9th Annual Postdoc Research Day

The 9th Annual Postdoc Research Day (PDRD) on September 18 brought together postdocs from UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine for a day of scientific exchange, recognition, and community building.

Open to all, the half-day event featured dynamic oral and poster presentations from postdocs and a keynote address by Dr. Nenad Sestan. Nearly 70 attendees, including faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdocs, gathered in the Academic Rotunda to celebrate the wide-ranging contributions of UConn Health's postdocs community, hear about each other's research, and engage in professional development opportunities.

"Postdoc Research Day is one of the highlights of our academic year," said Dr. Chris Heinen, director of Postdoctoral Affairs at UConn Health. "It gives our postdocs a platform not only to present their cutting-edge research but also to connect with peers, mentors, and collaborators across disciplines."

This year, 21 postdocs participated in Speak4Science, each presenting their research in four minutes to describe their research methods, findings, and potential impact to a general audience. The judges recognized Drs. Corie Owen, Caroline Haney, and Tasnif Rahman for delivering the top three presentations.

The keynote lecture was delivered by Sestan, a nationally recognized leader in neuroscience, whose talk highlighted his work spanning neurodevelopment and genomics, and underscored the importance of mentorship and collaboration in research careers. He was introduced by UConn Health and Jackson Laboratory Postdoc Association (UJPDA) member Katarina Milicevic.

Following the keynote, the afternoon poster session fostered lively conversations as postdocs shared their findings with colleagues and faculty. The event concluded with a reception, where attendees networked and celebrated the day's achievements.

"Events like PDRD showcase not only the depth of postdoctoral research but also the enthusiasm of our scientific community," said Milicevic. "It's inspiring to see so much talent and potential in one room."

As UConn Health looks ahead, PDRD remains a vital tradition - one that honors dedication, showcases innovation, and reaffirms the institution's commitment to training future leaders in biomedical research.

A special thanks to PDRD's organizing committee, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs, Chris Heinen, Tomi Faniyan (UConn Health), Katarina Milicevic (UConn Health), Luke Trinity (JAX), John Stout (UConn Health), Patience Shumba (UConn Health), as well as Jane Tran Sills (UConn Health) and Sarah Wojiski and Rowena Grainger (JAX), who all worked hard to develop a wonderfully successful event.

Thank you to all attendees for making PDRD a great success and we look forward to seeing you next year for our tenth anniversary of this special event.

Speak4Science Short Talk Awards:

1^st Place: Corie Owen, Jaffee Lab, UConn Health

"Luteinizing hormone-induced interfollicular communication in the mouse ovary."

2^nd Place: Caroline Haney, Courtois Lab, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

"Spatial insights into endometriosis: mapping fibroblast and neuroimmune niches involved in pain."

3^rd Place: Tasnif Rahman, Agmon Lab, UConn Health

"Towards Multi-Scale Models of Gut Microbiome-Host Interactions using the Vivarium Interface."