Optional Pre-Conference Activities
Monday, July 7 High School STEM Day
Body
High School STEM Day on Lung Science and Bioengineering
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Shuttle from COURTYARD BURLINGTON HARBOR HOTEL to UVM |
| 8:30 - 8:55 AM | Continental Breakfast |
| 8:55 - 9:00 AM | Welcome and Introductions |
| 9:00 - 9:40 AM | Wet Lab Activity Led by Bradford Smith, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO |
| 9:40 - 9:50 AM | Break |
| 9:50 - 10:30 AM | Career Pathways Panel Discussion Moderated by Amy Ryan, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA |
| 10:30 - 11:00 AM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| 11:00 - 12:30 PM | Choice of Workshop |
Workshop I | Using Precision Cut Lung Slices (PCLS) to Study Lung Biology & Disease Darcy Wagner, PhD, McGill University, Canada |
Workshop II | Application of Organoids and Gene Editing to Study Lung Biology & Disease Dawei Sun, PhD, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA |
| 12:30 - 2:00 PM | Mentoring Lunch |
| 2:00 - 2:40 PM | Scientific Pathways (How did you get there) Moderated by Bradford Smith, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO |
| 2:40 - 2:50 PM | Break |
| 2:50 - 3:30 PM | Scientific Destinations (What you can do) Moderated by Bradford Smith, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO |
| 3:30 - 4:15 PM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| 4:20 - 4:40 | Shuttle to COURTYARD BURLINGTON HARBOR HOTEL |
Optional Extras for Highschool Student Participants:
- Attendance at the Evening Scientific Session on Monday 7, after the workshop
- Attendance throughout the entire conference (July 7 - 10)
Monday, July 7 Preconference Workshops
Body
Optional Pre-Conference Activities
Download the Preconference Workshop Agenda (PDF)
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 8:25 AM | Shuttle from Hotel Vermont / Courtyard Harbor Hotel to UVM Given Building |
| 8:30 - 9:00 AM | Continental Breakfast Stafford Hall |
| Practical Course on State-of-the-Art Methods in Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering Led by: Amy Ryan, PhD, University of Iowa and Daniel J. Weiss, MD, PhD, University of Vermont | |
| 8:55 - 9:00 AM | Welcome and Introductions |
| 9:00 - 10:30 AM | Wet-Lab: Laboratory Techniques Rotation 1; Dry-Lab: Bioinformatics Track Descriptions and locations provided below |
| 10:30 - 11:00 AM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| 11:00 - 12:30 PM | Wet-Lab: Laboratory Techniques Rotation 2; Dry-Lab: Bioinformatics Track Descriptions and locations provided below |
| 12:30 - 2:00 PM | Lunch and Networking Break |
| 2:00 - 4:00 PM | Wet-Lab: Laboratory Techniques Rotation 3; Dry-Lab: Bioinformatics Track Descriptions and locations provided below |
| 4:00 - 4:30 PM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| 4:20 - 4:40 | Shuttle from UVM Given Building to Hotel Vermont / Courtyard Harbor Hotel |
| 4:30 PM | Transition to regular conference agenda |
Monday, July 7 Preconference Wet-Lab Workshop Track A
Body
Wet-Lab Workshop Track A Details:
| Time and Track | Wet-Lab Details |
|---|---|
| 9:00 - 10:30 AM | Laboratory Techniques Rotation 1: |
Option A | Using Precision Cut Lung Slices (PCLS) to Study Lung Biology & Disease Led by: Darcy Wagner, PhD, McGill University, Canada Stafford Hall |
Option B | Application of Organoids and Hydrogels to Study Lung Biology & Disease Led by: Dawei Sun, PhD, Broad Institute, Boston, MA Stafford / Votey Hall |
Option C | Application of Flexivent to Study Biomechanical Regulation of Lung Led by: Bradford Smith, University of Colorado|Anschutz Medical Campus, CO HSRF/Stafford Hall |
| 11:00 - 12:30 PM | Laboratory Techniques Rotation 2: |
Option A | Using Precision Cut Lung Slices (PCLS) to Study Lung Biology & Disease Led by: Darcy Wagner, PhD, McGill University, Canada Stafford Hall |
Option B | Application of Organoids and Hydrogels to Study Lung Biology & Disease Led by: Dawei Sun, PhD, Broad Institute, Boston, MA Stafford / Votey Hall |
Option C | Application of Flexivent to Study Biomechanical Regulation of Lung Led by: Bradford Smith, University of Colorado|Anschutz Medical Campus, CO HSRF/Stafford Hall |
