We are excited to announce our inaugural symposium on biodiversity and non-traditional model organisms, made possible by the SQoL Grant Program from the MIT School of Science. We are honored to welcome Dr. Nipam Patel, Director of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Professor at the University of Chicago, as our first speaker. Dr. Patel will introduce MBL, a historic biological research institute founded in 1888 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and discuss its flagship programs and summer courses that support scientists at every stage of their careers—from undergraduates to professors-level. He will also highlight MBL’s pioneering work with non-model organisms, demonstrating how these unique species lead to groundbreaking discoveries and new insights in biology. Additionally, Dr. Patel will share fascinating research from his lab on body patterning and germline regeneration in species such as butterflies and shrimps.

As part of the SQoL program, we will host a raffle following the talk, with exciting prizes including the new AirPods 4, mugs, squid hats, books, and stickers. To participate in the raffle, please click the link to register.