Poster session showcases research conducted by ORISE participants

Participants in internship and fellowship programs administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) presented their research during a virtual poster session held on Aug. 25 as part of the 2026 ORISE Symposium.

Presenters were assigned virtual meeting rooms where attendees could engage with them and ask questions about their posters.

A panel of judges awarded first-, second- and third-place honors for best poster presentations, while attendees voted in an online poll for the “fan favorite” poster submission.

• First Place

  

  Hannah Christensen
  Program: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
  Academic Level: Post-Master’s
  Most Recent University: University of St Andrews
  Poster Title: “Bug-Eyed: Investigating mosquito attraction towards light and carbon-dioxide at a Kansas zoo”              

• Second Place

  

  Akriti Khadka, Ph.D.
  Program: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
  Academic Level: Postdoctoral
  Most Recent University: Texas A&M University
  Poster Title: “Cultural resources for protected area planning and management: A typology and conceptual framework”

• Third Place

  

  Gomathi Lakshmanan
  Program: Education Collaboration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory                                                                                     
  Academic Level: Post-Master’s
  Most Recent University: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  Poster Title: “Milo: An Intelligent Research CoPilot”

• Fan Favorite

  

  Susana Najera
  Program: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  Academic Level: Post-Master’s
  Most Recent University: Johns Hopkins University
  Poster Title: “Enhanced Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Transduction in 3D Spheroid Cultures Provides a Practical Tool for Gene Therapy Evaluation”