About the Retreat
Welcome to the 2025 Stanford Pathology Research Retreat. The Retreat will be located at the David and Joan Traitel Building of Hoover Institution on Friday, October 24, 2025. We look forward to seeing you there!
The purpose of our retreat is to allow Stanford Pathology members to become more familiar with the research conducted in the Department, including basic, translational and clinical projects. We hope this will facilitate new opportunities for collaborative studies, research training and enhance prospects for additional funding of such activities.
We welcome all Pathology Faculty, Clinical Educators & Instructors, Fellows & Residents, Trainees, Undergraduate/Graduate Students, Postdocs and Research staff: Life Science Research Professional, Clinical Research Coordinator, Lab Assistant, Life Scientist Technician, Basic Life Research Scientist, Sr. Basic Life Research Scientist, Research Engineers, Research Data Analyst, and more. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Due to space constraints, the Department business staff can attend virtually.
This year's retreat will be live-streamed
Even though you may not be able to attend in person please register for the retreat to receive all information to log on and join us virtually on the day of the retreat.
Schedule of events
- Keynote Speaker: Stephen Galli, MD
- Flash Talks: 3-5 minute research presentations
- Pathology Art: Vote for your favorite research artwork which will be displayed throughout the event.
- A digital version of your abstract/poster will be available to preview for the week leading up to the day of the retreat on the retreat website. This preview session accounts for 50% of the review process of your abstract. Presenters must also present their abstract poster in person at one of the poster sessions at the retreat. Click here to read the complete list of Abstract Guidelines if you plan to present.
*Prizes are to be awarded in seven categories:
- Students
- Postdoctoral Fellows
- Research Associates
- CP Residents
- AP Residents
- Clinical Fellows
- Health Disparity Research
PLEASE NOTE: The committee starts its evaluation process by reviewing the abstracts submitted 3-4 weeks before the day of the retreat. Those that are ranked high in the pool of abstracts submitted per category are then reviewed further in person on retreat day to identify final winners.
*Prizes are determined at the time of the event; please read the eligibility below:
The research was done within the Department of Pathology, either as a graduate student, rotating medical student, post-sophomore fellow, resident, clinical fellow, postdoctoral fellow, research staff in Pathology, instructor, including clinical educator, or senior research scientist. The main PI for your research/abstract is a faculty member or instructor from the Department of Pathology.
Participate in the Pathology Art Contest!
If you wish to contribute, please share a digital image from your clinical or research work that is de-identified and aesthetically pleasing before Monday, October 6, 2025: 5 PM PST. If you have applied any manipulation to the image, it should be uniform throughout the entire image.
During the retreat, you can vote for your top 3 favorite images. The winner will receive a custom-framed metal print of their image from Shiny Prints.
2025 Schedule
Registration Opens for all! |
Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 |
| Registration Closes for all! General Attendees & Abstract Presenters |
Friday, September 26, 2025: 5 PM PST |
| Abstracts are Due! Final date for all abstract presenters to submit abstracts for review |
Friday, September 26, 2025: 5 PM PST |
| Abstract Posters are Due! Final date for all abstract presenters to submit posters for online digital and print |
Monday, October 6, 2025: 5 PM PST Please Note: This year all abstract poster presenters must submit your poster(s) by the required deadline, no exceptions will be made! Presenters will be responsible for picking up their printed poster in Lane L206 before the day of the retreat, and transporting/posting it to your assigned board(s) on the day of the retreat. |
| Pathology Artwork is Due! Last chance to participate in the Pathology Art Contest | Monday, October 6, 2025: 5 PM PST |
Online Preview * of abstract presenter information, abstracts, and online digital posters |
The week of October 20-24, up to and on the day of the Retreat *This preview session accounts for 50% of the review process of your abstract. |
| The Retreat | Friday, October 24, 2025: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm |
If you need a disability-related accommodation to participate in person, please contact the Diversity & Access Office at: disability.access@stanford.edu or [650] 725-0326. Requests should be received at least one week prior to the event/activity.
