Annual Research Retreats, Symposia, and Workshops

Our most recent research retreat and workshops are found at the top of this page. Previous retreats are marked as archived, with active links maintained below.

2026 Symposium & Workshops

2026 Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences & Bioengineering Symposium + Workshops was jointly hosted the week of June 22nd by the NSF EMBRIO Biology Integration Institute, the NSF RECODE project at the University of Notre Dame, and the newly formed ND-MBI (Notre Dame Morphogenetic Bioengineering Initiative). With 90 attendess from 12 universities, the purpose was to bring together visionary researchers working at the intersection of mechanobiology, morphogenesis, physiology and mechanics, and AI in biology.

The symposium fostered collaboration to explore transformative ideas in understanding how multicellular systems coordinate signals across spatial and temporal scales to build, maintain, and repair complex tissues. 

 By integrating cutting-edge experimental approaches—including advanced imaging, organoid platforms, and quantitative biosensors—with AI-enhanced computational modeling and predictive "digital twin" frameworks, the symposiu showcased interdisciplinary advances that bridge developmental biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Featuring plenary sessions, a trainee poster session, and discussions on innovations in image analysis, the symposium helped form new partnerships and define emerging directions in morphogenetic bioengineering with vast translational potential for wound healing, cancer biology, and precision health applications. 

Symposium logo by Brenda Cruz González

Event Slide Show (mp4)

Group photo of trainees, faculty, and staff (not all participants could be present for the photo)

Research Poster Competition Results

Nearly 30 research posters were presented during two sessions. A committee of five faculty, with no trainees involved in the presentations, judged the posters for design and organization of poster elements, overall strength of research content, presentation communication and effectiveness.

Tools for Cells and Tissues Team Workshop - Top Three Teams

Close to 50 trainees, research scientists, and faculty formed eight interdisciplinary teams on a two day sprint to solve problems or create new methods using AI for image analysis. Teams presented their results to a panel of judges the evening of day two, with the following top three teams being presented certificates at the symposium. Much progress was made toward solutions and new methods.

• Symposium Schedule
  address: McKenna Hall Conference Center (map): 115 McKenna Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 
  
  
• Symposium Speakers (PDF Speaker Booklet)
  Featured Speakers: Mark Alber, Sharon Gerecht, Noah Mitchell,Ed Munro, Mary Mullins, Jitao Zhang
  
  Lightning Talks: Nilay Kumar, Linlin Li, Maria Unger, Shulan Xiao, Weiwei Zhang, Donghyun Jeong, Kailee Mendio 
  
  
• Research Poster Sessions (Abstracts Booklet) Notes: Each poster presenter is assigned to a poster board - see the abstracts booklet. Poster boards are double-sided 46 " wide and 64" high
  
  
• Mini-Workshop Agendas (June 22nd, 1pm - 4/4:30 pm; McKenna Hall, rm 215/216) Descriptions below

  • AI Applications for Biological Image Analysis and Parameter Optimization (PDF)

  • Mini-Workshop: From Pixels to Pipelines: Practical Image Analysis with Fiji/ImageJ (PDF)

     • Full Workshop Tools for Cells and Tissues Design Challenge Workshop Agenda (June 23rd-24th in McCourtney Hall, 9am - 6pm). Description below

Organizing Committee
Jeremiah Zartman, Notre Dame
Donny Hanjaya-Putra, Notre Dame
Brent Ladd, Purdue
David Umulis, Purdue
Doris Santiago-Lugo, Notre Dame

Sponsors
We kindly acknowledge the Bioengineering and Life Sciences Initiative (BELS) at University of Notre Dame, and Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health (BIPH) at University of Notre Dame for their additional support of this symposium and associated workshops. EMBRIO and RECODE funding through the National Science Foundation, and ND-MBI funding from BELS, enables us to offer this event. 

To contribute to or support the symposium, please contact organizing committee members by emailing the RECODE PI at Notre Dame (dputra1@nd.edu), the Morphogenetic Bioengineering Institute PIs at Notre Dame (jzartman@nd.edu or dputra1@nd.edu), or EMBRIO Managing Director at Purdue (laddb@purdue.edu).

Training and Team Workshops

T4CT (Tools4Cells&Tissues) Design Challenge Workshop, June 23-24 all day

Participants will engage in small teams of experimentalists and computationalists (students, postdocs, faculty) in a Design-Build-Test-Learn challenge using recent research biological data and images. Team formation and initial overview and data access will occur prior to the workshop to allow for initial discussion and team planning. Specific problems and data examples for each project will be posted in May. The workshop is guided by Faculty Thrust Project Leaders from EMBRIO Institute, and the RECODE Project at Notre Dame. Team Assignments |  Agenda

Concurrent mini-workshops available Monday afternoon, June 22nd

These workshops will provide new tools, methods, and insights that could be useful during the full design challenge workshop.

Mini-Workshop:  AI Applications for Biological Image Analysis and Parameter Optimization, Monday, June 22nd (1 - 5pm) 

This four hour workshop will introduce participants to practical AI methods for biological research, with a focus on image analysis using deep learning and Cellpose, and parameter optimization using invertible neural networks (INNs) and Bayesian optimization.

Lead instructors: Senior Research Scientists, Linlin Li and Nilay Kumar, Purdue University. View full workshop details and agenda (PDF).

Mini-Workshop: From Pixels to Pipelines: Practical Image Analysis with Fiji/ImageJ, Monday June 22nd (1-5pm)

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to practical image analysis using Fiji / ImageJ, moving from fundamental imaging concepts to reproducible analysis pipelines. 

