Presentation at the International Society for Gene and Cell Therapy 2022 conference
Author: Vitali Maldonado | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Spring 2022
My name is Vitali Maldonado, and I am finishing my junior year as a biomedical engineering student. On May 4th, 2022, I had the opportunity to go to the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy conference that was held in San Francisco, California. At this conference, I presented the research I have been working on for the past year with the guidance of Dr. Rebekah Samsonraj. This research is focused on improving the chondrogenic differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells to treat diseases affecting the cartilage. This improvement is attained by adding epigenetic agents (specifically melatonin and curcumin) to the cell differentiation media.
The conference was big, with participants from all around the world. This gave me more motivation to research regenerative medicine since I saw that many people from different countries believe in its power and future potential. I enjoyed and learned from the multiple speeches and presentations that other researchers made. Findings like “apoptosis deficient mesenchymal stem cells are less effective in treating different diseases”, “mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to donate their mitochondria to cells in need”, or “mesenchymal stem cells are a possible COVID-19 treatment” inspired me to continue working on mesenchymal stem cells and to innovate in the field of regenerative medicine. Also, it taught me that it is acceptable to present negative results and acknowledge them. Negative results are still results and it is important to communicate them so that other researchers do not make them.
While I was doing the poster presentation, some people pointed out that my findings could help them in their research by improving their cell ‘s differentiation potential. Moreover, I talked to several people about their research including a University of Arkansas alumni. We exchanged ideas and thoughts about the conference and the research we were performing. I also had the opportunity to talk to several companies that were hiring biomedical engineers and learned about several open opportunities. Also, I analyzed the experience and qualifications most companies want for future reference. Next, I interacted with a variety of biomedical equipment companies and realized the variety of options and state-of-the-art equipment that there is in the market. For example, technologies and products that make cell culture easier and more effective or scanners that can detect the state of the cells at any given moment.
A piece of advice that I would give to students planning to attend a conference is not to get too scared or nervous about the presentation. Most of the people there are not going to judge your work, they are going to make connections and learn about recent innovations. Also, if you travel to a conference as an undergraduate, most people are probably going to know more than you about a topic. Do not get intimidated and do not be scared to ask questions.
The next steps for me include continuing to work on my research and starting new projects in the lab I am currently involved in, writing a paper about my findings, publishing them in a scientific journal, and working on a team with my lab partners and mentor to continue improving regenerative medicine. Finally, I want to present at another conference in the near future.