Previous Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Stanford Pathology Research Retreat
From Left to Right: Mishaal Gardezi, Yuhan Bi, Cristabelle De Souza, Yigit Baykara, Phoebe Hammer, Minami Tokuyama, Alex Chang-Graham, Kristyna Blazkova, Drew Galls, Syed Usman Enam, Alea Delmastro, Lesly Castillo Colin, Madison Yang, Yuanyuan Liu, Rachel Frauces, Alyssa Bradley, Tom Watkins, Laetitia Coassolo, Oliver Wirz, Zhiwei Zhou, Kazuma Sekiba, Maria Dolores Moya-Garzon, Antonio Delgado Gonzalez, Eloise Berson.
Please read the complete list of winners below:
Students
6 prizes awarded
Basil Baccouche, MPhil
[Abstract #3]
"Spatiotemporal Single-Cell Characterization using CODEX Multiplexed Imaging is a Feasible Means of Interrogating Cellular Responses to Myocardial Injury"
Alea Delmastro [Abstract #17]
"The Immunometabolic Topography of Tuberculosis Granulomas Governs Cellular Organization and Bacterial Control"
Syed Usman Enam [Abstract #23]
"A Molecular Metagenomic Screen Reveals Diverse Viral Genomes Containing Non-canonical Bases"
Lesly Castillo Colin [Abstract #11]
"Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy uses Genetically Engineered T-Cells to Target Protein Antigens Specific to Cancers such as Multiple Myeloma and Leukemia"
Peter Du [Abstract #21]
"Intercellular CRISPR Screens using Viral Proximity Barcoding"
Drew Galls [Abstract #26]
"A General RNA-templated RNA Extension Activity of E. coli RNA Polymerase: Possible 3' Extended RNAs That May Originate Via RNA-templated RNA Extension In Vivo"
Postdocs
8 prizes awarded
Eloise Berson, PhD [Abstract #6]
"AI-driven Brain Cell Type Transcriptome Unveils Molecular Signature of Alzheimer’s Resilience and Resistance"
Antonio Delgado Gonzalez, PhD
[Abstract #16]
"Multiparametric Single-cell characterization of the Tumor Microenvironment of Different Ovarian Carcinoma Histotypes"
Maria Dolores Moya-Garzon, PhD [Abstract #64]
"A Novel Family of Ketone Metabolites That Regulate Energy Balance"
Oliver Wirz, PhD [Abstract #93]
"Drivers of Differential Antibody Breadth in SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and Infection"
Kristyna Blazkova, PhD
[Abstract #9]
"Identification of Proteases Produced by Commensal Bacteria of the Human Microbiota that Cleave and Regulate Protease-activated Receptor 2 to Control Pain Signaling in the Gut"
Kamir Hiam-Gálvez, PhD
[Abstract #31]
"Clonally Heritable Gene Expression Determines Exhaustion Differentiation Trajectories of Memory CD8 T Cells"
Kazuma Sekiba, MD, PhD [Abstract #78]
"A Large-scale Metabolomics Screen to Define Pathways for Microbiome-derived Small Molecules"
Zhiwei Zhou, PhD [Abstract #106]
"Plasma Metabolomics Uncovers Characteristic Metabolic Aberrancies and Predictive Biomarkers in Early-onset Crohn's Disease"
Research Associates
6 prizes awarded
Allyssa Bradley [Abstract #10]
"ATF6 is Required for Photoreceptor Segment Formation in Retinal Organoids"
Rachel Frauches, MD [Abstract #25]
"Histological and Immunohistochemical Analysis of Inflammatory Cells in Geographic Atrophy Enucleations"
Yuanyuan Liu, PhD [Abstract #51]
"Gut Bacteria Degrade Purines via the 2,8-dioxopurine Pathway"
Laetitia Coassolo, PhD, PharmD