Lead instructor: David Gazzo, Ph.D. Candidate, Zartman Lab, Notre Dame. View full workshop details and agenda (PDF)

Archived: 2025 All-Hands Annual Retreat

Dates: June 12-13, 2025

Location: MJIS 1097, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• 2025 Retreat Agenda (PDF)
• Poster Sessions Listings for Thursday and Friday, with Abstracts (PDF)
• Poster Lightning Talks Order (Thursday |  Friday)

Best Paper and Scientific Figure Competition 

• Best Paper award to co-first-authors Mayesha Mim and Nilay Kumar for their Cell Reports paper:

  • Mim M.S., Kumar, N., Levis,M..,  Unger, M.F., Miranda,G., Gazzo, D., Robinett,T., and  Zartman, J.J. (2024) Piezo regulates epithelial topology and promotes precision in organ size control, Cell Reports, 43, Issue 7,114398, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114398

• Runner-up Best Paper award to Razeen Shaikh for her npj Systems Biology and Applications paper with multiple EMBRIO labs:

  • Shaikh, R., Larson, N. J., Kam, J., Hanjaya-Putra, D., Zartman, J.J., Umulis, D. M., Li, L., & Reeves, G. T. (2024). *Optimal performance objectives in the highly conserved bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway. Npj Systems Biology and Applications, 10(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41540-024-00430-9

2025 Best Scientific Figure Competition Results:

Division I: Graduate Students

Top vote: Boyu Jiang (Graduate Student member with affiliate Baloni Lab at Purdue)

Faculty advisor: Priyanka Baloni

Other authors: Anke Tukker, Hyunjin Kim, Shuang Wang, Juexin Wang, Aaron Bowman

 View the Figure by Boyu Jiang

Division II: Postdocs and Research Staff

Top vote: Maria Unger (Postdoc Scholar member in the Zartman Lab at Notre Dame)

Adviser: Jeremiah J. Zartman, University of Notre Dame

Co-authors: Vijay Velagala, Dharsan K. Soundarrajan, David Gazzo, Nilay Kumar, Marycruz Flores Flores, Jinwen Liu, Jun Li, Jeremiah J. Zartman

Collaboration: Nilay Kumar, Purdue University

View the Figure by Maria Unger

Thank you to all who have made submissions:

Poster and Thrust Project Presentation Templates

• 2024-2025 Poster Template (.pptx, same template as last year)
• 2025 Thrust Leaders Project Presentation Template (.pptx, new for 2025) 

Lodging, Travel, Parking

• Contact for Logistics for Partners Traveling to Purdue: Jennifer Goad, goad3 [at] purdue.edu
• Lodging for Partner Members (arranged by Jen Goad): Purdue Union Club Hotel
• (note that your parking privileges that Jennifer arranged with you allow you to park in the Grant Street Garage...don't pay extra for the hotel valet parking)
• Travel to Purdue Information (Shuttles, Airports, Campus Maps, Parking)
• Parking near MJIS in the Discovery Lot (location map) Requires parking privileges. For non-Purdue employees, Jen Goad is your contact regarding parking privileges.
• Walking from Union Club Hotel to MJIS 1097: 20 minute Walking Map

Wifi: select the attwifi network name in your wifi settings for free wifi anywhere on campus.

Archive: Annual Retreat 2024

Dates: July 11-12, 2024

Location: MJIS 1097, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette

2024 Agenda (PDF, updated July 9th)

Poster Sessions Listing with Abstracts (PDF)

Poster Lightning Talks Order (PDF)

Wifi for non-Purdue members: Under available networks, choose “attwifi” No password required.

2024 Best Figure Competition Results:

Graduate Division First Place: Bakary Samasa (Mullins Lab, UPenn)

Postdoctoral/Research Scientist Division First Place (Tie): Sharon Minsuk (Glazier Lab, IU) and Weiwei Zhang (Staiger Lab, Purdue).

View the winning submissions (pptx)

Read news about the winning submissions and authors (September 13, 2024 news article) 

Submissions in 2024 from:

Templates

2024 Poster Template (.pptx)

2024 Thrust Projects Presentation Template (.pptx)

Lodging, Travel, Parking

Lodging for Partner Members: Purdue Union Club Hotel
Travel to Purdue Information (Shuttles, Airports, Campus Maps, Parking)
Parking near MJIS in the Discovery Lot (location map)

Archived: Winter Science Retreat

February 6-7, 2024

Bottleworks District, Indianapolis, Indiana

Retreat Packet w/ agenda (members only link)

PIs slide template (members only link)

Primary purpose of the retreat

Bring together all Thrust and Site Leaders, and Key Investigators, for a State-of-the-Institute mid-Yr. 3 exchange, open discussion and strategic planning to elevate integrative activity, and collectively orient EMBRIO for success in completing Yr. 3.

Products to be produced:

• Updated strategic plan
• Demonstrated points of progress within and across thrusts
• Thrust leaders slide decks
• Documented challenges preventing progress, with potential solutions
• Integration gaps identified
• Updated collaboration network

Archived: 2023 Annual Retreat

Archived: Investigator's Retreat

February 9 - 10, 2023

Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Agenda Packet (PDF)

Slide Template (pptx)
 

Primary purpose of the retreat

Bring together all Thrust and Site Leaders for a State-of-the-Institute mid-Yr. 2 assessment, prepare for our NSF site visit, and collectively orient EMBRIO for success going into Yr. 3.

Products to be produced:

• Framework for tracking, evaluating, reporting research, education, and diversity integration
• Content and storyline for NSF Site Visit (March 3)
• Demonstrated points of progress within and across thrusts
• Documented challenges preventing progress, and potential solutions
• Integration gaps identified
• Data Integration next steps
• ABIDES plans and integration
• Core competencies (basic to mastery) for EMBRIO members mapped to each thrust

Archived: 2022 Annual Retreat