Join us as the Institute for NanoBioTechnology celebrates two decades of cutting-edge research at our 2026 symposium. This year’s theme, Engineering the Future of Life and Health, highlights how INBT’s multidisciplinary community continues to pioneer technologies that reshape human health and medicine, from molecular design and cellular programming to human health and performance. The symposium will feature sessions by INBT faculty representing our five research pillars—cancer, sensing, aging, genome engineering, and cell programming—that showcase advances and future directions that define the next era of convergent bioengineering.
All are welcome to attend our 19th Nano-Bio Symposium on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus. This event will include lectures, a poster competition, and networking reception.
Registration
General Registration
Registration is required and free. General registration closed April 27, 2026. If you missed registration, we still welcome attendees to join us for the lectures, poster competition, and 20th anniversary celebration.
Poster Registration
Students and postdocs interested in presenting a poster can register using the general registration form. Registration is capped to the first 75 posters. We do not require you to submit a poster abstract. Faculty, research assistants, and more can present a research poster if room is available, but they are not eligible to participate in the competition. Poster registration closes April 20, 2026
Important Information About Registration.
Registration requires completing the full order form. Attendees are not registered until the form is complete and you receive a confirmation email.
Location
This event is hosted in the Bloomberg Student Center. The lectures are held in the Theater Room (105), the poster competition will be in multipurpose room 210, and lunch and the 20th anniversary celebration will be in room 404. Maps, directions, parking, and shuttle information to the Homewood campus are here. The South Garage located under Mason Hall is the closest parking garage to the Bloomberg Student Center.
Access to the Bloomberg Student Center
Hopkins Employees and Students
Scan your J-Card at any entrance to gain entry. If you have a badge that was issued by the School of Medicine or School of Public Health, your badge is incompatible with the scanners. You have two options to gain entry:
- Put your SOM/BSPH badge on a smart device like your phone or a smart watch. Those will work on the door scanners. Direction on how to do that are here.
- Enter the BSC through the main entrance at 33rd Street and Charles. Proceed to the welcome desk to check in with security. You must have a government issued ID to show.
Non-Hopkins Affiliates
Currently, the BSC is not open to the public. Non-Hopkins affiliates must enter through the main entrance at 33rd Street and Charles. Proceed to the welcome desk to check in with security. You must have a government issued ID to show.
Poster Competition
The INBT hosts a poster competition with award categories for undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows. Information about poster size and more are available on the competition guidelines and FAQs pages. If you have questions about the poster competition, contact Risa Hagigal.
Poster Competition Prizes*
Best Undergraduate Poster: Two awards at $500 each
Best Graduate Posters: Two awards at $500 each
Best Postdoctoral Fellow Poster: One award at $500
People’s Choice Poster: Institute for NanoBioTechnology swag bag
*Prizes subject to change without notice.
Attire
We recommend attendees dress business casual for the event. Also, Theater 105 can get cold and we recommend attendees dress appropriately as the team cannot adjust the temperature.
Accessibility
All entrances at the Bloomberg Student Center are accessible. Two elevators are available: one on the west side of the building and the other in the center of the building.
Contact Gina Wadas at least one week prior to the event to request other disability accommodations. In all situations, good faith efforts will be made to provide accommodations up until the time of the event.
Sponsors
We are grateful to Johns Hopkins University for their support of this event through the Envisioning the Future Award in celebration of the university’s 150th anniversary.
The Envisioning the Future Award funds academic programming that helps faculty, departments, centers, and institutes convene panel discussions or workshops. These gatherings bring together prominent scholars from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere to reflect on the current state of their disciplines and imagine how Hopkins can help shape their future.
If you would like to support this event or future events at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, please contact us.
Agenda
Morning Agenda
Registration check-in, badge pick-up, and breakfast is outside the Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105.
