Member News

Dr. Wayne Parrot, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, was named 2026 University Professor by the University of Georgia in recognition of his extraordinary impact on the institution. “The University Professorship is reserved for faculty who have created an enduring legacy at the University of Georgia above and beyond their exceptional impact in teaching, research and service. Dr. Parrott is most deserving of this honor, and his contributions for our institution will be felt for generations to come,” according to Benjamin C. Ayers, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, UGA. Dr. Parrott is also the Director of the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics and the Interim Director of the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

In addition to teaching for almost 40 years in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Dr. Parrott has played an instrumental role in shaping UGA’s study abroad programs. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded one of the university’s earliest study abroad programs, Agroecology of Tropical America. He later served as Chair of the Risk Management Board for all UGA study abroad programs, helping the university establish core risk management protocols. He received the Study Abroad Director of the Year Award and Richard Reiff Award for Campus Internationalization in recognition of his enduring impact on UGA’s global initiatives.

Dr. Parrott also spearheaded the development of new master’s and doctoral programs in plant breeding, genetics and genomics in response to a U.S. Department of Agriculture-designated national shortage of trained professionals in these areas. The programs were integrated into UGA’s Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics (IPBGG), which now includes more than 60 graduate students. Since Dr. Parrott became director in 2022, IPBGG has continued to grow into one of the largest and most prestigious programs of its kind in the nation. UGA’s plant breeding and genetics program has also risen in prominence, with aspirations to become the top program in the nation by the end of the decade.

Dr. Fredy Altpeter has been named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. A professor of molecular genetics, plant breeding, and biotechnology at the University of Florida–IFAS, Dr. Altpeter has been an SIVB member since 2007 and was elected as an SIVB Fellow in 2018. His key research accomplishments include precision editing of the highly complex sugarcane genome, elevating biomass and sugar yield, and metabolic engineering of sugarcane for hyperaccumulation of biomass oil.

Dr. Altpeter was also recently awarded the University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship, a three-year appointment given to a select group of faculty leading their fields and one of UF’s highest recognitions of current research excellence. He is the only faculty member in the award’s history to receive it three times.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Altpeter has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, secured more than $30 million in extramural funding, and mentored 183 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scientists, and undergraduates, many of whom now hold leadership roles in academia and industry. Reflecting on the recognition, Dr. Altpeter said he is “deeply grateful to his mentors, mentees, collaborators, sponsors, institutions, nominators, and supporters; to SIVB and AAAS; to his family; and, above all, to Christ, whose grace made this journey possible, and he celebrates their contributions through these awards.”

Dr. Anupama Shrestha, Assistant Professor, Plant Protection Biocontrol Laboratory (PPBC), Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology, Nepal

Madan Bhandari University Promotes Sustainable Farming Through Mushroom Workshop and Vedic Agriculture Conference

The Plant Protection Biocontrol Laboratory (PPBC) of the Organic Agriculture Program at Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology organized a one-day workshop on Sustainable Mushroom Production & Disease Management: From Research to Field on June 10, 2026. The event brought together researchers, growers, entrepreneurs, extension workers, and students to address challenges and opportunities in Nepal’s mushroom sector.

Just four days later, the university participated in the National Conference on Vedic Organic Agriculture 2026, hosted by the Nepal Maharishi Vedic Foundation in Dakshinkali, Kathmandu. Both programs underscored the critical need to transfer scientific knowledge from laboratories to real-world farming practices.

At the conference, Dr. Anupama Shrestha presented on the vital role of soil microorganisms in organic farming. She explained how beneficial bacteria, and microorganisms enhance soil fertility, nutrient cycling, and plant health while naturally suppressing diseases. The conference served as a platform for researchers, farmers, and policymakers to explore how traditional Vedic wisdom can be integrated with modern organic methods for long-term agricultural sustainability.

Participants across both events praised the interactive format, noting that practical discussions and group sessions offered actionable insights into improving crop productivity and disease management – key steps toward strengthening Nepal’s organic farming future.