| 2:00 - 3:30 PM | Laboratory Techniques Rotation 3: |
Option A | Using Precision Cut Lung Slices (PCLS) to Study Lung Biology & Disease Led by: Darcy Wagner, PhD, McGill University, Canada Stafford Hall |
Option B | Application of Organoids and Hydrogels to Study Lung Biology & Disease Led by: Dawei Sun, PhD, Broad Institute, Boston, MA Stafford / Votey Hall |
Option C | Application of Flexivent to Study Biomechanical Regulation of Lung Led by: Bradford Smith, University of Colorado|Anschutz Medical Campus, CO HSRF/Stafford Hall |
Monday, July 7 Preconference Dry-Lab Workshop Track B
Body
Dry-Lab Workshop Track B Details:
| Time and Track | Wet-Lab Details |
|---|---|
| 9:00 - 10:30 AM | Bioinformatics: Bulk RNA seq visualization task Led by: Martijn Nawijn, PhD, University Medical Center, Groningen, Netherlands Stafford Hall |
| 11:00 - 12:30 PM | Bioinformatics: Bulk RNA seq visualization task Led by: Martijn Nawijn, PhD, University Medical Center, Groningen, Netherlands Stafford Hall |
| 2:00 - 3:30 PM | Bioinformatics: Single Cell RNA seq visualization task Led by: Martijn Nawijn, PhD, University Medical Center, Groningen, Netherlands Stafford Hall |
Conference Agenda
Monday, July 7 Conference Activities
Body
Monday, July 7, 2025
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 4:30 - 5:30 PM | Welcome Reception Registration Check-In, Hotel Vermont |
| Transition to: COURTYARD BURLINGTON HARBOR HOTEL | |
| Session I: | Celebrating 20 Years of Progress in Lung Stem Cell Biology and Bioengineering Moderators: Daniel Weiss, MD, PhD, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Robert Hynds, PhD, University College London, United Kingdom - 2025 Conference Co-Chair |
| 5:30 - 5:40 PM | Opening Remarks Representative of the University of Vermont |
| 5:30 - 5:40 PM | Conference Recap Daniel Weiss, MD, PhD, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
| 5:50 - 6:20 PM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Bernard Thébaud, MD, PhD, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada |
| 6:20 - 6:50 PM | Featured Presentation: Improving Mucociliary Clearance in the Face of Climate Change Brigitte Gomperts, MD, University of California Los Angeles, CA |
| 6:50 - 7:00 PM | Break |
| 7:00 - 7:30 PM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Laura Niklason, MD, PhD, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT |
| 7:30 - 8:00 PM | Featured Presentation: Pluripotent Stem Cells to Model and Treat Lung Disease Darrell Kotton, MD, Boston University, MA |
| 8:00 - 8:30 PM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Zea Borok, MD, University of California San Diego, CA |
Tuesday, July 8, Morning Activities
Body
All Sessions at the Dudley H. Davis Center, UVM Campus, Grand Maple Ballroom
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 7:45 - 8:45 AM | Breakfast and Breakfast Session I: What Editors Are Looking For (or How to Avoid Desk Rejection), Panel Discussion Moderator: Janette Burgess, PhD, University Medical Centre Groningen, Netherlands Panelists: Rory Morty, Chief Editor, European Respiratory Review, Juile Stacey, Editor-in-Chief, eBioMedicine Andrew Halayko, Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology |
| 8:45 - 9:00 AM | Welcoming Remarks Amy Ryan, PhD and Robert Hynds, PhD 2025 Conference Co-Chairs |
| Session II: | Endogenous Lung Stem Cells Moderators: Laure-Emmanuelle Zaragosi, PhD, Université Côte d'Azur, Sophia-Antipolis, France Jaymin Kathiriya, PhD, Mount Sinai, New York, NY |
| 9:00 - 9:25 AM | Featured Presentation: Scrap and Reconstruction of Lung Fibrosis using Alveolar Organoid Mitsuru Morimoto, PhD, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan |
| 9:25 - 9:50 AM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Xin Sun, PhD, University of California San Diego, CA |
| 9:50 - 10:15 AM | Featured Presentation: Title Multi-Lineage Circuits in Regeneration Purushothama Rao Tata, PhD, Duke University, Durham, NC |
| 10:15 - 10:30 AM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation: Pharmacologically Enhancing Progenitor Cell Induction After Lung Injury to Drive Alveolar Repair Sally Yunsun Kim, Kings College, London, UK |
| 10:30 - 10:50 AM | Panel Discussion |
