Event Information

This year marks the 31st anniversary of CHOP Research Poster Day, an annual celebration of the groundbreaking research happening throughout Children's Hospital. This event includes poster presentations from trainees and research staff who will share their exciting discoveries with the CHOP community. Please join us in acknowledging the valuable contributions of the next generation of pediatric scientists and clinicians.

General Information

Abstract submission is required for displaying a poster at this event. Please note that we will not be able to accommodate presenters who have not submitted an abstract.

  • A maximum of 114 abstracts will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Submissions on all scientific topics, including those outside of this year's theme, are welcome.
  • Abstract submission will open on Monday, March 4, 2024. The deadline is 11:59pm on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
  • Participants may only submit one abstract.
  • All researchers-in-training and research staff are welcome to participate. Principal Investigators, Instructors, and Attending Physicians are not eligible to display a poster.
  • Poster Day presenters are invited to have their abstracts reviewed for consideration for the 2024 Science Slam competition. Selected abstract presenters will be invited to give Science Slam flash talk presentations during the Scientific Symposium on Wednesday, May 1st, with the opportunity to be awarded a monetary prize. We welcome submissions on all scientific topics, including those outside of this year's theme. You will be invited to opt into the Science Slam competition when you submit your CHOP Research Poster Day abstract.

Poster Guidelines

  • Work presented at previous scientific events may be submitted.
  • Presenting authors should submit the abstract, assemble the poster, and present the poster on the day of the event.
  • Posters must be mounted on 60" x 40" boards (boards and easels will be provided) and must fit within this 60" x 40" area. Landscape is the preferred poster orientation.
  • Pushpins will be provided for poster mounting.
  • Poster presentations will be divided into 2 sessions this year. Poster Session A will take place on Tuesday, April 30th from 2:30 - 4:00pm and Poster Session B will take place on Wednesday, May 1st from 10:00 - 11:30am.
  • Participants can indicate their preferred poster session time when submitting their abstract. Selected time slots are not guaranteed.
  • While not required, Research Creative Services is available to assist with poster design or printing. Please contact them at researchcomm@chop.edu. A poster template is available here.

Judging

  • All participants submitting an abstract will be judged. There will be no display-only option.
  • Participants choose from one of two tracks at the time of abstract submission: Patient-oriented (clinical, human subjects) or Laboratory-based (basic, wet bench). Translational studies could fall into either category at the discretion of the abstract author.
  • Judging and prizes will be uniform for each track and multiple cash prizes of $250 will be awarded.
  • Each participant is evaluated on scientific merit, visual presentation, and oral presentation. Judges are asked to select one presenter from his or her assigned posters to be considered for an award. Judges are required to visit every poster and are encouraged to provide feedback to participants during the judging period.
  • A $1,000 medical device development travel grant will also be presented to the participant displaying the most promising research related to a pediatric medical device, sponsored by the FDA supported Pennsylvania Pediatric Medical Device Consortium (PPDC) at CHOP.
  • Judging will be split into two sessions: Tuesday, April 30th from 2:30 - 4:00pm for Session A posters and Wednesday, May 1st between 10:00 - 11:30am for Session B posters. You will be notified of your time slot after abstract submission closes. The reception and poster awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 1st at 4:30pm in the Hub Lobby.

Poster session questions can be directed to the Office of Academic Training and Outreach Programs at ATOP@chop.edu.

The theme of the 2024 symposium is "Neuroscience 2024: Mechanisms and Emerging Therapies for Brain Disorders of Childhood" and will focus on the advancements that CHOP researchers have made in this exciting arena. Joseph Gleeson, MD, Rady Professor, University of California San Diego and director of Neuroscience Research at the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, will provide the keynote address. In addition, Hongkui Zeng, PhD, executive vice president and director of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, will be delivering a presentation, hosted by the Omics Initiative and Damien Fair, PhD, Professor in the Institute of Child Development and Redleaf Endowed Director for the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain at the University of Minnesota will be delivering the Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds.

