2026 Midwest C. elegans Meeting
The 2026 Midwest C. elegans Meeting will be held April 17, 2026, at Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The program will include presentations from researchers across the C. elegans field and a poster session, with a distinguished keynote speaker.
Keynote Speaker
Arjumand Ghazi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
For questions or to be added to our email list, please contact Allison Baker.
- 9:30 a.m. Opening Remarks
- 9:35 a.m. Keynote Address
- 10:35 a.m. Break
- 11 a.m. Session One
- 12 p.m. Lunch
- 1 p.m. Poster Session
- 2:45 p.m. Session Two
- 3:45 p.m. Break
- 4:15 p.m. Session Three
- 5:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Award Presentation
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Arjumand Ghazi, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology & Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) and Co-Director of the Genetics, Genomics and Development Center (G3C). Her research focuses on the genetics of aging, particularly genes and pathways linking reproductive fitness to lifespan and healthspan. Her lab has made foundational discoveries in aging biology, including demonstrations that reproductive dysfunction triggers whole-body aging and that pro-longevity genes can contextually impair healthspan. She is a recipient of an Academic Leadership Award from the NIA to establish the Pittsburgh Pipeline for Research, Education & Mentoring in Reproductive Aging (Pitt-PRAM). Her work has been funded by the NIH, Ellison Medical Foundation, AFAR, and is currently supported by awards from the NIAID, NIA and the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equity.
Besides research, Dr. Ghazi is deeply committed to graduate education and junior faculty mentoring. She serves as an Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies at UPSOM and is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators.
Poster abstracts may be submitted during registration through March 2. For questions or to be added to our email list, please contact Allison Baker.
Abstract format
Submitted abstracts should represent original research. The title should be brief and descriptive, and the body should include rationale, methods and results. Please prepare abstracts using the below template.
Poster dimensions
Posters should be 60 in. x 40 in. Pushpins will be provided.
Questions?
Questions regarding abstract submission, posters, or the poster session can be directed to Allison Baker.
TITLE OF ABSTRACT IN ALL CAPS (STYLE = TITLE)
Presenting Author1,2, Other Author1, and Last Author1,3(Style = Authors)
1First Dept., Institution, City, State, Country, 2Second Dept., Institution, City, State, Country, and 3Last Dept., Institution, City, State, Country (Style = Affiliations)
Body of abstract using 300 words or less. Define each abbreviation at first use. All fonts should be Arial, 11 pt. and text should be single-spaced. Once you have filled in this template, choose File>Save As and save your file as a Word document (.doc or .docx) with the filename lastname_abstract. (Style = Body)
EXAMPLE
A MOTHER TO OFFSPRING METABOLIC LINK
Nick Burton1
1Department of Metabolic and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Assistant Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Van Andel Institute
Dr. Nick Burton explores how our environment, especially microbes, can impact our health and the health of our offspring — even before they are born. His research has extensive implications for understanding how epigenetics contributes to human disease and how the environment we are exposed to today affects not only our own health, but also our children’s.
Associate Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Van Andel Institute
Dr. Maulik Patel studies how cells handle, store and expend energy, with a focus on how this intricate process, connected with metabolism and nutrition, interacts with other systems to influence health, disease and aging. His research centers on cellular “powerhouses” called mitochondria, which support day-to-day function and, when faulty, contribute to rare, devastating diseases in children and common degenerative conditions in aging adults.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences at Missouri S&T
Dr. Andrea Scharf specialized in the study of aging as a life history trait and its impact on population dynamics. Her lab integrates cellular, organismal, and population-level biology to uncover the mechanisms driving life history traits like aging, with a focus on (1) the impact of aging on population dynamics, (2) premature aging induced by environmental factors, and (3) inter-individual communication of environmental effects within populations.
Event Details
Contact Info:
Email: Allison Baker
