USC DORI’S 11th Annual Research Symposium on Diabetes & Obesity was held at:

Aresty Auditorium and
NRT LG 503/504
Norris Research Tower

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Science is not meant to cure us of mystery, but to reinvent and reinvigorate it.

Robert Sapolsky, Neuroendocrinology, Author & Professor at Stanford University

From a public health perspective there has never been a greater need for innovative diabetes and obesity research. Over 40% of adults in the US population are obese, 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese, and these staggering rates of obesity are paralleled by rising rates in diabetes, which now affects over 10% of the US population.

Annual DORI Symposium Mission

The mission of the annual DORI symposium is to foster the interactions of multidisciplinary researchers, and to link basic science, clinical translational, epidemiological, and public policy researchers together to provide the most innovative insights and ideas for diabetes and obesity research and the most impressive strategies to prevent/treat obesity and diabetes.

Research Presentations

Participants are exposed to a thought-provoking line of distinguished speakers from around the globe who present their cutting edge research in diabetes and obesity.

The symposium also features selected presentations from outstanding trainees, ranging from undergraduate students to post-doctoral fellows, who are given the opportunity to showcase their own research.

Featured Past Partners of the Annual Symposium

Past Symposiums

  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2020
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016

Past Winners

2024 Symposium

Trainee Oral Presentations

1st place
James Hilser

University of Southern California

2nd place
Sandhya Prathap
University of Southern California

3rd place
Victoria Wang

University of Southern California

Trainee Poster Presentations

1st place (TIE)
Janielle Cuala and Logan Tierno Lauer

University of Southern California

2nd place
Jessica Rea
University of Southern California

3rd place
Jasmine Vasquez

CSULB

2023 Symposium

Trainee Oral Presentations

1st place
Logan Tierno Lauer

University of Southern California

2nd place
Meagan McCoy
CHLA

3rd place
Ahyun Jung

University of Southern California

Trainee Poster Presentations

1st place (TIE)
Zander Bashaw and Victoria Wang

University of Southern California

2nd place
Nicole Fraga
CHLA

3rd place
Nate Overholtzer
University of Southern California

2022 Symposium

Trainee Oral Presentations

1st place
Anna Hayes

University of Southern California

2nd place
Sandine Chometton

University of Southern California

3rd place
Jasmin Alves

University of Southern California

Trainee Poster Presentations

1st place (TIE)
Lilly Mai

University of Southern California

1st place (TIE)
Jessica Rea

University of Southern California

2nd place
Léa Décarie-Spain

University of Southern California

2021 Symposium

Trainee oral presentations

1st place
Verenice Ascencio
California State University Long Beach

2nd place
Jennifer Zink
University of Southern California

3rd place
Linda Tsan
University of Southern California

Trainee poster presentations

1st place
Carina Alvarado
California State University Long Beach

Ellice Wang
University of Southern California

2nd place (Tie)
Ana de Oliveira Laub
University of Southern California

Trusha Perekh
University of Southern California

2020 Symposium

Trainee Oral Presentations

Award being presented to Elizabeth Davis

1st place
Elizabeth Davis

University of Southern California

Award being presented to Zhongying Wong

2nd place
Zhongying Wong

University of California Los Angeles

Award being presented to Sabrina Jones

3rd place
Sabrina Jones

University of Southern California

Trainee Poster Presentations

Award presented to Alex Yunker

1st place
Alexandra Yunker

University of Southern California

2nd place
Ashley Martinez

University of Southern California

Award presented to Brandon

3rd place
Brandon McFarlan

University of Southern California