Featured Speakers

Keynote

Joseph G. Gleeson, MD
Rady Professor of Neuroscience
Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine
Laboratory for Pediatric Brain Disease
Chief Medical Officer, n-Lorem Foundation
University of California San Diego
jogleeson@ucsd.edu

Dr. Gleeson trained clinically in child neurology and genetics at the University of Chicago and Boston Children's Hospital. He directs the Laboratory for Pediatric Brain Disease at the University of California, San Diego, and Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine. His research is focused on genetic brain diseases, with the goal of discovering causes, uncovering mechanisms, and developing new treatments. Projects include: 1] Genetic mosaicism in the developing brain. 2] Patient-derived brain organoids to model disease. 3] Gene-environment interactions as a cause for neural tube defects. 4] Novel therapeutics in treating brain disease including antisense oligonucleotides. He is an Investigator with the Simons Foundation for Autism Research, Chief Medical Officer of the n-Lorem Foundation, and a member of the US National Academy of Science Institute of Medicine.

Sponsored by Omics Initiative

Hongkui Zeng, PhD
Executive Vice President and Director of the Allen Institute for Brain Science

Hongkui Zeng is Executive Vice President and Director of Allen Institute for Brain Science. Since joining the Allen Institute in 2006, she has led several efforts to develop and operate high-throughput pipelines to generate large-scale, open-access datasets and tools to accelerate neuroscience discovery. Her current research interests are in understanding neuronal diversity and connectivity in the mouse brain-wide circuits and how different cell types work together to process and transform information. Through her leadership of multiple scientific teams at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, she has built several research programs using transcriptomic, connectomic and multimodal approaches to characterize and classify the wide variety of cell types that constitute the mammalian brain, laying the foundation for unraveling the cell type basis of brain function. Her work has led to widely adopted community resources and standards, including transgenic mouse lines, Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas, the Common Coordinate Framework (CCF), and the brain-wide transcriptomic cell type taxonomy and atlas.

Zeng received her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from Brandeis University, where she studied the molecular mechanisms of the circadian clock in fruit flies. As a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she studied the molecular and synaptic mechanisms underlying hippocampus-dependent plasticity and learning. She has received many honors, including the 2016 AWIS Award for Scientific Advancement, the 2018 Gill Transformative Investigator Award, and the 2023 Pradel Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences. She has served on multiple committees and advisory boards, including the Society for Neuroscience Program Committee, the Advisory Board of Cell and Neuron, and the National Advisory Mental Health Council. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/about/team/staff-profiles/hongkui-zeng/

Google Scholar

The Networking Lunch on May 1st, 2024 is generously sponsored by the CHOP Omics & Big Data Initiative.

The CHOP Omics & Big Data Initiative is bringing us closer to our vision to:

  • Lead in developing new omics-based diagnostics and therapeutics for children
  • Be the destination of choice for the diagnosis and treatment of complicated diseases using omics technology

Our vision focuses on further developing, accelerating, and optimizing our omics expertise and infrastructure through the accomplishment of six strategic objectives:

  1. Accelerate development of an industry-leading data platform and sharing model
  2. Expand and accelerate basic and translational research and CHOP-sponsored clinical trials
  3. Create a more integrated precision medicine clinical environment
  4. Optimize in-house diagnostic portfolio to focus on differentiated services & financial stewardship
  5. Introduce new training and career development programs to attract and retain the best talent
  6. Pursue strategic external partnerships to accelerate clinical and research efforts
Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds

Damien Fair, PhD
Professor in the Institute of Child Development and Redleaf Endowed Director for the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain
University of Minnesota

Dr. Damien Fair is a prominent neuroscientist known for his groundbreaking research in understanding the development and function of the human brain. With a diverse background in psychology, neuroscience, and computational modeling, Dr. Fair has dedicated his career to unraveling the complexities of the brain's organization and connectivity. His work has not only shed light on typical brain development but also provided insights into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD. As a prolific author and sought-after speaker, Dr. Fair continues to push the boundaries of our understanding of the brain, paving the way for advancements in both basic neuroscience and clinical applications.

Planning Committee Members