
The Ontario Cell Biology Symposium brings together researchers from around the province with the aim of creating new research opportunities and fostering new collaborations. This Symposium aims to provide a forum for students and postdoctoral fellows to present their research. This meeting will cover important topics in cell biology, including signal transduction, metabolism, organelles, cellular architecture, cellular trafficking and advanced microscopy, with a portion of the meeting dedicated to translational studies and emerging methodologies. We aim to create an inclusive environment for this meeting, and one that will feature diverse participants.
In 2022, the Fourth Annual Ontario Cell Biology Symposium will be held in person at University of Toronto, with an option for full virtual attendance of talks and posters. The meeting will be held from Aug. 16-17, 2022.
The Symposium will feature Keynote talks from leaders in cell biology and related fields. The majority of talks will be selected from the submitted abstracts, with priority given to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers. Additional opportunities for poster presentation will be provided for abstracts not selected for oral presentations, as space permits. Abstract submission and registration are open.
The following deadlines will apply:
Abstract submission deadline to be considered for a talk or poster: July 19th, 2022 (extended by 4 days from initial deadline of July 15th).
Abstract submission deadline to be considered for a poster only (space capacity permitting): August 1st, 2022.
Registration deadline (no abstract submission) *: August 8th, 2022
* registration may close sooner for in-person attendance if the capacity for the venue is reached.
All attendees must register before the conference.
KEYNOTE LECTURES AND OTHER PRESENTATIONS
We are delighted that the 2022 Ontario Cell Biology Symposium will feature two fantastic keynote speakers (Drs. Ana Maria Cuervo and Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez) as well as >25 presentations by students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers from Ontario and beyond!
ANA MARIA CUERVO
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (virtual presentation)

RODRIGO FERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ
University of Toronto

OUR SPONSORS
We are very grateful for the sponsors of the Ontario Cell Biology Symposium 2022!

TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY - FACULTY OF SCIENCE

THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH - DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY

QUORUM TECHNOLOGIES

DIAMED

SARTORIUS

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR GENETICS

WE SPARK HEALTH INSTITUTE

YORK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SCIENCE

JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
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DONNELLY CENTRE FOR CELLULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR RESEARCH

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - DEPARTMENT OF CELL AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY

