Photos: Sharing Knowledge Across Disciplines at the 2025 Postdoctoral Research Symposium
Georgetown University postdocs, faculty and students met for the annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium on April 23, 2025, showcasing recent work through oral and poster presentations. For about two dozen postdoctoral presenters, it was an opportunity to network across schools and disciplines, and to practice communicating the impact of their research in areas ranging from human health to machine learning to the environment.
Speaking to an uncertain season in academia, keynote speaker Caleb McKinney, Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE)’s associate dean of graduate and postdoctoral training and development, spoke about the growth of Georgetown’s postdoctoral community and encouraged postdocs to build their communities as well as career mobility skills.
The symposium is hosted by the Georgetown University Postdoctoral Association (GUPDA) and BGE’s Office of Postdoctoral Development, and cosponsored by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Presentation Winners
Oral Presentations
- Brenna Mossman, “Longitudinal Quality of Life in Adults with Metastatic Breast Cancer: The Impact of Between- and Within-Person Changes in Symptoms and Positive Affect”
- Gabriel Suchodolski, “State performance with weak bureaucracies: Land policy implementation in Amazonia”
Poster Presentations
- George S. Melchor, “A Single Lesion, A Lasting Signature: Myeloid-Oligodendrocyte Dynamics in Remyelination”
- James D. O’Leary, “Non-invasive brain stimulation promotes recovery after traumatic brain injury”
- Manasa Suresh, “Impact of aging macrophages on tumor development”
The Symposium in Photos
Georgetown University Postdoctoral Association (GUPDA) professional development co-chair Trevor Day introduces an oral presenter in Harvey Amphitheater North.
GUMC postdoc Geraldine Vitry speaks about her research on using machine learning to assess radiation exposure in skin swab samples.
Shuaijun Li, a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-GU postdoctoral associate, explains the potential for machine learning to improve automated plastic sorting at recycling centers.
Gabriel Suchodolski, a Georgetown Earth Commons fellow and political sociologist of development and environmental governance, answers an audience question during his presentation on land policy in Amazonia.
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center postdoctoral fellow Pritha Mukherjee speaks about extracellular heparan 6-o-endosulfatase (SULF2) enzymes, a potential target for cancer treatment.
An attendee asks a question during an oral presentation.
Yousef Aljohani (Ph.D.’24), a Toulmin Pilot Project-supported researcher in pharmacology and physiology, gives a presentation on age-related hippocampal norepinephrine decline and memory.
It was a great experience. … I like the environment here, the people were supportive and the audience was great.
Yousef Aljohani, oral presenter
Brenna Mossman, an NIH T32-funded postdoc in Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, shares her research on quality of life challenges in adults with metastatic breast cancer. Mossman won first-place oral presentation.
Manasa Suresh (M.S.’14 Ph.D.’20), GUPDA communications and social media co-chair, gives a summary of events at the National Postdoctoral Association’s annual conference last month in Boston. The conference emphasized the job market for international postdocs and how to build resilience, Suresh reported. A fall 2024 NPA survey identified fair salary and compensation as postdocs’ top area of concern.
Attendees chat during lunch break.
We have such a variety of expertise at Georgetown that I’m glad we were able to capture in the talks, including people from beyond the medical campus. … The postdoc association is very centered on the medical campus … but I’m glad we were able to broaden the interest and get the other parts of campus involved, ’cause I think … as an association, we should be reaching out to the other side of campus a little more.
Trevor Day, GUPDA professional development co-chair
Attendees eat lunch on the Medical Center Podium.
Tatiana Litvin-Vechnyak, Vice President for the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC), speaks about research translation and how OTC helps Georgetown researchers to patent and market their products.
Keynote speaker Caleb McKinney, BGE’s associate dean of graduate and postdoctoral training and development, discusses uncertainty in academia amid recent policy changes, and the importance of building career mobility with resources such as individual development plans, feedback and mentorship, and regional and national communities.
News is coming down the pike rapid-fire, and different people have different responses and resources … and so it’s good to just stay engaged with the community and not try to navigate this on your own.
Caleb McKinney, BGE associate dean of graduate and postdoctoral training and development
Postdocs gave poster presentations in the Pre-Clinical hallways.
Katarina AuBuchon presents her poster.
It’s always really exciting to talk about my work to other Georgetown folks, and also hear from my peers about what they’re working on.
Katarina AuBuchon, poster presenter
Gabriel Suchodolski won second-place oral presentation for “State performance with weak bureaucracies: Land policy implementation in Amazonia.”
George S. Melchor receives first-place poster honors for “A Single Lesion, A Lasting Signature: Myeloid-Oligodendrocyte Dynamics in Remyelination.”
James D. O’Leary won second-place poster presentation for “Non-invasive brain stimulation promotes recovery after traumatic brain injury.”
Manasa Suresh won third-place poster for her presentation, “Impact of aging macrophages on tumor development.”
Research here at Georgetown is very interdisciplinary. … By presenting this to a general audience across campus, I think … I want to convey what my research is to them in very simple terms, but also maybe find collaborations between postdocs who also study something similar.
Manasa Suresh, poster presenter
Read More About Georgetown Postdocs
News, Postdocs
Students, faculty and staff are invited to learn about Georgetown postdocs’ research at the annual symposium on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Keynote speaker Caleb McKinney plans to give advice for postdocs on navigating uncertainty and taking advantage of opportunities from Georgetown and beyond.
April 15, 2025
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