Michigan Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group Annual Symposium
The Michigan Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group Annual Symposium will highlight the latest advances in mass spectrometry, with a focus on collaboration and training. Through a combination of research presentations, flash talks and networking opportunities, attendees will explore innovative mass spec applications, discuss technical challenges and learn about what’s next in the field.
About the Michigan Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group
The Michigan Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group is a motivated community of interdisciplinary scientists that fosters education, training and expertise in the mass spectrometry field. Acting as a platform for collaboration, the group connects scientists across academia and industry to explore new mass spectrometry applications, troubleshoot problems and kick-start new ideas.
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Yale University
Dr. Malaker is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Yale University. Her laboratory is focused on establishing methods and technology to study mucins, a class of densely O-glycosylated extracellular proteins, by MS. Additionally, the laboratory studies mucins in a biological context, since these proteins play integral, yet poorly understood, roles in numerous diseases. Prior to her appointment at Yale, she received her B.S. from the University of Michigan in Biochemistry and Anthropology-Zoology. Dr. Malaker then went on to receive her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Virginia in the laboratory of Professor Donald Hunt. She continued to investigate the role of aberrant glycosylation in cancer as an NIH postdoctoral fellow in Professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s laboratory at Stanford University before starting at Yale in 2021 and being promoted with tenure in 2026.
Poster abstracts may be submitted during registration through Feb. 13, 2026. For questions or to be added to our email list, please contact Courtney Zirkle.
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 Courtney Zirkle.
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.
March 18, 2026
Opening Remarks
Van Andel Institute
Keynote Introduction
Van Andel Institute
Keynote Address
Yale University
Pioneering biomarker discovery through exploration of mucin glycoproteins
Keynote Q & A
Break
Riley Wedan
Van Andel Institute
Uncovering NDUFAB1 acylation dynamics
Poster Previews
Paul Kennedy, Ph.D. | Talk Title: Application of a targeted lipidomics method to study cardiolipin remodeling
David Alonso, Ph.D. | Talk Title: Characterization of organic compounds in urine for the annotation of potential prostate cancer biomarkers
Hyoungjoo Lee, Ph.D. | Talk Title: A derivatization-free parallel reaction monitoring-based proteomics workflow for quantitative, site-specific analysis of histone post-translational modifications
Aidan Reynolds
Michigan State University
Isomer-specific distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in hepatic zonation in mouse
Poster Previews
Remco van Soest | Talk Title: High sensitivity identification of N-linked glycopeptides in human plasma using alternative fragmentation
Sumana Parvin | Talk Title: Enhancing neurotransmitter detection with nubble-assisted DESI-MS
Maryam Goudarzi, Ph.D. | Talk Title: From ions to insight: practical mass spectrometry workflows for metabolomics interpretation
Lunch
Tours of VAI’s Core Technologies and Services will be available during lunch. Please check in at the registration desk to join a tour.
Poster Session
Alyssa Erlenbeck
University of Michigan
Native ion mobility-mass spectrometry captures antibody-cytokine complexes and
detects variability among TNF⍺ antagonists
Erik Peterson, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging to visualize cancer metabolism
Luke Collier
University of Michigan
The dicamba dilemma: pollinator gut metabologenomics reveals metabolite and microbial perturbation in Apis mellifera, Bombus impatiens, and Vespula vulgaris
Reyhane Nimavard
Michigan State University
Complementary LC–MS/MS and CZE–MS/MS for bottom-up characterization of kinase-treated tau isoforms
Break
Workshops
Molly Hopper, Ph.D. & Hannah Bremer, Ph.D. | Young Mass Spectrometrists: Identifying areas new scientists in MI need the most support
Ryan Sheldon, Ph.D. | Collaborating with Core Facilities, a discussion
Workshops Conclude
Event Details
Contact Info:
Email: Courtney Zirkle
Thanks to our wonderful sponsors!
Scientific Sponsors
Discovery Sponsor
