Infectious Diseases Institute

5th Annual IDI Trainee Association (IDI-TA) Day

This in-person event will feature presentations on AI in infectious diseases by keynote speakers, presentations by IDI trainees, networking opportunities, and an end-of-day award ceremony. See meeting details, registration information, and a preliminary program below:
Six individuals stand around a large welcome sign for the 4th Annual IDI Trainee Association Day at The Ohio State University’s Infectious Diseases Institute, held on April 24, 2023, at the Biomedical Research Tower.

Meeting Details

When: April 21, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Where: 115 Biomedical Research Tower (BRT)
460 W 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210

Theme: AI in infectious diseases

Registration closed Friday, April 10, 2026, 5:00 p.m.

Preliminary Program

Welcome and Introduction

10:00 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. | Check-In and Networking Breakfast

10:35 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. | Welcome Message: Dr. Michael Oglesbee, Director, Infectious Diseases Institute;
Professor, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine

10:40 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | IDI Faculty Co-Advisors

  • Dr. Kush Yadav, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
  • Dr. Zelalem Mekuria, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine; Infectious Diseases Institute

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Introduction of IDI-TA Officers

  • IDI-TA 2026-2027 Goals and Opportunities

Morning Speaker Presentations

11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. | Michael Muccio: Denman Undergraduate Research Award Recipient Presentation

11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Aidan Marrone: Undergraduate Student Presentation

11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Sohret Meryem Gokcek: PhD Student Presentation

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Dr. Kurtis Host: Postdoctoral Fellow Presentation

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch Break: Faculty and Trainee Discussion Groups

Afternoon Speaker Presentations

1:05 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. | Dr. Stephen Akinola: Research Associate Presentation

1:20 p.m. – 1:35 p.m. | Lightning Talks

  • Justin Defalco
  • Dr. Sujeet Kumar
  • Michael Parthun
  • Emma Smeader

1:35 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. | Keynote Presentation: Caroline Crisafulli, director of entrepreneurial education, Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship
Presentation Title: An entrepreneurial mindset: Amplifying the impact of research by exploring technology translation

2:10 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. | Break

Keynote Speaker

2:20 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. | Keynote Presentation: Dr. Courtney Hebert, associate professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine
Presentation Title: Integrating clinical care, technology, and research: A learning health system approach to infectious diseases

Awards and Networking

3:20 p.m. – 3:25 p.m. | Award Ceremony

3:25 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Networking Discussion with Keynote Speakers