This year's Keynote Speaker is Jennifer Zallen!
And the Scientist/Artist is Beata Mierzwa!

Jennifer A. Zallen, PhD

Member, Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute

Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

https://www.mskcc.org/research/ski/labs/jennifer-zallen/overview

Jennifer Zallen is interested in the generation of tissue structure through the collective actions of cell populations. These organized actions are fundamental to establishing body form and generating the distinct shapes and functions of different organs. Zallen and her team work to understand how multiple cellular processes, including cell polarity, motility, and adhesions, are integrated in tissue remodeling, and how communication between cells modulates these processes so that all members of a population move in the same way. They also study how these processes can be coopted to promote cell movements that lead to tumor cell metastasis.

Beata Edyta Mierzwa, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and University of California (UCSD)

Founder, Beata Science Art

https://beatascienceart.com/

My name is Beata, I am a molecular biologist working on cell division of animal cells. I combine my two passions – science and art – to create unique and unconventional illustrations. During my research, I realized that these two have a great deal in common and that combining these passions creates a unique way to communicate science. I want to add some creativity to the conventional forms of scientific communication, with the aim to spark interest inside and outside the scientific community. My drawings are designed to illustrate scientific themes with an artistic twist, and I aim to highlight fundamental scientific aspects in an unconventional way. I create my drawings for everyone to enjoy – for scientists to appreciate biological findings in a refreshing way, and for non-scientists to discover the beauty in fundamental biological principles.

Every drawing is an experiment!

Invited Speakers
Arun Anantharam, PhD, The University of Toledo
Brendon Baker, PhD, University of Michigan
Sarah Heissler, PhD, The Ohio State University
Antonis Kourtidis, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina
Jaap van Buul, PhD, University of Amsterdam

Short Talks Selected from Abstracts
Babli Adhikary, University of Michigan
Takashi Hotta, PhD, University of Michigan
Shane Kowaleski, Wayne State University
Margaret Utgaard, Loyola University Chicago

Invited Artist
Eric Zeigler, MFA, BFA, Center for Visual Arts, University of Toledo

Please check out Eric's work by visiting https://www.ericzeigler.com/ or by clicking on any of the images below from his upcoming book, instability.