[Abstract #13]
"BRP, a Secreted Anorexigenic Peptide that Reverses Obesity"
Ramona Hoh, PhD [Abstract #35]
"Oral Immunotherapy Promotes Tolerance to Peanut Allergens Through Multiple B Cell Mechanisms"
Madison Yang, MS [Abstract #100]
"Machine-learning Guided Analysis Reveals Changes in Locomotor Activity in Rodent Models of Parkinson's Disease Not Detectable by Human Observers"
AP Residents
1 prize awarded
Thomas Watkins, MBBS, PhD [Abstract #91]
"Origins and Impact of Extrachromosomal DNA"
CP Residents
1 prize awarded
Tong Wang, MD, PhD [Abstract #90]
"Application of Diagnostic Stewardship to Fungal Polymerase Chain Reaction: Low Yield of Follow-up Testing on Plasma and Bronchoalveolar Lavage After a Negative Result"
AP/CP Residents
2 prizes awarded
Alex Chang-Graham, MD, PhD [Abstract #12]
"Importance of Blood Volume in Myco/F Lytic Culture Vials for Detection of Mycobacteria and Fungi Causing Bloodstream Infections"
Minami Tokuyama, MD [Abstract #84]
"DNA-methylation Profiling of Uterine Mesenchymal Neoplasms"
Clinical Fellows
2 prizes awarded
Phoebe Hammer, MD [Abstract #29]
"POLE-mutated Uterine Carcinosarcomas: A Clinicopathologic and Molecular Study of 11 Cases"
Cooper Rutland, MD [Abstract #73]
"Novel In Situ Hybridization Detection of CRTC1/3::MAML2 fusions and LINC00473 in Mucoepidermoid Carcinomas and Hidradenomas of the Breast, Salivary Gland, and Skin"
Health Disparity Research Awards
4 prizes awarded
Yigit Baykara, MD [Abstract #4]
"The Utility of Suboptimal Dose Granulocyte Transfusions in Treating Infections in Patients with Neutropenia"
Yuhan Bi, PhD [Abstract #8]
"IRE1a-Xbp1- and Creb3L2-Driven Transcriptional Programing as a Rheostat Coordinating the Metabolic Flow Driving HEV Morphology and Function"
Cristabelle De Souza, PhD [Abstract #14]
"Identifying Novel Immune Targets for the Treatment and Reversion of Pathogenic Fibrosis"
Mishaal Gardezi [Abstract #27]
"Spot the Difference: The Feasibility of Low-cost Portable Microscopes as an Alternative to Standard Microscopes For Rapid On-Site Evaluation of Fine Needle Aspirates"
1st Place
Yuhan Bi, PhD
Postdoc, Butcher Lab
"Homing T Cells"
A set of images to show T cell homing to non-mucosal organs including Lung, trachea, Gallbladder, etc. I also provide images to show blood vessels of lymphoid tissues. These images are whole-mount staining with our cutting-edge technology of injecting antibodies I.V. to light up the blood vessels.
— Yuhan
2nd Place
Goonho Park, PhD
Instructor
"Neuronal Serenade"
This image captures the intricate dance between the CA1 and CA2 regions of a brain organotypic slice culture. The red fluorescent signal, driven by a tomato-expressing virus, highlights neurons in the CA2 region, while the green fluorescence marks the CA1 region. The projection of these neurons towards each other symbolizes a profound connection as if they are reaching out to share and communicate—a visual representation of the intricate communication and connection that underlies cognitive function.
— Goonho
3rd Place
Alex Chang-Graham, MD, PhD
Resident, AP/CP
"Don't Drink and Divide"
A compilation of mitotic figures from histologic sections of specimens with cancer.