| 10:50 - 11:15 AM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| 11:15 - 11:20 AM | Introductory Remarks Kirk Dombrowski, PhD, Vice President for Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
| 11:20 - 12:00 PM | 'Minute To Win it' Competition Moderator: Daniel Weiss, MD, PhD, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Judges: Kirk Dombrowski, PhD, Vice President for Research, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
| 12:00 - 1:00 PM | Mentoring / Meet The Faculty Lunch |
Tuesday Afternoon
Body
All Sessions at the Dudley H. Davis Center, UVM Campus, Grand Maple Ballroom
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Poster Session #1 |
| Session III: | The Julia Polak Memorial Session on Bioengineering: Lessons from Transplantation Moderators: Harry Karmouty-Quintana, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX Lei Wang, PhD, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands |
| 2:30 - 2:55 PM | Featured Presentation: Early Warning signs of Chronic Lung Diseases: New Imaging Modalities to the Rescue Anna Podolanczuk, MD, MS, Weill Cornell, NY |
| 2:55 - 3:20 PM | Featured Presentation: Animal Models for Lung Transplantation Kalpaj Parekh, MBBS, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA |
| 3:20 - 3:45 PM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Marcelo Cypel, MD, University of Toronto, Canda |
| 3:45 - 4:00 PM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation: Embedded Bioprinting of Airway and Alveolar Stem Cells to Engineer Complex 3D Lung Tissue Architectures Barbie Varghese, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, PA |
| 4:00 - 4:15 PM | Panel Discussion |
| 4:15 - 4:30 PM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| Session IV: | Careers in Lung Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering Moderator: Amy Ryan, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA |
| 4:30 - 5:15 PM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Darcy Wagner, PhD, McGill University, Canda |
| 5:15 - 6:30 PM | Panel Discussion - From Labs to Lungs: Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists Panelists: Anne Dixon, MD, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT Enid Neptune, MD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics, Silver Spring, MD Noma Anderson, PhD, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
Wednesday, July 9, Morning Activities
Body
All Sessions at the Dudley H. Davis Center, UVM Campus, Grand Maple Ballroom
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 7:30 - 8:30 AM | Breakfast and Breakfast Session II: What Funders are Looking For (or How to Get Your Grant) Moderator: Claudia Loebel, PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Panelist: Katherine Tuggle, PhD, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation |
| Session V: | Lung Extracellular Matrix and Matrix-Based Therapies Moderators: Janette Burgess, PhD, University Medical Centre Groningen, Netherlands René Girard, MSc, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX |
| 8:30 - 8:55 AM | Featured Presentation: Quantifying Extracellular Matrix Stiffness Within Intact Living Tissues Ramaswamy Krishnan, PhD, Mechanobiologix, Watertown, MA |
| 8:55 - 9:20 AM | Featured Presentation: ECM Remodeling in the Vascular System and the Role of Soluble ECM Fragments Grazyna Kwapiszewska, PhD, Medical University of Graz/Institute for Lung Health, Giessen, Germany |
| 9:20 - 9:45 AM | Featured Presentation: Tissue Engineered Avatars for Regenerative Medicine and Cancer Research Mary (Cindy) Farach-Carson, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX |
| 9:45 - 10:00 AM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation |
| 10:00 - 10:20 AM | Panel Discussion |
| 10:20 - 10:50 AM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| Session VI: | Patient Access to Stem Cell-Based Therapies Co-sponsored by the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) Moderator: Laertis Ikonomou, PhD, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY - Chair of the ISCT Committee on the Ethics of Cell and Gene Therapy |
