Great Representation at GRC
The Opresko lab had a great representation at the Gordon Research Seminar and Conference on Mammalian DNA Repair held in Ventura, CA, the first in-person conference for most lab members in almost two years! Dr. Opresko was the Vice Chair of this year’s GRC. Fellow UPitt Genome Stability Program postdoc, Ragini Bhargava of the O’Sullivan lab, co-chaired the GRS.
The GRS, a seminar for trainee-level attendees, was held on Saturday and Sunday. Postdoc Mariarosaria De Rosa presented her talk "Roles for BER Enzymes in Telomeric 8-Oxoguanine Processing and Telomere Maintenance" during the Recognition and Resolution of DNA Damage by Distinct DNA Repair Mechanisms session in which grad student Sanjana Thosar served as a Discussion Leader. Fellow UPitt grad student, Namrata Kumar of the Van Houten lab also presented during this session.
Following the GRS, the GRC was held Oct 31-Nov 5. Postdoc Ryan Barnes presented his work “Telomeric 8-Oxoguanine Drives Premature Senescence Independently of Telomere Shortening" in the Telomeres Maintenance and Genomic Instability session. Each attendee also had the opportunity to share their work during poster sessions.
Along with the Opresko lab, others of the Genome Stability Program well represented the university at this meeting. Of note, Drs. Bennett Van Houten and Christopher Bakkenist presented their lab’s work on UV-DDB and ATM, respectively. Dr. Sarah Hengel of the Bernstein lab also had the opportunity to present. Dr. Elise Fouquerel, past member of the Opresko lab and current faculty of Thomas Jefferson University, presented as well.
Dr. De Rosa Presenting at the GRS
Dr. Barnes Presenting at the GRC
Sanjana Thosar, Ryan Barnes, Patty Opresko, and Mariarosaria De Rose at the conference