Presenting at the BMES 2025 Annual Meeting

Author: Eliana Adamos | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Fall 2025

My name is Eliana Adamos, and I am majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Medical Humanities. Taking a trip to sunny California was not on my 2025 bucket list, but attending the 2025 BMES Annual Conference in San Diego was certainly a highlight of my year. The opportunity to present my research during a poster session was both an invaluable learning experience and an exciting introduction to the world of research conferences.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disorder caused by mutations in the genome, which results in the characteristic symptoms of frequent lung infections, respiratory failure, and inflammation. My research involves using CRISPR, a gene-editing tool, to correct mutations in the gene as a treatment for CF. Presenting this work challenged me to clearly explain both the science behind my project and why it matters in the context of the real world.
The conference consisted of presentation sessions, poster sessions, graduate school booths, and a variety of networking receptions. With lots of talks to choose from, I attended sessions on topics such as genetic engineering in space, regenerative medicine, and stem cell research. There was so much diversity of applications within the field.
There was also plenty of time during the conference to explore the graduate school booths that were set up throughout the convention center. It was a great opportunity for networking, and my friend and I made it a goal to connect with at least five people on LinkedIn. This pushed us to introduce ourselves, ask questions, and practice talking about our interests and goals in a professional setting.
The most impactful part of the conference was presenting my research at a poster session. Making the poster was fun, but I surprisingly realized the hardest part was not determining the information that went on the poster but working with PowerPoint on making the information aesthetically pleasing. I was nervous the morning of my poster session, but I had prepared a little bit of what I wanted to say. My first run-through was rough, but as more people stopped by, my comfort level and confidence increased. It was rewarding getting to talk about something I cared about, and some of the questions I received helped me think about my research from different perspectives.
This experience contributed to my personal and professional development. Attending talks and exploring poster sessions helped broaden my understanding of the field, but the highlight of the conference was having the opportunity to present my own research. Presenting allowed me to grow as a speaker, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and strengthened my confidence in my presentation skills. I also developed the ability to convey research ideas in a way that was understandable to the audience.
It was amazing seeing how passionate people were about their projects, about science, and about collaboration. However, one of the more memorable moments of the conference happened during a reception with a DJ, when some people started swing dancing. It was refreshing to see these researchers having fun outside of academia. It was inspiring to be surrounded by people so passionate about knowledge. While I am deeply interested in research, I also aspire to a career in medicine, and this conference helped me better understand how these paths can intersect.
Overall, this conference strengthened my scientific communication skills, expanded my perspective on the field of biomedical engineering, and helped set me up to make meaningful contributions to both research and medicine. My advice for other students preparing to present their research at a conference: have fun. Presenting can be intimidating, but people are genuinely kind and curious, and you’re the expert on your own project.