| 10:50 - 11:00 AM | Introduction to the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Laertis Ikonomou, PhD, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY |
| 11:00 - 11:20 AM | Featured Presentation: The Regulatory Foundation to Protect Patients from Stem Cell Fraud Bambi Grilley, B.S., Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor, TX |
| 11:20 - 11:40 AM | Featured Presentation: Prosecuting a Stem Cell Clinic: Lessons Learned Mark Alonzo, JD, Vinson Law, Tampa, FL |
| 11:40 - 12:00 PM | Panel Discussion |
| 12:00 - 1:00 PM | Lunch and Round Table Discussions |
| Discussion on the "Current State of the Cell Therapy in Lung Disease" Open to all attendees Moderators: Thomas Lynch, PhD, Nationwide Children's Hospital, OH Finn Hawkins, MD, PhD, Boston University, Boston, MA | |
| Committee Meetings Committee on ATS Red Journal Manuscript A (Invite Only) Moderators: Amy Ryan, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA | |
| Committee Meetings Committee on ATS Red Journal Manuscript B (Invite Only) Moderators: Robert Hynds, PhD, University College London, London, United Kingdom | |
| Committee Meetings Committee on APS Conference Review (Invite Only) Moderators: Sinem Koç-Günel, MD, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany | |
Wednesday Afternoon
Body
All Sessions at the Dudley H. Davis Center, UVM Campus, Grand Maple Ballroom
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 1:00 - 2:30 PM | Poster Session #2 |
| 2:30 - 2:40 PM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| Session VII: | Immune Regulation of Lung Regeneration Moderators: Amy Ryan, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA Sarah Moore, MD, Mount Sinai, New York, NY |
| 2:45 - 3:10 PM | Featured Presentation: Imaging Lung Lymphatics in Action Simon Cleary, PhD, King's College London, London, United Kingdom |
| 3:10 - 3:35 PM | Featured Presentation: Intercellular Communication Between Immune Cells and the Epithelium in Alveolar Repair Ana Pardo-Saganta, PhD, Justus Liebig University, Germany |
| 3:35 - 4:00 PM | Featured Presentation: Immune Cell Regulation of Terminal Bronchiole Remodeling Tillie-Louise Hackett, PhD, University of British Columbia, Canda |
| 4:00 - 4:15 PM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation: The Use of Immune-Modified FailSafe Cells as a Cell Replacement Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis Muyang Zhou, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
| 4:15 - 4:35 PM | Panel Discussion |
| 4:40 - 5:20 PM | Buses |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner Cruise on Lake Champlain and Award Ceremony (SOLD OUT - waiting list available) (Cruise boards from 6:00-6:15 and departs promptly at 6:30pm.) |
| 9:00 PM | Cruise disembarks (Please advise UVM in advance if you will need transportation back to the hotel following the cruise. The distance to walk is about two blocks uphill.) |
Thursday, July 10, Morning Activities
Body
All Sessions at the Dudley H. Davis Center, UVM Campus, Grand Maple Ballroom
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 7:30 - 8:30 AM | Breakfast and Breakfast Session III: Transitioning to Independence (or How to Start Your Lab) Moderator: Amy Ryan, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA Panelists: Ruobing Wang, MD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA Thomas Lynch, PhD, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Colombus, OH Sinem Koç-Günel, MD, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany |
| Session VIII: | Physics and Engineering Principles in Lung Biology Moderator: Jaime Hook, MD, Mount Sinai, New York, NY Indra Putra Wendi, MSc, Lund University, Lund, Sweden |
| 8:30 - 8:55 AM | Featured Presentation: Cell Similarity Models in Stem Cell and Lung Regeneration Research Pankaj Mehta, PhD, Boston University, Boston, MA |
| 8:55 - 9:20 AM | Featured Presentation: Lung Branching Morphogenesis: A Physics-Based Perspective Uduak George, PhD, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA |
| 9:20 - 9:45 AM | Featured Presentation: Agent-Based Modeling of Lung Diseases and Regeneration Bela Suki, PhD, Boston University, Boston, MA |