— Alex
Winners of the 2023 Stanford Pathology Research Retreat
[read more about them below]
Students
5 prizes awarded
Elsa Balfe, BS [Abstract #62]
"New Hope in Treating Chronic Inflammation and Fibrosis- CAR-T Mediated Immunotherapy for Liver Cirrhosis and ILD"
Alex Muselman, BS [Abstract #81]
"Viral Infection Primes Microglia and Induces CVhronic Neuroinflammation"
Zhuang (Max) Miao, PhD [Abstract #90]
"Investigating the Role of TCR Signal Strength in T Cell Differentiation and Exhaustion"
Noah Greenwald
[Abstract #95]
"The Temporal Influence of the Tumor Microenvironment in Response to Checkpoint Blockade"
Drew Galls [Abstract #52]
"The (mis)behavior of E. coli RNA Polymerase on RNA Replicons: Studies on RNA Replication by a Cellular RNA Polymerase"
Postdocs
9 prizes awarded
Cristabelle De Souza, PhD [Abstract #12]
"Targeting CD63 as a Novel Fibrogenic Immune Target for the Treatment of HCC and NASH"
Mohammad Ovais Aziz-Zanjani, Phd [Abstract #49]
"Identification of Phosphorylation Regulatory Mechanisms Driving Beta Cell Insulin Secretion"
Sijie Wang, PhD
[Abstract #59]
"Development of Cyclic Covalent Inhibitors Targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike/ACE2 Protein-Protein Interaction using Phage Display"
Kazuma Sekiba, MD, PhD [Abstract #23]
"Defining Pathways for Microbiome-derived Molecules in Human Circulation: A Genes-to-Metabolites Approach"
Shuke Xiao, PhD
[Abstract #74]
"A Hibernation-induced Molecule that Prevents Hypoglycemia in Bears"
Zhiwei Zhou, PhD
[Abstract #18]
"Plasma metabolomics uncovers characteristic metabolic aberrancies in early-onset Crohn's Disease"
Akila Parvathy Dharshini Sankaraeswaran, PhD [Abstract #51]
"Identifying Resistant and Vulnerable Neuronal Populations in the Human Alzheimer's Disease Neocortex by Single-nuclear RNA Sequencing"
Korina Steinbergs, MD [Abstract #91]
"Novel Blindness-deafness Syndrome Reveals Sensorineural Hearing Loss caused by Variants in ATF6"
Inna Averbukh, PhD [Abstract #75]
"A Spatially Resolved Timeline of the Human Maternal–fetal Interface"
Research Associates
Yuanyuan Liu, PhD [Abstract #35]
"In Vitro Reconstitution of a Seven-step Pathway for Anaerobic Uric Acid Metabolism"
Kausalia Vijayaragavan-Bossé, PhD, MSc
[Abstract #36]
"Single-cell Spatial Proteomic Imaging of Metabolic Changes in Human Neuropathology"
C. Alejandra Morato Torres, MS [Abstract #102]
"Robust dCas9-mediated Downregulation of Alpha-synuclein in a Parkinson’s Mouse Model"
Linh Nguyen [Abstract #86]
"Characterizing the Functions of SMARCB1 in Translation"
AP Residents
1 prize awarded
Sheren Younes, MD, PhD [Abstract #10]
"Spatial Phenotyping of Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma in Transition to Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma"
CP Residents
2 prizes awarded
Priscilla Yeung, MD [Abstract #16]
"Study of Patient Serum Monoclonal Proteins by Biolayer Interferometry coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry"
Theodore Roth, MD, PhD [Abstract #100]
"CRISPR-All: A Unified Genetic Perturbation Language in Human Immune Cells"
AP/CP Residents
3 prizes awarded
Paul Wadsworth, MD, PhD [Abstract #4]
"Multi-Omics Profiling of Skin Biopsies of Patients with Sclerodermatous Graft-Vs-Host Disease Suggests Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Don't Eat Me Signals"
Alex Chang-Graham, MD, PhD [Abstract #19]
"Detection of Adenovirus in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue by qPCR Compared to Immunohistochemistry"
Ben Dulken, MD, PhD [Abstract #9]
"Multiplexed immunofluorescent imaging to interrogate the tumor microenvironment of colorectal adenocarcinoma"
Clinical Fellows
2 prizes awarded
Rachel Frauches, MD [Abstract #69]
"Light Microscopic Comparison between Guttae containing Fuchs' and Non-guttae Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy"
Rabia Bhalli, MD
[Abstract #37]
"Invasive Mammary Carcinoma with Secretory Carcinoma-Like Features: Is ETV6::NTRK3 Definitional?"
