The Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) In Vitro Animal Cell Science (IVACS) Section hosted the 2026 Postdoctoral Oral Presentation Competition on Monday, June 8, 2026. Two finalists were selected based on the scientific excellence and overall quality of their submitted abstracts: Lena Neufeld (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Alejandra Olano Roldan (Tufts University). The session was moderated by Kolla Kristjansdottir (Midwestern University). Both finalists delivered outstanding presentations that showcased innovative research and exceptional scientific communication. Following each presentation, the finalists participated in a lively question-and-answer session with the judging panel and audience members, demonstrating both depth of knowledge and professionalism. The competition was evaluated by a panel of distinguished IVACS judges: Barbara Doonan (New York Medical College), Michael J. Fay (Midwestern University), Joshua Gasiorowski (Midwestern University), Kimberly Bussey (Midwestern University), Kolla Kristjansdottir (Midwestern University), John W. Harbell (JHarbell Consulting, LLC), Vaibhav Tiwari (Midwestern University), Brad L. Upham (Michigan State University), and Zoe Xiaofang Zhu (Tufts University). Lena Neufeld was awarded First Place for her presentation, From 3D-Bioprinted Brain Cancer Modeling to Delineating Human Intestinal Function and Inflammation Ex Vivo. Alejandra Olano Roldan received Second Place for the presentation, Deciphering Interconnections Between Salivary Metabolic Profiles, Medical Conditions, and Medications in Sjögren’s Disease. The awards, including certificates and monetary prizes, were presented during the IVACS Business Meeting. The IVACS Section gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Springer Nature and SIVB members, whose sponsorship made the competition awards possible. We extend our sincere congratulations to both finalists for their exceptional presentations and thank them for contributing to the high scientific caliber of this year’s competition.
Submitted by Kolla Kristjansdottir
First Place
From 3D-Bioprinted Brain Cancer Modeling to Delineating Human Intestinal Function and Inflammation Ex Vivo
Lena Neufeld (left) receives the first place award at the IVACS Postdoctoral Oral Presentation Competition.
Many drugs and chemical compounds show promising results in laboratory research, but eventually fail clinical trials. We hypothesize that one main reason for this translational gap is that current 2D cancer cell cultures are inadequate, since they lack physiologically-meaningful tumor-matrix interactions, which are essential for proper representation of cancer complexity. In addition, early oncology trials remain high-risk, with most drugs failing due to unforeseen toxicity or lack of efficacy in humans. Current reliance on animal models and outdated cell lines contributes to translational gaps. NIH and FDA now endorse non-animal methodologies (NAMs) and human-centric approaches for investigational new drug enabling studies. Therefore, we recapitulated the tumor microenvironment by creating a 3D-bioprinted cancer model. We created a library of synthetic, natural, and chemically-modified polymers, which were exploited as bioinks. Focusing on brain cancer tissue characteristics, we studied the effects of each chemical component on properties such as crosslinking kinetics, mechanical strength of the printed structure, swelling ratio, and pore size. For example, we engineered a fibrin-based bioink consisting of patient-derived cancer cells, astrocytes, and microglia with perfusable blood vessels, which were created using a Pluronic F127 polymer coated with pericytes and endothelial cells. Importantly, we observed similar growth curves, drug response, and genetic signatures of cancer cells grown in our 3D-bioink platform and in orthotopic mouse models of brain cancer as opposed to cells growing in monolayer culture on rigid plastic. Currently, we are using those 3D platform to be adapted to study other diseases including human Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Our 3D-bioprinted platform could serve as the base for the development of as a powerful platform that can be used for rapid, reproducible, and robust target discovery tool, personalized therapy screening, and drug development, that will potentially replace cell cultures and animal models.
Lena Neufeld, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Broad Institute, MA. Abstract Presentation A-1006
Second Place
Deciphering Interconnections between Salivary Metabolic Profiles, Medical Conditions, and Medications in Sjögren’s Disease
Alejandra Olano Roldan
Sjögren’s Disease (SjD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of salivary and lachrymal glands. The most common symptoms are dry mouth, dry eyes, fatigue, and pain. Diagnosis of SjD is challenging due to lack of uniform diagnostic criteria and limitations in existing diagnostic approaches. Metabolomics provides insights into the development of multiple conditions, and salivary metabolomics is used in diagnosis of oral cancers, autoimmune and metabolic diseases. We conducted a clinical research study with adult SjD patients and non-SjD controls (n=30 per group). Statistics were conducted with the Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests using Stata 18. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Metabolomics of saliva samples from study subjects revealed a significant increase in the concentration of glucose (p = 0.044), glycerol (p = 0.005), lactate (p = 0.027), and taurine (p < 0.007) in association with SjD. While salivary metabolic profiles may reflect SjD status, they can be affected by other comorbidities and medication intake. Tabulated clinical data were used to determine correlations between diverse medical conditions, medications, and oral manifestations in the study population. SjD was significantly correlated with conditions that can be classified under distinct systems, including: musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, ophthalmological, hematologic, endocrine, ENT, and cancer. Study subjects reported over 300 medications, with an average of 9.2±5.6 and of 0.9±1.47 taken by SjD patients and controls, respectively (p < 0.001). The tongue and the gingiva were the most affected oral tissues in SjD patients, and the salivary flow rate was reduced in this group compared to controls (p < 0.001). Combining scientific and clinical data can lead to the development of new diagnostic and predictive tools for the management of SjD and thus improve the quality of life of patients with this complex disease. The study was supported by Tufts CTSI NCATS Award (UL1TR002544), and the 2021 Sjögren’s Foundation Pilot Research Grant (A. A-H).
Alejandra Olano Roldan, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine One Kneeland Street, Boston, MA. Abstract Presentation A-1007.
