SBME Research Seminar: The RNA folding problem remains open – Dr. Rhiju Das
The discovery and design of biologically important RNA molecules has lagged behind proteins, in part due to the general difficulty of three-dimensional RNA structural characterization. What are the prospects for an ‘AlphaFold moment’ for RNA? I’ll describe some recent progress in modeling RNA structure from old-fashioned and new machine learning, cryoelectron microscopy, and current and upcoming internet-scale competitions hosted on the Eterna, Kaggle, and CASP platforms.
SBME Research Seminar: The RNA folding problem remains open – Dr. Rhiju Das
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Teaching Demonstration on topics including 3D printing, biomanufacturing, and biomaterials – Dr. Celestine Hong
April 22 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT
Teaching Demonstration on topics including 3D printing, biomanufacturing, and biomaterials – Dr. Celestine Hong
Location:
Lecture Theatre B1009, SBME Building – 6088 University Boulevard
UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering will be hosting a visit from Dr. Celestine Hong, an NSERC postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. Dr.Hong will give a 1-hour hybrid teaching demonstration to the UBC community on topics including 3D printing, biomanufacturing, and biomaterials.
This hybrid talk will take place in Lecture Theatre B1009, SBME Building – 6088 University Boulevard and via Zoom https://ubc.zoom.us/j/62911110710?pwd=husNfGGkK6UQb1sRmUPtiIme1i4AnN.1.
Dr. Celestine Hong’s Biography:
Dr. Celestine Hong is a biomaterials scientist, a polymer engineer, and an enthusiastic educator since her years of leading tutorials at McGill University (B.Eng.). She completed her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with Prof. Paula Hammond and Prof. Bradley Olsen, where she co-taught graduate-level polymer synthesis as a course instructor and developed various therapeutic biomaterials: nanoparticles for hemostasis, stimuli-responsive polymers, and fusion proteins for cancer vaccines. She is now an NSERC postdoctoral fellow and the 2024 Charles H. Best Fellow at the University of Toronto in Prof. Molly Shoichet’s lab, designing hydrogels for the activation of retinal stem cells.
Dr. Hong is passionate about interdisciplinary and inclusive teaching, with a focus on science communication and experiential learning that interfaces with translational medicine. She has completed multiple biomanufacturing and teaching programs to further her understanding of pedagogical methods, curriculum design, and evolving trends in industry. By combining her expertise in biomaterials, interdisciplinary training in chemical, materials, and biomedical engineering, and her love of teaching, Celestine hopes to build new learning and training opportunities, with the ultimate goal of making learning more relevant and accessible.