Regenerative Medicine Symposium

By Janet Z. Li

From April 26th to 27th 2023, graduate students gathered at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel to showcase their groundbreaking research in a two-day symposium as the grand finale to this year’s MSC7000Y course, Regenerative Medicine. Led by the renowned Dr. Sonya MacParland, this highly selective full-year course is an inter-provincial collaboration with limited enrollment spots, drawing students across Canada. Throughout the year, students immersed themselves in a diverse range of topics within the field of regenerative medicine. From exploring key scientific components to delving into ethical and economic considerations, they gained a comprehensive understanding of this groundbreaking discipline.

The symposium kicked off with a riveting keynote speech by the brilliant Dr. Cindi Morshead, titled “Promoting SelfRepair of the Injured Brain: A Stroke of Genius.” In her speech, she touched on the exciting advancements in Metformin (an FDA-approved antidiabetic agent) research, highlighting its potential role in neurogenesis. She also shared fascinating findings from her lab’s work on sex differences in behavioral recovery in mice models and the age-dependent effects on the size of the definitive neural stem cell pool. After the keynote speech, 20 students engaged in 10-minute presentations on their thesis projects in the categories of “Cell Engineering to Promote Recovery,” “Harnessing the Potential of Stem Cells,” “Maternal Health and the Gut Microbiota,” and “Disease Mechanisms and Cell Therapies.” An esteemed panel of judges, including U of T faculty members Drs. Stephen Juvet, Ana Konvalinka, Katheryn Lye, and Shin Ogawa, assessed the students’ presentations.

On the second day, another 21 students took to the stage to showcase their work in 10-minute presentations followed by brief question periods. Once again, talks were separated into categories, this time focusing on “Engineering Approached in Regenerative Medicine,” “Innovations in Organ Transplantation: The Kidney,” “Innovations in Organ Transplantation: The Lungs,” and “Mechanisms in Organ Diseases.” Esteemed U of T faculty members, including Drs. Elmar Jaeckel, Michael Sefton, and Golnaz Karoubi, formed the judging panel for the second day. Dr. Bo Wang delivered an enthralling keynote titled “Opportunities and Challenges of Machine Learning in Regenerative Medicine,” where he explored the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in various aspects of regenerative medicine, including, ex vivo lung perfusion and genomic data acquisition and analysis. He used a relatable analogy of a racecar to explain the importance of ABCDs for AI success, with A for algorithms (engine), B for business (steering), C for computing (wheels), and D for data (oil). He also introduced DeepVelo, a revolutionary method utilizing Graph Convolution Networks (GCNs) to estimate cell-specific dynamics of splicing kinetics in single-cell studies.

Presentations were intermixed with networking coffee breaks where students and guests had the opportunity to chat with physicians, principal investigators, and keynote speakers Many students expressed their delight with the format of the event, as the formal setting created an authentic “conference” environment that enhanced their experience. Heather Booth from the University of Calgary and Grace Riddell from Queens University were chosen as the two winners. Their presentations were titled “Standardization of Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cell Culture Parameters to Maximize Exosome Yield” and “Examining the Effect of Supra-Physiological Insulin in an In Vitro Human Insulin Infusion Cannula Host Response Model”, respectively.

Overall, the Regenerative Medicine Symposium was a success and showcased how MSC7000Y continues to be a standout course within the Training Program in Regenerative Medicine (TRPM). To learn more about the program and the symposium, visit their website at https:// www.regenmedcanada.com/.

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