2024 Atlantic Canadian Developmental Biology Symposium

The 11th Atlantic Canadian Developmental Biology Symposium was held at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, on a beautiful warm summer’s day. The symposium featured a variety of short presentations by trainees ranging from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers, who represented labs at the University of New Brunswick, St. Mary’s University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Dalhousie University. Topics ranged from epidermal patterning and matrix remodelling, swimbladder inflation, neural development and disease, bone regulation in simulated low gravity, peripheral nerve development, muscle and tendon biology using a combination of studies in cows, zebrafish, mice, chickens and flies.

Participants at the 11th Atlantic Canadian Developmental Biology Symposium, held at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax.

An exciting keynote lecture was delivered by Dr. Szabo-Rogers from the University of Saskatchewan, on the modelling of human congenital craniofacial disorders using mouse genetics, and the molecular mechanisms regulating cell signalling and bone growth.

This symposium, which is organized annually by Dr Tamara Franz-Odendall and Dr Angelo Iulianella, serves as a vital forum for students and postdocs from Atlantic Canadian universities to share ideas and methodologies regarding the role of cellular processes in tissue formation during development, and their implications in disease pathology.

Following the presentations, participants engaged in planning next year’s symposium. The organizers extend their gratitude to the American Association of Anatomy and Developmental Dynamics for their sponsorship, alongside Dalhousie University and Mount Saint Vincent University.

If you are interested in finding out more about this symposium or attending/getting involved next year, contact Angelo.Iulianella@Dal.Ca or Tamara.Franz-Odendaal@msvu.ca.

Poster for the 2024 Atlantic Canadian Developmental Biology Symposium