Gustavo A. Quiñones-Blanco, Student, Specialized School of Mathematics, Sciences, and Technology of the Municipal Education System of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Gustavo received the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in Ability and Creativity in In Vitro Biology at the ORE San Juan Regional Science Fair for his research: “Evaluation of Dibenzyl Trisulfide Extracted from Anamú (Petiveria alliacea) as a Possible Natural Herbicide Against Weedy Grasses“. His project earned First Place in the Plant Science category and ranked among the eight highest-scoring projects in the entire competition, qualifying for the second-round selection process to determine the ORE San Juan representative for Regeneron ISEF. He also received Second Place in the Environment category and Third Place Overall Grand Award at the 2026 Foro Internacional de Ciencia en Puerto Rico (FICEP). In addition, Gustavo was invited to present his research findings at AgroHack, one of Puerto Rico’s leading agricultural innovation conferences, and participated in the NCI Ag Summer Camp at North Dakota State University, where he expanded his training in agricultural research.

Dr. Nathan Vo (Adjunct Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada), who was the SIVB’s 2025 Early Career Award recipient and is currently serving as Secretary of IVACS, has received two new distinctions this year.  He is the 2026 recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the North American Comparative Immunology Workshop in recognition of his highly original and inventive research with hematopoietic cell cultures in the teleost fish system.  He has also received a 2026 Donald F. Morgenson Award for Teaching Excellence in the Early Career Excellence category at his university.  Congratulations to Dr. Vo for double achievements this year!

Dr. Lena Neufeld (Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was honored with the first-Place Award at the SIVB 2026 In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences Postdoctoral Oral Presentation Competition for her work entitled “From 3D-Bioprinted Brain Cancer Modeling to Delineating Human Intestinal Function and Inflammation Ex Vivo”. During her presentation, Lena detailed her overarching translational research bridging advanced biomaterials and immunology. She highlighted her work engineering complex 3D-bioprinted cancer tissue models and novel drug testing platforms to address critical unmet needs in cancer research. Furthermore, she discussed how she is actively incorporating these insights into her current postdoctoral work at MIT and the Broad Institute, focusing on inflammatory diseases and women’s health.

At SIVB 2026 Lena connected with an international network of talented researchers in a highly collaborative and welcoming environment, and proudly represented both her former supervisor, Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, and her current supervisor, Prof. Giovanni Traverso.

Professor Tetsuji Okamoto, President, University of East Asia, Japan, has been recognized for his long-standing contributions as Editor-in-Chief of In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Animal, the official journal of the Society for In Vitro Biology, published by Springer Nature. He has received the “Springer Nature Editor of Distinction Awards” (Editorial Contribution Award 2026 and Author Service Award 2026).

Springer Nature is one of the world’s largest academic publishers. This Outstanding Editor Award, Editorial Contribution Award, and Author Services Award recognizes Dr. Okamoto’s significant contributions to advancing the manuscript review process and supporting the global scientific community through editorial services. In particular, his dedication to rigorous manuscript evaluation, promoting high-quality research, and ensuring an efficient and equitable publishing experience for authors has been recognized.

Hannah Ning, Rising Senior, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Hannah Ning won the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) Award of Outstanding Achievement for Ability and Creativity in In Vitro Biology at the 2026 Broward Regional Science and Engineering Fair for her research project, “Evaluating Fluorescent Dyes for Intracellular Lipid Droplet Labeling“. She conducted this research under the mentorship of Dr. Qi Zhang at the Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic organelles that serve as reservoirs for neutral lipids. Lipids are indispensable building blocks of all cells, forming the membranes that protect cells and the organelles within. The human brain is a lipid-rich organ; the distribution and trafficking of lipids inside brain cells are both functionally vital for neuronal insulation and signaling and pathologically significant. Because lipid misregulation has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), accurate visualization of LDs is critical for uncovering lipid trafficking defects that may contribute to AD onset. This study compared two fluorescent LD-labeling dyes, BODIPY 493/503 and LipidSpot 610, to evaluate whether the newer dye, LipidSpot 610, provides equal or improved specificity for LD labeling compared to the standard of BODIPY 493/503. Using optimized loading conditions, 3T3 fibroblast cells were stained and imaged via confocal microscopy.

Lysosomal markers were used to ensure that each dye specifically labeled LDs rather than lysosomes. Image analysis revealed that both dyes specifically and accurately stained LDs. Interestingly, the lower Pearson’s correlation coefficient observed in the LipidSpot 610 condition suggests that it may provide greater LD-labeling specificity than the standard LD dye, BODIPY 493/503. Furthermore, the colocalization of BODIPY 493/503 and LipidSpot 610 confirms that both dyes accurately target the same intracellular LD structures. By evaluating the specificity and accuracy of both LD-labeling dyes, this study supports future research aimed at understanding lipid trafficking and its role in cellular metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases like AD.