| 9:45 - 10:00 AM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation: Pathologic Wall Shear Stress Attenuates Epithelial Differentiation Sauali Dharmadhikari, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, OH |
| 10:00 - 10:15 AM | Panel Discussion |
| 10:15 - 10:35 AM | Coffee, Networking Break and Group Photo |
| Session IX: | The Darwin Prokop Memorial Session on Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Moderator: Anna Krasnodembskaya, PhD, Queen’s University, Belfast, United Kingdom Ruth-Love Damoah, PhD, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA |
| 10:35 - 11:00 AM | Featured Presentation: GMP grade MSC EVs as a Therapy for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Large-Scale Manufacturing and Mechanisms of Action Michela Pozzobon, PhD, University of Padova, Italy |
| 11:00 - 11:25 AM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Duncan Stewart, MD, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canda |
| 11:25 - 11:50 AM | Featured Presentation: MSC Mitochondrial Transplantation as a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Vascular Cell Therapy Juan Melero-Martin, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA |
| 11:50 - 12:05 PM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation: Glutaredoxin-Mediated Redox Processes Control Aberrant Plasticity of Airway Basal Stem Cells and Crosstalk with Mesenchymal Cells Megan Tarte, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
| 12:05 - 12:20 | Panel Discussion |
| 12:20 - 1:00 PM | Lunch (Boxed lunch) |
Thursday Afternoon
Body
All Sessions at the Dudley H. Davis Center, UVM Campus, Grand Maple Ballroom
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| Session X: | iPSC Models of Lung Health and Disease Moderator: Ruth Olmer, PhD, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany Daniel Wallman, MD, Boston University, Boston, MA |
| 1:00 - 1:25 PM | Featured Presentation: Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Tools to Model Interstitial Lung Disease Killian Hurley, MB BCh BAO, PhD, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Ireland |
| 1:25 - 1:50 PM | Featured Presentation: Title TBC Ruobing Wang, MD, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA |
| 1:50 - 2:15 PM | Featured Presentation: iPSC Models of Airway Disease for Discovery and Therapy Finn Hawkins, MBBCh, Boston University, Boston, MA |
| 2:15 - 2:30 PM | Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award Presentation: Sex Matters: Sotatercept as a Novel Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Attenuation of Fibrosis and Contractility in iPSC-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells Aileen Schmidt, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), MHH, Germany |
| 2:30 - 2:45 PM | Panel Discussion |
| 2:45 - 3:00 PM | Coffee and Networking Break |
| Session XI: | Concluding Discussion Moderator: Daniel J. Weiss, MD, PhD, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
| 3:00 - 4:00 PM | Open Discussion - Feedback, Priority Setting and Recommendations |
Course Directors and Faculty
Body
| Faculty and Organizing Committees: | ||
|---|---|---|
Conference Co-Chairs | ||
University College | 
Associate Professor, University of Iowa | 
Professor |
| Executive Committee Continued | |
|---|---|
| Vice Chair | Claudia Loebel, PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI |
| Emeritus Chair | Darcy Wagner, PhD, Lund University, Sweden (2017-2019) |
Senior Organizing Committee | |
| Janette Burgess, PhD, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, NL | Harry Karmouty-Quintana, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX |
| Laertis Ikonomou, PhD, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NJ | Anna Krasnodembskaya, PhD, Queen’s University, Belfast, United Kingdom |
| Jaime Hook, MD, Mount Sinai, New York, NY | Ruth Olmer, PhD, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany |
| Jaymin Kathiriya, PhD, Mount Sinai, New York, NY | Laure-Emmanuelle Zaragosi , PhD, Université Côte d'Azur, Sophia-Antipolis, France |
Junior Organizing Committee | |
| Sinem Koc-Gūnel, MD University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany | |
| Quick Links | ||
|---|---|---|
| Attendee Registration | Presentations and Competition | Conference Home |