T.E. Schlesinger, PhD
Benjamin T. Rome Dean, Whiting School of Engineering
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Hai-Quan Mao, PhD
Director, Institute for NanoBioTechnology
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Sharon Gerecht, PhD
Chair of Biomedical Engineering, Paul M. Gross Distinguished Professor
Duke University
Biography
Hai-Quan Mao, PhD (moderator)
Director, Institute for NanoBioTechnology
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Sangkyun Cho, PhD
Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
Biograpny
Susan N. Thomas, PhD
Professor of Engineering and Woodruff Professor
Georgia Institute of Technology
Biography
Panagiotis Mistriotis, PhD
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
Auburn University
Biography
John Hickey, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University
Biography
Herdeline Ann Ardoña, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of California, Irvine
Biography
Denis Wirtz, PhD (moderator)
Vice Provost For Research, Johns Hopkins University
Core Researcher at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Refreshments are served outside Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105.
Peter Searson, PhD
Joseph R. and Lynn C. Reynolds Professor of Engineering
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Sue Porterfield, EdD
Senior Associate Vice Provost for Research Operations
Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Denis Wirtz, PhD
Vice Provost For Research, Johns Hopkins University
Core Researcher at the Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Four student and postdoctoral fellow poster presenters will give five-minute presentations.
Luke Thorstenson (moderator)
Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives at the INBT
Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Lunch is served in the Bloomberg Student Center Room 404.
Afternoon Agenda
Sadik Kassim, Ph.D
From N of 1 to N of Many: The Path from KJ to EMBODY
Chief Scientific Officer/Chief Technical Officer, Genomic Medicines
Danaher Corporation
Biography
Sashank Reddy, MD, PhD (moderator)
Associate Director, Institute for NanoBioTechnology
Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Senior Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Kelvin Liu, PhD
Chief Product Officer
Infinity Bio
Biography
Amanda Placone, PhD
Associate Vice President, Genetic Medicine External Innovation and Strategy
Eli Lilly
Biography
Samuel W. Shaffter, PhD
Chemical Engineer, Cellular Engineering Group
National Institutes of Standards and Technology
Biography
Vasudev Bailey, PhD
Venture Capital, Co-Founder of Hologen
Biography
Ian Tolfree, PhD (moderator)
Principal, Emerald Development Managers
Biography
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Bottled water and light snacks served outside of Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Cancer
Denis Wirtz, PhD
Vice Provost for Research and
Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, JHU
Biography
Hai-Quan Mao, PhD
Director, Institute for NanoBioTechnology
Professor, Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, JHU
Biography
Efie Kokkoli, PhD
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, JHU
Biography
Konstantinos Konstantopoulos, PhD
William H Schwartz Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, JHU
Biography
Aging
Jude Phillip, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, JHU
Biography
Sashank Reddy, MD, PhD
Associate Director, INBT
Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Senior Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, JHU
Biography
Sangkyun Cho, PhD
Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, JHU
Biography
Sensing
Dingchang Lin, PhD
Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, JHU
Biography
Jeff Wang, PhD
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Louis M. Sardella Professor, JHU
Biography
Rebecca Schulman, PhD
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Kent Gordon Croft Investment Management Faculty Scholar, JHU
Biography
Cell Programming
Sangmoo Jeong, PhD
Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, JHU
Biography
Denis Wirtz, PhD
Vice Provost for Research and
Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, JHU
Biography
Kalina Hristova, PhD
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, JHU
Biography
Genome Engineering
Jeff Coller, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, JHU
Biography
Greg Newby, PhD
Assistant Professor of Genetic Medicine, JHSOM
Biography
Xizhen Lian, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, JHSOM; Department of Material Science & Engineering
Biography
Peter Searson, PhD (moderator)
Joseph R. and Lynn C. Reynolds Professor of Engineering, JHU
Biography
Room: Bloomberg Student Center Theater 105
Poster Session A: 4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Poster Session B: 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Room location: Bloomberg Student Center Room 210
Hai-Quan Mao, PhD
Director, Institute for NanoBioTechnology
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Sashank Reddy, MD, PhD
Associate Director, Institute for NanoBioTechnology
Senior Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Biography
Room location: Glass Pavilion.
Celebration in Bloomberg Student Center room 404.
