MAY 27 – 29, 2026
Weill Hall | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY

Mechanobiology Hub Summer Symposium 2026

The Mechanobiology Hub Summer Symposium will bring together faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and other trainees from Cornell University and neighboring institutions to strengthen and expand our regional mechanobiology community. Rooted in the Hub’s mission, the symposium is designed to connect researchers across disciplines, scales, and systems who share an interest in how mechanical forces shape biology and disease.

The symposium will provide an opportunity to learn about ongoing mechanobiology research spanning cell and molecular biophysics to tissue and organ mechanics, with applications in development, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal biology, cancer, and beyond, highlight shared technologies and expertise, and spark new collaborations and initiatives.

Above all, this meeting aims to build community: to create space for conversation, discovery, and the exchange of ideas among established investigators, early-career researchers, and trainees. By bringing together diverse perspectives in a collegial setting, we hope to identify new opportunities to strengthen the local mechanobiology community, increase its visibility, and to foster the cross-disciplinary partnerships needed to accelerate discovery and innovation in mechanobiology.

🌟 ANNOUNCING KEYNOTE SPEAKER 🌟 Dr. Amy E. Shyer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, The Rockefeller University Dr. Shyer heads the Laboratory of Morphogenesis and studies the mechanical forces and molecular cues that guide tissue formation in the developing embryo.

Questions? Contact:

• wicmb_admin@cornell.edu

Organizing Committee (Faculty)

• Larry Bonassar: Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor, Biomedical Engineering & Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Jan Lammerding: Professor & Associate Director, Biomedical Engineering
• Adrienne Roeder: Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Biology Section
• Mingming Wu: Professor, Biological and Environmental Engineering

Organizing Committee (Students & Postdocs)

• Chia-Jen Chang: Graduate Student, Fischbach Lab, Biomedical Engineering
• Si Chen: Postdoctoral Associate, Roeder Lab, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
• Gening Dong: Graduate Student, Butcher Lab, Biomedical Engineering
• Anna Hazelwood: Graduate Student, Lammerding Lab, Biomedical Engineering

Administrative Support

• Jeff Ceria: Administrative Assistant, Faculty Support, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
• Stephen D’Angelo: Manager of Research Communications, Biological Systems, Research & Innovation