Life Sciences Symposium for the 9th year! This FREE event provides a forum for life science researchers and is open to students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, staff, facilities and organizations. Since 2015, this event organized by the Huck Graduate Student Advisory Committee has brought together hundreds of researchers from diverse scientific fields, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and networking. Register for the symposium to learn about some cool science and network with other life scientists!

Sign-up for the 2025 Life Sciences Symposium here on Friday, May 23rd, 2025 for registration with breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee.

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Check out the Abstract Booklet

Click here for the LSS Schedule

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The Life Sciences Symposium will feature:

Keynote talk and panel (P.S., our theme this year is Artificial intelligence in the life sciences)
Graduate student and postdoc talks
Student poster presentations
Breaking into academia and industry workshops
Networking opportunities
and more!

Keynote Speaker

Debra Mathews, PhD, MA
Associate Director for Research and Programs for the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, and a Professor in the Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Mathews’s academic work focuses on ethics and policy issues raised by emerging technologies, with particular focus on genetics, stem cell science, neuroscience, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence.

Bioethics in the Life Sciences Panel

Dr. Debra Mathews, PhD, MA | Johns Hopkins
Associate Director for Research and Programs for the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics
Professor in the Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dr. Andrea Matwyshyn | Penn State
Associate Dean for Innovation and Technology
Founding Faculty Director, Penn State PILOT Lab and Manglona Lab for Gender and Economic Equity
Professor of Law and Engineering Policy
Affiliate Faculty, Bioethics Program, College of the Liberal Arts

Dr. Debra Thurley | Penn State
Associate Vice President for Research
Director, Office for Research Protections

Dr. Courtney Karmelita | Penn State
Chief of Staff, The Office for Research Protections
Executive Director, Ethical Research and Outreach
Research Integrity Officer

Dr. Rachel Lally | Penn State
Assistant Vice President for Research

Dr. Jonathan Marks | Penn State
Professor of Bioethics, Humanities and Law
Affiliate Law Faculty

Breaking into the Biotech Industry: Insights from PSU Alumni and Others

A career-focused panel discussion designed to guide students interested in transitioning from academia to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This event brings together a diverse panel of professionals—including Penn State alumni thriving in the biotech sector, academic leaders from biotechnology training programs, and recent entrants into the industry—to share their personal journeys, career insights, and practical advice.

Panelists:

Dr. Maitreya Das | Scientist | Sanofi

Naomi Yamada | Associate Director Computational Biology | GSK

Natasha Tirko | Director of Master of Biotechnology Program | PSU

Ayaan Hossain | Scientist II | Machine Learning | Tessera Therapeutics

Ankita Biswas | Scientist | Protein Sciences | Insitro

BioRender 101 Workshop

Learn actionable tips and techniques for designing science figures for your posters, presentations, publications, and more. We will be diving deeper into tips and tools for saving time, as well as a special feature focused on our Poster Builder. This will include a live demonstration of the platform.

1 on 1 Career Coaching with Dr. Latisha Franklin

This 20-minute Holistic Wellness Coaching Session is a supportive and intentional space designed to help you navigate the unique challenges of academic life while prioritizing overall well-being. Graduate school can be demanding, and this session offers an introduction to practical strategies and resources to cultivate balance, resilience, and inner harmony.

About Dr. Latisha Franklin: Dr. Latisha Franklin is the Founder of Gratified Grad, LLC, a consulting company that strives to empower students to explore, define, and live in holistic health so that they may graduate with gratification. Dr. Franklin is also a PSU alum, having earned her PhD in Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology in the Hannah-Rose Lab.