1st Place
Steffen H Raun, PhD
Postdoc, Long Lab
"Running the Strings of Exercise"
Exercise has a plethora of health benefits, which we are still trying to understand at a molecular level. This artwork is based on the work led by postdoctoral researcher Wei Wei, PhD, where he and the team described how different tissues and organs secrete very different proteins and peptides during exercise. Each string represent an organ, where the strings move in harmony during exercise to elicit the health benefits of physical activity. The person running the lines is small, as an indication of how little we know about the molecular landscape of exercise. The artwork was drawn as a suggestion for the cover of the journal, where the work is now published.
— Steffen
2nd Place
Philip Bulterys, MD, PhD
Clinical Fellow
"Flow Cytometry Savanna"
This was inspired by seeing a distinct elephant shape while analyzing clinical flow cytometry data. Pathology is a visually stunning field, and flow cytometry is no exception!
— Phil
3rd Place
Sarah Frail
Researcher, Yeh Lab
"Inkblot Biota"
From the crystal shells of diatoms to the complex morphology of apicomplexans, the microbial world is full of diverse beauty. In this piece, we allude to the Victorian era practice of diatom arranging by producing our own composition of diatoms, algae, and apicomplexan parasites stamped into a symmetric pattern. Each stamp was hand-carved in rubber. The pattern was created collaboratively by different members of the lab and department during a social hour. This selection is just a few of our favorite model systems and their cousins, and we hope it represents the diversity, interaction, and intricacy of your favorite biology, too.
— Sarah
Students
Mary Defeo, BS (Abstract #45)
"Bacterial production of the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor ligand, indole acetic acid, and its role in gut microbiota and host metabolism"
John Bennett, BS (Abstract #32)
"Mixed Alkyl/Aryl Phosphonates as Bioisosteres of Phosphate Electrophiles Identify a Novel Essential Serine Hydrolase in Plasmodium falciparum"
Maxim Zaslavsky (Abstract #54)
"Disease diagnostics using machine learning of immune receptors"
Rachel Ungar, BS (Abstract #21)
"Functional impact of rare variants and sex across the x chromosome and autosomes"
Sai Gourisankar, BA, BS (Abstract #64)
"Rewiring Cancer Drivers to Activate Apoptosis"
Amanda Wiggenhorn, BS (Abstract #57)
"Capped peptides are a large family of blood-borne signaling molecules"
Meelad Amouzgar, MS (Abstract #26)
"Supervised dimensionality reduction for exploration of single-cell data by HSS-LDA"
Lina Mohamad (Abstract #65)
"Testing T-Cells From Multiple Donors Simultaneously"
Postdocs
Laetitia Coassolo, PhD, PharmD
(Abstract #3)
"Tissue-based human prohormone prediction identifies an anti-obesity BRINP2-derived peptide"
Kazuma Sekiba, MD, PhD (Abstract #48)
"Unbiased mapping of gut microbial pathways that contribute to human chemistry"
Matteo Guerra, PhD (Abstract #10)
"Erythropoietin (EPO) programs macrophages to suppress antitumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma"
Matthew McCoy, PhD (Abstract #49)
"Gene size expansion during nervous system evolution"
Laurin Heinrich, PhD (Abstract #67)
"Investigating genes within the 22q11.2 deletion region as potential risk factors for Parkinson's disease in human iPSC models"
David van IJzendoorn, MD, PhD
(Abstract #46)
"Interactions in CSF1-driven Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors"
Maria Dolores Moya-Garzon, PhD
(Abstract #71)
"A ketosis inducible metabolite linked to body weight and energy balance"
David Kung-Chun Chiu, PhD (Abstract #10)
"Erythropoietin (EPO) programs macrophages to suppress antitumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma"
Jie Pan, MD, PhD (Abstract #4)
"A new deletion in CSF1R in adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia"
Chris McGinnis, PhD (Abstract #31)
"Temporally-resolved scRNA-seq atlas of PyMT mouse lungs reveals tumor-mediated reprogramming of both infiltrating and tissue-resident myeloid cells during metastatic progression"
Connie Fung, PhD (Abstract #41)
"Tuft cells mediate commensal remodeling of the small intestinal antimicrobial landscape"
Research Associates
