Suddath Symposium Focusing on Epigenetics Research

Every winter for 27 years, some of the world’s leading researchers gather at the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech for the Suddath Symposium to discuss their work and the latest developments in their fields.

Time is running out for early registration for this popular annual presentation of leading edge bio-research – it runs through Friday, January 18, after which the registration fee jumps from $25 to $35, still a bargain for a two-day assembly of top researchers. And this year’s syposium, featuring a brand-new topic, is entitled, "Epigenetics: From Mechanisms to Tree of Life."

Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modifications of gene expression. The 2019 Suddath Symposium (Feb. 7-8) will showcase the depth and diversity of epigenetics research at Georgia Tech and beyond, featuring researchers from Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, the University of Rochester, the University of Alabama, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, as well as experts from the University of Georgia and Emory University.

Central and emerging topics of epigenetics, from mechanisms in normal and disease states, to evolution and behavior, will be covered. The symposium is intended to spark discussion of concepts that span diverse systems and to inspire future leaders in epigenetics.

The symposium will kick off, as always, with a research presentation from the Suddath Memorial Award winner. This year’s winner, Monica McNerney, will be front and center in the Suddath Room (1128) on the ground floor or the Petit Institute, at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 7.

The memorial award, like the symposium and the room where it will take place, is named for F.L. “Bud” Suddath, whose life and legacy are celebrated every year with this wide-ranging discussion of new developments in the fields of bioengineering and bioscience.

Suddath was an innovative and inspiring scientist, educator and academic administrator, and a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he eventually would become vice president for information technology, the university’s first. Well-liked and respected by students and colleagues, when Suddath died suddenly on June 17, 1992, his loss was felt throughout the Georgia Tech community. So to honor his memory and his contributions, Suddath’s family, friends and colleagues established the award and symposium in his name.