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It was about inspiring the next generation of researchers.

 

The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) successfully hosted the recent California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s (CIRM) Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge (SPARK) conference. The two-day event, held at the Riverside Convention Center, brought together 11 institutions, 115 high school students, and 200 attendees.

 

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The CIRM SPARK conference included a panel discussion moderated by Benjamin Stewart, BCOE director of special initiatives.

The conference included a tour of the UC Riverside campus to showcase the resources and facilities available to students interested in regenerative medicine and stem cell research. Regenerative medicine is a cutting-edge field focused on developing stem-cell-based treatments for serious diseases; such treatments can potentially heal or replace tissues and organs damaged by aging, disease, and defects. CIRM funds California’s extensive stem cell research efforts.

 

“The CIRM SPARK conference provides great opportunities for students to present what they have learned in their summer training programs and network with their peers, mentors, and speakers, as well as CIRM leaders,” said Huinan Liu, the director of the SPARK program at UCR, as well as associate dean for student academic affairs and professor in the Department of Bioengineering. “It’s a great honor to host this conference together with a dedicated, hard-working team. We sincerely appreciate the support from CIRM and UCR leadership, and all the contributors who made this conference an inspiring experience for all students.”

UCR is one of only 11 active sites in California that offer a CIRM SPARK program for high school students.

 

Stem cells are a special type of human cell with the ability to develop into many different cell types and repair damaged tissues. Stem-cell researchers work on developing therapies to treat serious ailments such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and muscular dystrophy.

 

The conference included a CIRM Scholars panel discussion which featured Esmeralda Ruiz-Garcia, CIRM Bridges trainee and PhD student in bioengineering; Sabeen Rasheed, a CIRM SPARK trainee and undergraduate student in biology; Isabella Bagdasarian, a CIRM Scholar and UCR TRANSCEND graduate student trainee; and Daisy Xin, CIRM’s science officer for scientific programs and education. The panel discussion was moderated by Benjamin Stewart, BCOE’s director of special initiatives.

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Student poster presentations were a feature of the CIRM SPARK conference.

 

The conference also featured a tour that included visits to the Mechanical Engineering Design and Development Laboratory (MEDDL) and 

Electrical Engineering MakeRspace, the School of Medicine’s (SOM) Center for Simulated Patient Care, and the Creat’R Lab Makerspace in the Orbach Science Library. Attendees were also provided with a virtual tour of the UC Riverside campus.

 

A key goal of the conference was to provide a platform for participating students to showcase their summer research projects through oral and poster presentations.

 

“Helping with the SPARK conference and the UCR tour for CIRM officials and SPARK students was an enriching experience,” said Janna Soliman, a bioengineering student and RAMP trainee who participated in the tour and conference. “Engaging with them and sharing our campus helped ignite my passion for science and giving back to the scientific community. The tour gave me the opportunity to share vital research at UCR and its significance for the Inland Empire. The conference allowed me to network with professionals and colleagues in regenerative medicine. I enjoyed judging high school students’ posters while engaging with them about their research.”

2024 CIRM SPARK Conference
CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO READ CIRM'S "California high schoolers ignite innovation at 2024 SPARK conference" BLOG POST.

Student research projects ranged from studying novel regenerative therapies for cardiovascular conditions to exploring the potential of stem cells in treating degenerative eye diseases and blood cancers.
 

Other conference highlights included a keynote address by Dr. Esther Caroline McGowan, a SOM health sciences assistant clinical professor and co-director of its Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience (LACE), as well as a pediatric physician.

Other presenters included David Lo, the director of the Bridging Regional Ecology, Aerosolized Toxins, and Health Effects (BREATHE) Center and Center for Health Disparities; and Teresa Cofield, SOM’s director of Pathway Programs.

 

For the first day of the conference, Liu welcomed all students in attendance and congratulated them on their accomplishments. CIRM president and CEO Jonathan Thomas also shared words of encouragement with students. BCOE Dean Christopher Lynch and Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Lidia Kos, delivered welcoming remarks to students at the start of the conference’s second day.

 

“The CIRM SPARK conference was a testament to the remarkable work of the high school students and a celebration of diversity and inclusivity in regenerative medicine,” said CIRM president Thomas. “The program's dedication to providing paid summer internship opportunities to high school students from diverse backgrounds reflects CIRM's commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists and fostering a highly-skilled, regenerative medicine workforce.”

  

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A CIRM SPARK conference participant and student presents his research findings.

UCR currently serves as the site for three CIRM-funded training programs. In addition, the university has been supporting CIRM Bridges training programs and providing training and stem cell research opportunities for students from CSU campuses for over a decade.

 

"What was truly exciting about this conference is that since UC Riverside has three CIRM training grants — SPARK, COMPASS, and CIRM Scholars — members of all these groups contributed to the event,” said Kelly Shepard, CIRM’s director of discovery and education.” They led the tours, provided information to the students, and offered networking and support. I believe everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

To view additional photos from the CIRM SPARK conference, visit the "2024 CIRM SPARK Conference" photo album on BCOE's Flickr page. For further details about the 2024 CIRM SPARK conference, read the "California high schoolers ignite innovation at the 2024 SPARK conference" blog post.

 

Header image: Student participants of the 2024 CIRM SPARK conference post for a group selfie.

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