The BDCI Training Program Hosts its Inaugural BDCI Trainee Symposium

Trainee Symposium titled "Drugging the Undruggable" at Emory University featuring presentations, posters, and group discussions on chemical innovation.
The Biological Discovery through Chemical Innovation (BDCI) training program held its inaugural BDCI Trainee Symposium on April 2nd.
With the theme of “Drugging the Undruggable,” the day brought together Emory graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates to learn and share discoveries happening at each step of the drug discovery pipeline. The event kicked off with keynote speaker Matt Disney, PhD, from the Herbert Wertheim UF-Scripps Institute for Biomedical Research & Innovation, sharing the breadth of his work targeting the transcriptome in a talk titled The Druggable Transcriptome Project: From Chemical Probes to Precision Medicines. Subsequent talks from trainees and postdocs showcased a spectrum of exciting research happening here at Emory, from basic biology to organic synthesis to chemical methods. The following presentations were delivered by doctoral and postdoctoral trainees in the Emory community:

  • Riley Hughes, Raj Lab, Department of Chemistry and BDCI T32 Trainee. Selective Modification of N-terminal Glycine for Insights into Protein Degradation

  • Jose Castro, Sarafianos Lab, Department of Pediatrics. Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Replication-Transcription Complex: Discovery of nsp13 Inhibitors and Future Structural Insights

  • Ryan Zenhausern, PhD, Kim Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering. Bringing RNA Therapies to Hematopoietic Stem Cells in vivo

  • Chris Monaco, Liotta Lab, Department of Chemistry. 5′-(R)-CH3-FdUMP is a Potent Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitor with Enhanced On-target Activity

  • Alysha Ellison, PhD, Williams Lab, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology. Oral Cannabidiol Decreases Inflammatory Cytokines and Viral Load During Acute HIV/SIV Infection

  • Andrew Tran, Ackerman-Biegasiewicz Lab, Department of Chemistry and BDCI T32 Trainee. Accelerating Development of Synthetic Methodology

  • Ally Su, Fu Lab, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology. Targeting the 14-3-3γ/PIKE-A Axis as a Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Glioblastoma

  • Binh Vo, Salaita Lab, Department of Chemistry. Enzymatically-Triggered Nanostructure for Tumor-Specific Antisense Oligonucleotide Release

  • Sebastian Rudden, Dahlman Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering. A Novel Amino Lipid Series for mRNA Delivery, Validated in Pseudo-Clinical Trials

Following these talks, attendees heard perspectives and advice from a panel highlighting the diverse career opportunities that are available after completing a PhD. Discussion topics included seeking mentorship, cultivating strong networks during graduate study, and ways to position oneself for future work outside the laboratory. The following people served as expert panelists:

  • Emily Rye, PhD, Vice President, Scientific Services, BOLDSCIENCE

  • Christian Sanchez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Samford University

  • Benjamin Siciliano, PhD, Client Solutions Architect, Certara

  • Candice Z. Ulmer Holland, PhD, Acting Laboratory Director (USDA-FSIS Eastern Laboratory)

  • Alicia Lane, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Faundez Lab, Emory University

The symposium concluded with a poster session highlighting research by more Emory trainees working at the interface of chemistry and biology. The panelists served as judges and evaluated the quality of each poster. Congratulations to the award recipients from this event! 

  • Oral Presentations:

    • First Place: Ryan Zenhausern, Postdoctoral Fellow in James Dahlman and Hyejin Kim’s Labs, Department of Biomedical Engineering

    • Second Place: Andrew Tran, Graduate Student in Laura Ackerman-Biegasiewicz’s Lab, Department of Chemistry and BDCI T32 Trainee

  • Poster Presentations:

    • First Place: Elise Bezold, Graduate Student in Bill Wuest’s Lab, Department of Chemistry

    • Second Place: Lewis Marquez, Postdoctoral Fellow in Cassandra Quave’s Lab, Department of Dermatology

    • Best Undergraduate Poster: Nicholas Wong, Undergraduate Student in Dharmeshkumar Patel’s Lab, Department of Pediatrics

We thank everyone for making this event so engaging, and we look forward to seeing you at next year’s symposium!

Authors: BDCI T32 trainee cohort including Andrew Tran, Riley Hughes, Anna Staskiewicz, Jacqueline Smith, Tessa Larsen, and Joshua Hardin