Andrey Krokhotin, PhD (Abstract #60)
"Rewiring Cancer Drivers to Activate Apoptosis"
Patricia Favaro, PhD (Abstract #15)
"Unraveling human hematopoietic progenitor cell diversity through association with intrinsic regulatory factors"
Faria Zafar, MS (Abstract #62)
"Alpha-synuclein gene dosage affects neuronal differentiation and cellular stress in human stem cell model of Parkinson’s Disease"
Karen Artiles, PhD (Abstract #16)
"High throughput genomic and transcriptomic approaches to investigate causes of a Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka"
AP Residents
Diane Libert, MD (Abstract #1)
"Effusion tumor cell (ETC) detection from cytology samples following long-term storage" (Please note: this is 1 of 2 abstracts submitted by Diane)
Clinical Fellows
Rebecca Rojansky, MD, PhD (Abstract #27)
"Digital Spatial Profiling Reveals Spatial Heterogeneity in Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma"
CP Residents
Alex Chang-Graham, MD, PhD
(Abstract #39)
"Clinicopathologic Features of Mucinous Adenocarcinoma Arising in Low-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm"
1st Place
Leila DeSchepper, BS
Student, Howitt Lab
"Orgaynoids"
When I first saw this organoid under the lens of a Zeiss confocal, I was transported to another world, one where cytokine-treated colon organoids float blissfully in a sea of Vectashield, their mucus blooms frozen in eternity, waiting to swish away unsuspecting predators. Under the scope, the mucus appears in vibrant orange, spreading its tendrils beyond the organoid's epithelium, where cell nuclei are marked by DAPI and F-actin by phalloidin. Though organoids form a small part of my research on cell interactions in the intestinal epithelium, they are one of my favorite systems, in no small part because of the excitement and suspense I feel each time I turn on the scope, illuminating anew the secrets hidden within the ethereal world of organoids.
— Leila
2nd Place
Philip Bulterys, MD, PhD
Resident AP/CP
"At Slides Edge"
It's hard not to anthropomorphize the little shapes that mounting media makes at histology slide's edge. Always there, never seen. Living out a complex lifecycle replete with life's ups and downs.
— Philip
3rd Place
Sheren Younes, MD, PhD
Research Associate
"Lymphoma Leopard"
Multiplex tissue image, CODEX-MAV software.
— Sheren
Students
Wei Wei (Abstract #2)
Cell type-selective secretome profiling in vivo
Julia Tanzo, BS (Abstract #26)
Vitamin D binding protein is a plasma carrier of N-acyl amino acids
Nicholas Hughes (Abstract #40)
A compact and inducible Cas12a barcode system for simultaneous single-cell lineage recording and transcriptional profiling
Veronica Li, BS (Abstract #21)
N-lactoyl phenylalanine as a molecular transducer of physical activity
YeEun Kim, BS (Abstract #33)
A highly multiplexed single cell proteomic screen reveals the phenotypic and functional landscape of the human lympho-myeloid differentiation axis
Postdocs
Thanaphong Phongpreecha, PhD (Abstract #6)
Single-cell peripheral immunoprofiling of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
Oliver Wirz, PhD (Abstract #46)
Serological profile of COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and effects in transfusing COVID-19 patients
Meng (Gemma) Zhao, PhD (Abstract #13)
Identification of a novel extracellular regulator of hepatic fructose transport
Research Associates
Sandra Nielsen, PhD (Abstract #10)
Human B cell clonal expansion and convergent antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2
Katharina Roeltgen, PhD (Abstract #37)
Defining the features and duration of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with disease severity and outcome
AP Residents
Joshua Wheeler, MD, PhD (Abstract #5)
RNA-binding proteins direct myogenic cell fate decisions
Clinical Fellows
Steven Baker, MD, PhD (Abstract #18)
Lung angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression increases with age in patients requiring mechanical ventilation
CP Residents
Hannah Wang, MD (Abstract #20)
SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid plasma antigen for the diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19
Student
Pagé Goddard, BS (Abstract #32)
Transcriptional diversity in the African functional genomics resource