Symposium Program

The Cone University Center, UNC Charlotte. June 15, 2026 (All times EDT)

WhenWhatWhoWhere
Light Breakfast & Registration
8:00AM-6:00PMRegistrationOrganizing staffLucas Room
8:00AM-8:45AMLight BreakfastAll participantsAfter Hours
Opening Remarks 
8:45AM-8:50AMUNC Charlotte R1 Status and ResearchDr. Deborah Thomas, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, UNC CharlotteMcKnight Auditorium
8:50AM-8:55AMOpening remarks from KCOSDr. Bernadette Donovan-Merkert, Dean of Klein College of Science, UNC CharlotteMcKnight Auditorium
8:55AM-9:00AMWelcome remarks from DBS and CBESDr. Christine Richardson, DBS Chair and CBES Director, UNC CharlotteMcKnight Auditorium
Morning Session #1 (Host: Dr. Shan Yan, UNC Charlotte)
9:00AM-9:30AMKeynote Address #1: DNA repair drives platinum-induced neuronal cell deathDr. Andre Nussenzweig, NIH/NCIMcKnight Auditorium
9:30AM-9:50AMInvited Lecture #1: Genome instability syndromes caused by dysfunctional DNA replication and repairDr. Anja Bielinsky, University of VirginiaMcKnight Auditorium
9:50AM-10:05AMContributed Talk #1: Coordination of Polymerase theta-mediated repair by the DNA damage responseKelsey Duprey, UNC Chapel HillMcKnight Auditorium
10:05AM-10:20AMContributed Talk #2: Mechanisms of extreme survival: Uncovering how tardigrades can tolerate extreme radiationDr. Courtney Clark-Hachtel, UNC AshevilleMcKnight Auditorium
10:20AM-10:40AMBreak (20 minutes)
Morning Session #2 (Host: Dr. Shan Yan, UNC Charlotte)
10:40AM-11:00AMInvited Lecture#2: Targeting ATM-Deficient Cancers with ATR InhibitorsDr. Lee Zou, Duke UniversityMcKnight Auditorium
11:00AM-11:15AMContributed Talk#3: Genome integrity maintenance with repetitive DNA sequences Dr. Tianpeng Zhang, University of VirginiaMcKnight Auditorium
11:15AM-11:30AMContributed Talk#4: Formaldehyde targets single-stranded DNA at dysregulated replication forks for mutagenesisThomas Blouin, Medical University of South CarolinaMcKnight Auditorium
11:30AM-11:45PMContributed Talk#5: 3D genome organization shapes genome-wide distributions of DNA damage, repair, and mutationDr. Wentao Li, University of GeorgiaMcKnight Auditorium
11:45AM-12:05PMInvited Lecture#3: The human ribome: a hidden layer of genome regulationDr. Francesca Storici, Georgia Institute of TechnologyMcKnight Auditorium
12:05PM-12:10PMSponsor Spotlights: CBES, Belk Endowment, NC Biotech, VWRDr. Shan Yan, UNC CharlotteMcKnight Auditorium
Symposium Group Picture
12:10PM-12:15PMStairs outside of the Cone University Center, facing the University Road.
Lunch & Poster Session
12:15PM-1:30PMLunchAll participantsAfter Hours
1:15PM-2:45PMPoster presentationsPoster presentations and judgingLucas Room
12:00PM-2:45PMSponsors displays and discussionsSymposium sponsorsLucas Room
Afternoon Session #1 (Host: Dr. Xiaojun Ren, UNC Charlotte)
2:45PM-3:15PMKeynote Address #2: Genome maintenance at higher resolutionDr. Taekjip Ha, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolMcKnight Auditorium
3:15PM-3:35PMInvited Lecture #4: Cell cycle dynamics that ensure genome maintenanceDr. Jean Cook, UNC Chapel HillMcKnight Auditorium
3:35PM-3:50PMContributed Talk#6: Circadian rhythm disruption, genomic instability, and their effects on carcinogenesisDr. Shobhan Gaddameedhi, North Carolina State UniversityMcKnight Auditorium
3:50PM-4:05PMContributed Talk#7: A SETD2-CDK1-Lamin axis maintains nuclear morphology and genome stabilityDr. Abid Khan, UNC Chapel HillMcKnight Auditorium
4:05PM-4:25PMBreak (20 minutes)
Afternoon Session #2 (Host: Dr. Xiaojun Ren, UNC Charlotte)
4:25PM -4:45PMInvited Lecture#5: Visualization of Mph1- and Top3-Rmi-mediated holliday junction dissolution in homologous recombination repair by atomic force microscopyDr. Hong Wang, North Carolina State UniversityMcKnight Auditorium
4:45PM -5:00PMContributed Talk#8: Molecular dynamics simulations reveal mechanisms of chromatin remodeling by histone post-translational modificationsRina Li, North Carolina State UniversityMcKnight Auditorium
5:00PM -5:15PMContributed Talk#9:  Fork reversal safeguards epigenetic inheritance during replication StressDr. Wenpeng Liu, University of VirginiaMcKnight Auditorium
5:15PM -5:30PMContributed Talk#10: Nascent strand degradation and genomic instability in FANCD2 and FANCA deficient cells requires RAD54L-mediated fork reversalZane Tolbert, Clemson UniversityMcKnight Auditorium
5:30PM -5:50PMInvited Lecture#6: Recruitment of polycomb repressive complexes by long noncoding RNAsDr. Mauro Calabrese, UNC Chapel HillMcKnight Auditorium
Poster Award Presentation
5:50PM-6:00PMPoster Award Announcement and ConferralAnnounced by Dr. Shan Yan and Dr. Xiaojun Ren & Conferred by Keynote SpeakersMcKnight Auditorium
Closing & Social Hour
6:00PM-8:00PMLight Refreshments and NetworkingAll participantsAfter Hours