CEDARLANE
PROGRAM
We are pleased to share the program for the 2022 Ontario Cell Biology Symposium.
Aug. 16
2:00-3:00 Registration
3:00 Welcome address
3:15-3:55 Keynote talk 1: Dr. Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez (University of Toronto) “Collective cell migration: cellular and molecular dynamics at the leading edge”
3:55-5:30 Talks selected from abstracts 1
3:55-4:10 Golam T. Saffi (University of Toronto) “INPP4B regulates lysosome functions in PDAC cells”
4:10-4:25 Safia Omer (University of Toronto Scarborough) “Ninein expression and involvement in phagocytosis in macrophages”
4:25-4:40 Mihir Pandya (Toronto Metropolitan University) “Structural and functional basis for CesT dependent EspJ secretion”
4:40-4:55 Sukanthathulse Uthayabalan (Western University) “Insights into Magnesium Transporter MRS2 Structure, Function and Regulation”
4:55-5:10 Jonah Burke-Kleinman (University of Toronto) “Can targeting N-cadherin allow cell-type selective restenosis inhibition?
5:10-5:25 Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima (York University) “Investigating the immunopathogenesis cellular-level dynamics Plasmodium falciparum: Mathematical approach”
6:30-10:00 Reception (tentative, pending venue availability)
Aug 17
8:30 Arrival, registration, and poster setup
9:00 Welcome address
9:10-9:50 Keynote talk 2: Dr. Ana Maria Cuervo (Albert Einstein College of medicine) “Selective autophagy: far beyond cellular cleaning”
9:50-10:50 Talks selected from abstracts 2
9:50-10:05 Zsuzsanna Lichner (St Michael's Hospital) “Epithelial fibrogenesis in polycystic kidney disease: central role for RhoA-mediated activation of myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF)”
10:05-10:20 Jazlyn Borges (Hospital for Sick Children) “NINJ1 forms large pore-like structures within the plasma membrane during pyroptosis”
10:20-10:35 Thomas Panagiotou (University of Toronto) “DNA-sensing phosphatase pathway overcomes the abscission checkpoint for successful cytokinesis”
10:35-10:50 Rohankrisna Harikumar (St Michael's Hospital) “RhoA mediates mitochondrial fragmentation upon the loss of Polycystin 1 or 2”
10:50-11:15 Coffee break and vendor show
11:15-12:25 Talks selected from abstracts 3
11:15-12:00 Lightning talks
Cecilia Gimenez (University of Toronto Scarborough) “Birnaviruses’ trip toward their replication niche, an endosome-to-Golgi journey”
Victoria Riccio (Hospital for Sick Children) “Elucidating the roles of PEX13 and PEX14 in relation to PEX5 recruitment and matrix protein import”
Nour-Zaynab Bazzi (Toronto Metropolitan University) “Role of introns and splicing in the regulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis”
Feiyang Cai (McGill University) “The role of mTOR pathway in the combination therapy of belvarafenib and cobimetinib in melanoma”
Fereshteh Younesi (St. Michael’s Hospital) “Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Memorize Transcription Profiles and Epigenome of Past Mechanical Environment”
Aminmohamed Manji (Western University) “The role of aging on microvascular endothelial barrier function within the lungs”
Em Miraglia (Hospital for Sick Children) “Loss of intestinal peroxisomes increases susceptibility to Citrobacter rodentium infection in mice”
Kaitlyn Neuman (McMaster University) “New Developments in Image Analysis of Mitochondrial Morphology in Patient-Derived Models of Huntington Disease”
Marina Sertsis (Western University) “ER-localized Pannexin 2 isoform 202 regulates mitochondria function in epidermal keratinocytes”
Vida Maksimoska (St. Michael’s Hospital) “Exploring mechanisms whereby Ag373K, a new antimicrobial drug augments keratinocyte migration”
Fernando Valencia (University of Toronto) “Mechanical activation of Dia1 protects the cytoskeleton from damage, enabling cell fate commitment”
12:00-12:15 Tamara Maiuri (McMaster University) “Poly ADP ribose signaling is dysregulated in Huntington's disease”
12:15-12:30 Sina Fatehi (Hospital for Sick Children) “Correcting Multi-Exonic Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Deletions Using a CRISPR/Cas9-Based Knock-in System
12:25-1:15 Lunch
1:15-3:00 Poster session and vendor show
3:00-5:00 Talks selected from abstracts 4
3:10-3:25 Thomas Hurd (University of Toronto) “Mitochondrial DNA quality control in the female germline requires a unique programmed mitophagy”
3:25-3:40 Rachel Wilson (Western University) “A new function for an old protein: metabolic regulation by elongation factor 1A1”
3:40-3:55 Isabelle Hinch (University of Windsor) “Normal Mammary Development and Breast Cancer Susceptibility: The Role of Spy1 During Involution”
3:55-4:10 Laura Orofiamma (Toronto Metropolitan University) “Metabolic control of clathrin-mediated endocytosis by AMPK impacts integrin traffic and cell migration”
4:10-4:25 Firyal Ramzan (University of Waterloo) “Acylation of a small protein regulates VCP function and toxicity in VCP disease”
4:25-4:40 Hayley Smith (University of Guelph) “ShcD adaptor protein modulates EGFR signalling and invasion in breast cancer cells”
4:40-4:55 Wen-Hsin Hsu (Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute) “Deciphering the mechanism of cytoskeletal cross-talk in the regulation of centrosome positioning”
5:00-5:30 Awards and closing remarks
COVID-19 POLICIES
For the Ontario Cell Biology Symposium, we aim to provide those attending in person with a conference that has measures in place that aim to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. To do so, we will have the following measures in place:
1) We require all in person conference attendees to wear a mask while attending the conference sessions, including the talks and the poster sessions. Masks may be reasonably removed when consuming food or beverages.
2) Outdoor space will be available for those wishing to eat lunch and/or consume refreshments outdoors.
3) We will ask all attendees at the time of registration carefully read this COVID-19 screening questionnaire. Anyone that responds “YES” to questions 1-2 and/or that qualifies for federal quarantine after travel (as per question 3) is asked NOT to attend the Symposium in person.
4) We encourage all conference attendees to considering taking a COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) shortly before attending the Symposium. To help promote this testing, we will have some COVID-19 RAT kits available for attendees at the registration desk.
5) The conference has options for either in person or virtual attendance. Should anyone that registered to attend in person not be able to attend (e.g. as a result of the COVID-19 screening questionnaire or a RAT result), virtual attendance will be made available. Any speaker that was scheduled to present in person can also be transferred to a virtual talk should the need arise.
2022 PRESENTATION AWARD WINNERS
SESSION 1:
FIRST PLACE: JONAH BURKE-KLEINMAN
RUNNER-UP: SUKANTHATHULSE UTHAYABALAN
SESSION 2:
FIRST PLACE: JAZLYN BORGES
RUNNER-UP: SINA FATEHI
SESSION 3:
FIRST PLACE: FERNANDO VALENCIA
RUNNER-UP: EM MIRAGLIA
SESSION 4:
FIRST PLACE: LAURA OROFIAMMA
RUNNER-UP: WEN-HSIN HSU AND ISABELLE HINCH
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND CONTACTS
The organizing committee for the 2022 Ontario Cell Biology Symposium is:
Lisa Porter (University of Windsor)
Nica Maria Borradaile (Western University)
Shaiya Robinson (McMaster University)
Kafi Ealey (Hospital for Sick Children)
Taylor Morriseau (University of Manitoba)
Andrew Wilde (University of Toronto)
Peter Kim (Hospital for Sick Children)
Shaun Sanders (University of Guelph)
Jonathan Lee (University of Ottawa)
Mike Scheid (York University)
Costin Antonescu (Toronto Metropolitan University)
For more information, please contact ontariocellbiology@gmail.com