Collaborative Maxxing: USU Hansen Life Sciences Retreat Fosters Interdisciplinary Research

Nearly 100 Utah State University life sciences scholars — ranging from undergraduates to professors — gathered Oct. 23-24 for the 16th annual Hansen Life Sciences Retreat to discuss research ideas and discover mutual insights and challenges.

“I just started graduate studies in plant science, after completing a bachelor’s degree in computer science,” said Parth Patel, an M.S. student in Rakesh Kaundal’s bioinformatics lab in USU’s Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate. “The retreat has been helpful to me in getting in contact with other researchers studying life sciences.”

Computer science doctoral candidate David Guevara, who also works in Kaundal’s lab, was among scholars presenting a research poster at the two-day retreat.

“This is my second year at the Hansen retreat,” said Guevara, who presented research he’s conducting that integrates multi-method protein-protein interaction and transcriptomics to decipher animal-pathogen interactions. “When I started graduate studies, I didn’t know a lot about molecular biology. The Hansen Retreat has put me in touch with researchers across USU who have become helpful collaborators.”

Getting scholars from different labs, backgrounds, and disciplines together is a key aim of the annual gathering, which honors the memory of the late USU biochemist R. Gaurth Hansen (1920-2002), a stalwart proponent of student research who was instrumental in building Utah State’s research prowess.

“We’re all part of the same university, but we don’t always have opportunities to get to know each other and build collaborative relationships,” said Lance Seefeldt, professor and head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which coordinates the annual retreat. “It’s always a revelation to our participants how much we share in common and how we can benefit from each other by sharing our ideas.”

More than 35 undergraduate and graduate student researchers presented posters at the event, which is designed to highlight student efforts and provide scholars with the opportunity to refine their communications skills.

The two-day gathering opened with a keynote address by American University neuroscientist Colin Saldanha and also featured oral presentations on cutting-edge research projects by USU graduate students and faculty from multiple departments.

“I was excited to hear from researchers who work with actual human and animal brains,” said Tianyu Chen, a doctoral candidate in biological engineering who works in Associate Professor Yu Huang’s MicroBrain Laboratory in USU’s Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering. “In our lab, we conduct microtissue engineering of neurons, tumors, and stem cells. It’s exciting to talk with biologists and get their opinions on cell behaviors and other aspects of neurological functions.”

Chen was among five poster presenters who received presentation awards. She and her fellow recipients were:

• Tianyu Chen, Huang Lab, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering.
• Gabriella Ehmann, Jackson Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Sobita Kunwar, Jackson Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Summer Oakes, Jackson Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Mason Rapier, Hevel Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Poster presenters recognized for outstanding lightning pitches were:

• Edna Armah, Johnson Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Sofiia Hakh, Hevel Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Vincent Rossi, Hevel Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Andrew Williams, Jackson Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Hakh received the retreat’s “Lightning Lamp” traveling trophy for her lightning pitch talk promoting her poster, “Investigating the Role of the Highly Conserved THW Loop in Protein Arginine Methyltransferase (PRMT) Family Enzymes.”

Students who presented research talks were:

• Ken Wachtel, Freeman Lab, Department of Biology.
• Kadin Crosby, Jackson Lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Faculty members who presented research talks were:

• Rachel Doser, assistant professor, Department of Biology.
• Karen Kapheim, professor, Department of Biology.
• Jennyfer Mora Mitchell, assistant professor Department of Biology.

“The Hansen Retreat started 16 years ago as a small gathering with three research labs,” Seefeldt said. “It’s exciting to see how it’s grown into USU’s premier life sciences research event.”

R. Gaurth Hansen joined USU’s faculty as an academic vice president in 1968 and was soon promoted to provost. His efforts contributed to a 20-fold increase in the university’s research budget. In addition to his administrative and teaching endeavors, Hansen published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals, and he received many prestigious national accolades. He was named USU Distinguished Professor Emeritus in 1985 and retired from Utah State in 1994.

The Hansen Retreat is supported by R. Gaurth Hansen’s son Lars Peter Hansen, a USU alum and Nobel Laureate, and daughter-in-law Grace Tsiang, along with their son, Peter Hansen.