The 13th Annual High School GIDAS Research Conference
Infectious Diseases
Keynote Speaker
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, MS
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Chair of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Arturo Casadevall is Chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A physician-scientist and microbiologist, his research focuses on host defense mechanisms, fungal pathogenesis, and the development of antibody-based therapies for infectious diseases.
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026 (12:00 pm – 5:30 pm Eastern Time | 9:00 am – 2:30 pm Pacific Time)
Location: Hybrid (online or one of the following in-person sites)
– University of Michigan, Undergraduate Science Building: 204 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
– Scripps Research Translational Institute: 3344 N Torrey Pines Ct, La Jolla, CA 92037
– University of San Francisco, Medical Sciences Building: 513 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143 (tentative)
Participants: Open to the public, including middle school students and adults.
Fees:
– General registration fee: $40 (workshops included)
– Presenter registration fee: $80 (1 conference proceedings included in the fee; $60.00/person if they have miRcore membership)
– Accompanying parents: Free ($10 donation suggested)
– Conference proceedings (abstract booklet): $20 (If the proceedings need to be mailed, there is an additional USPS postal fee of $12)
If you present, you will…
– Meet professional scientists and connect with peers who share your interest in science
– Grow in professionalism through researching, writing, and presenting on science topics
– Develop public speaking skills in a larger group setting
– Compete for science presentation awards
Registration
Only after you register the conference, you will get access to the abstract and “About Me” submission. Please use the same email used in conference registration. You are qualified as a presenter if you are an author of an Abstract.
| Instructions | Form link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| All attendees: 1.) Register for the conference using the form. Edits are accepted until the deadline. 2.) Pay the registration fee below. |
April 12, 2026, 11:59 PM (ET) | |
| Each abstract: Have a single author submit your abstract using the form (i.e. each abstract should be submitted once in total). Abstracts will undergo a review to qualify for oral presentations and to be included in the conference proceedings (abstract booklet). You can access the form only after you register the conference above. |
Abstract submission | March 28, 2026, 11:59 PM (ET) |
| All abstract authors: Submit your About Me using the form. These will be included in the conference proceedings along with your abstract. You can access the form only after you register the conference above. |
About Me submission | March 28, 2026, 11:59 PM (ET) |
| Presentation material for each submitted abstract: Have a single author submit your presentation or poster using the form. Please note that the link will be open one week before the conference date. |
This link will be posted April 1st. | April 15, 2026, 11:59 PM (ET) |
Conference Agenda
| 11:30 – 12:00 pm ET
(8:30 – 9:00 am PT) |
Check-in |
| 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
(9:00 – 10:00 am PT) |
Workshops
– Atomic Habit: Activity to learn selfcare tools led by Ms. Veena Thamilselvan – GEO2R and String-db: Learn computational resources used in the research process – Transition from high school to college: Interact with college students to hear their experiences and to ask questions – miRcore and High School students: Talk with parents led by Dr. Inhan Lee |
| 1:00 – 1:05 pm ET
(10:00 – 10:05 am PT) |
Greetings from miRcore President Inhan Lee, Ph.D. |
| 1:05 – 1:55 pm ET
(10:05 – 10:55 am PT) |
Student Oral Presentations I |
| 1:55 – 2:10 pm ET
(10:55 – 11:10 am PT) |
Break |
| 2:10 – 3:10 pm ET
(11:10 am – 12:10 pm PT) |
Poster Session |
| 3:10 – 3:30 pm ET
(12:10 – 12:30 pm PT) |
Break |
| 3:30 – 4:15 pm ET
(12:30 – 1:15 pm PT) |
Keynote Address:
Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, MSBloomberg Distinguished Professor and Chair of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Presentation on Infectious Diseases |
| 4:15 – 4:30 pm ET
(1:15 – 1:30 pm PT) |
Break |
| 4:30 – 5:15 pm ET
(1:30 – 2:15 pm PT) |
Student Oral Presentations II |
| 5:15 – 5:40 pm ET
(2:15 – 2:40 pm PT) |
2025-26 GIDAS Activity Reports and Conference Awards |
| 5:40 pm ET
(2:40 pm PT) |
Closing |
Oral Presentations
We selected 12 oral presentations among abstracts submitted by March 28. We thank all, abstract judges, for their scoring the abstracts. Certificates will be given to the best three presenters/groups based on their scores.
Poster Presentations
All virtual poster presenters (including Honorable Mention) should prepare a six-minute (maximum) presentation to pitch their research to conference attendees (flexible format; simply deliver the content in an engaging way).
Poster Examples Here
Poster Judges
These professionals will engage each poster presenter in a discussion about their research and provide feedback.
Popular votes
The general audience will also vote on poster presentations.
Certificates
Certificates will be given to the best three poster presenters/groups as graded by the judges; the three most popular posters, as selected by conference attendees, will also receive certificates.
Abstracts
See our Abstract Format page for submission guidelines and instructions.
Past Conferences
Click here to view the booklets from past conferences.
Here you can find information about the conferences from past years.