Science Without Boundaries: BIDMC Research Retreat Showcases Innovation and Collaboration
More than 600 investigators came together at BIDMC’s Research Retreat on September 9, a vibrant showcase of science, collaboration, and innovation. The day-long event featured keynote talks from world-renowned scientists, flash talks from new faculty, poster presentations across disciplines, and a showcase of entrepreneurial research through the popular Pitch It! Competition.
After welcoming remarks from BIDMC/BILH Chief Academic Officer Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, and BIMDC President Peter J. Healy, who is also Divisional President, Metro Boston for Beth Israel Lahey Health, eight New Faculty Flash Talks highlighted exciting new science now underway in some of BIDMC’s newest labs.
The speakers included; Daniel Hochbaum, PhD, an assistant professor of endocrinology in the department of medicine; Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster, PhD, an assistant professor of in the department of medicine, virology & vaccine research; Chenxi Qiu, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of neurology; Nara Michaelson, MD, an assistant professor in the department of neurology; Elena Piskounova, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of pathology; Jingyi Wu, PhD, an assistant professor of genetics in the department of medicine; Young-Kwon Hong, PhD, an assistant professor of vascular biology in the department of surgery; and Steven Grover, PhD, a staff scientist II in the department of medicine, hemostasis & thrombosis.
The morning keynote featured George Church, PhD, gene sequencing pioneer and one of the most influential scientists of his generation. Church, who holds appointments at Harvard, MIT, and the Wyss Institute, spoke on Toward Affordable Protein, Gene, Cell & Organ Therapies. His talk, which looked back over his long career as well as into the future, reminded the crowd that ideas once considered science fiction are already shaping today’s medicine.
Ronald Kahn, MD, of Joslin Diabetes Center, delivered the afternoon keynote, New Insights into Insulin Action and Insulin Resistance: From Molecules to Human Disease. He noted that while insulin was discovered more than a century ago, it wasn’t until 1971 that scientists identified its receptors on the surface of cells, and a decade after that that Kahn and others demonstrated how insulin binding to these receptors—present on nearly every cell—triggers a precisely coordinated release of hormones and enzymes. This signaling cascade is now well understood, Kahn said, “but we continue to learn new things all the time,” including insulin’s role in regulating not only digestion and appetite, but also mood and behavior.
A special plenary session highlighted the legacy of discovery in diabetes and metabolism research and the impact of collaborations across institutions. Honored guest Harold F. Dvorak, MD, founding director of BIDMC’s Center for Vascular Biology Research, reflected on his pivotal discovery of VEGF, a protein critical to wound healing and tumor biology. George King, MD, Director of Research and Senior Vice President at Joslin Diabetes Center, and Connie Tsao, MD, MPH, Director of Cardiac MRI in BIDMC’s Cardiovascular Division, described their collaboration to uncover why even well-managed Type 1 diabetes carries elevated cardiovascular risk, combining long-term clinical data with advanced imaging.
Pioneering endocrinologist Barbara Kahn, MD, vice chair for research strategy at BIDMC, described an ongoing collaboration between her lab and that of Joslin’s Rohit Kulkarni. The investigators are focusing on signaling lipids known as fatty acid hydroxy fatty acids (of FAHFAs), and a specific subtype known as PAHSAs. These lipids play a number of starring roles in the body—all of them seemingly desirable; regulating appetite, tamping down inflammation, decreasing cellular senescence. “How can these lipids have so many effects in different tissues?” Kahn asked.
The afternoon featured four concurrent sessions showcasing recent highlights and leading edge research across diverse fields. In Immunology, moderated by Barbara Wegiel, PhD, DSc, and Maria Serena Longhi, MD, PhD, presenters included Joji Fujisaki, MD, PhD; Vicki Boussiotis, MD, PhD; and Sizun Jiang, PhD. The Neuroscience session, led by moderators Veronica VanderHorst, MD, and Hsueh-Sheng Chiang, MD, PhD, featured talks from Recep Ozdemir, PhD; Maria Mavrikaki, PhD; and Hanneke Verstegen, PhD. In Cancer, moderated by Jacalyn Rosenblatt, MD, and Bruno Bockorny, MD, speakers included Alex Toker, PhD; Peter Tsvetkov, PhD; Giulia Cheloni, PhD; and Andrea Bullock, MD. The Community-Based Clinical Research and Epidemiology session, moderated by Martina Porter, MD, and Elysia Larson, ScD, highlighted research by Anna Modest, PhD, MPH; Dhruv Kazi, MD; and Kelly Graham, MD, MPH.
This year, the ever-popular Pitch It! Competition in which BIDMC investigators present innovative projects aimed at translating discoveries into real-world impact took on new significance as a key component of the recently launched Ignition Grants program. Backed by philanthropic and institutional support from the Office of the Chief Academic Officer and managed by the Technology Ventures Office, the program provides up to $100,000 in funding over six to 12 months to advance promising innovations toward commercialization. By linking Pitch It! directly to the Ignition Grants, BIDMC is transforming the competition from a showcase of ideas into a critical step in selecting projects that will receive funding to reach major development milestones and attract industry interest.
Of the 28 applicants this year, three special guest judges selected six finalists, of whom four presented in the Pitch It! Showcase. The Special Guest Judges—Mark Tepper, PhD, President & CEO, Eumentis Therapeutics, Inc, and BIDMC Venture Mentor; Michael Draper, PhD, SVP, Academic Partnerships at Evotec-LAB eN(Superscript)2 Program; and Uciane Scarlett, PhD, Former Principal, MPM Capital and Oxford Sciences Enterprises—and BIDMC’s internal Faculty Review Committee selected the following three projects to receive the 2025 Ignition Grants:
- Aaron Hakim, MD: GalNAc-siRNA Conjugates Against a Novel, Genetically-Validated Target for Chronic Liver Disease
- Antoine E. Karnoub, PhD: RNA Therapeutics Targeting POGK in Cancer
- Chenxi Qiu, PhD: Cis P-tau Conformation-Specific Antibody for Treatment of Vascular Dementia
Nearly 200 poster presentations spanning five categories filled the atrium and Pechet Room of the Martin Center, highlighting the scope and strength of research across BIDMC. Throughout the day, attendees had the chance to explore colleagues’ basic science, clinical research, translational research, and health outcomes projects, possibly opening the door to future collaborations. Several HMS students who participated in the HMS - BIDMC Shapiro Scholars Summer Research program also presented posters. The event concluded with awards celebrating excellence and innovation in research. The CAO’s office congratulates Martina Porter, MD, and Rick Cummings, PhD, co-chairs of the 2025 Research Retreat, the members of the scientific program and operations committee, BIDMC leadership, and the many volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the 2025 BIDMC Research Retreat a great success.