The LMP Research Conference (LMPRC) 2026

Register for the conference

Submit an abstract (LMP graduate and postgraduate trainees only - please see below for details)

A day where we celebrate and share the research conducted in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology.

The day will consist of:

Graduate student poster presentations
Postgraduate research poster presentations
Keynote speaker: Dr. Laurent Bozec on interdisciplinary research
Workshops
Lots of networking

Find out what happened at last years' conference and see the photos!

When and where

Thursday, April 16, 2026 all day

The Arcadian,
401 Bay Street, Simpson Tower 8th floor, Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4

If you have any questions, contact us at lmp.rc@utoronto.ca.

Important dates

Mid January: Registration and abstract submissions open
February 19: Judging volunteer deadline. If you are a faculty member, postdoc, fellow or alumni and would like to judge abstracts and/or posters or orals on the day, please complete our form.
February 23: Abstract submission deadline (LMP graduate students and Postgraduate trainees)
April 1: Registration closes

Information for graduate students and postgraduate trainees: abstract submissions

Who should submit an abstract and how

All graduate and postgraduate learners in LMP are invited to present a poster at the conference.

It is compulsory for the following graduate students to submit an abstract:

Second-year MSc students
Second- and fourth-year PhD students
Second-year Translational Research Program students (capstone project presentations)

Not compulsory, but strongly encouraged:

Second-year MHSc in Laboratory Medicine students (capstone project presentations)

Postgraduates in LMP are required to submit abstracts and present a poster as below:

PGY2, PGY3, and PGY5 Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology residents
PGY2 Hematopathology residents
Medical Microbiology residents and all Clinical Microbiology trainees - you must present your research with you as the presenter/co-presenter of your work at least once during your training

Not compulsory, but strongly encouraged:

Clinical Chemistry trainees
PGY3, PGY4 Hematopathology residents
Neuropathology residents
all other LMP residents/trainees – we encourage you to present

All LMP residents/trainees must attend regardless as to whether they are presenting research.

When you submit an abstract, you must also register for the conference which is a separate form.

Register for the conference

Submit an abstract (LMP graduate and postgraduate trainees only - please see below for details)

Abstract specifics

Abstracts:

should be no more than 500 words
should not include figures or graphics
may be structured or unstructured, depending on the stage of your research

Preparing for your poster or oral presentation: resources

Do you want help practicing your poster presentation? Contact the Peer Communication Team and access expert coaching and feedback on your presentation.

Poster boards are typically 48 inches tall by 94 inches wide. The poster dimensions should be no greater than 44 inches x 91 inches. You are limited to this surface, however, you do not need to fill the entire board. The recommended minimum size is 42 inches x 68 inches.

Templates

Download PowerPoint and Publisher templates from LMP

Information for attendees

The agenda

More details to come soon. Times are approximate.

Time	Details
08:30 - 09:15	Breakfast and registration Poster set up for morning session
09:15 - 09:30 am	Welcome address and land acknowledgment - Dr. Rita Kandel
09:30 - 10:15	LMP 3-Minute Thesis winner Oral presentations 1
10:25 - 11:40	Poster session 1 (groups to be confirmed) Poster take down
11:50 - 12:40	Workshops Several workshops will run covering a variety of topics - coming soon!
12:40 - 13:40	Lunch Poster set up for afternoon session
13:40 - 14:40	Keynote address: Dr. Laurent Bozec 'Disruptive by Design: The Power of Interdisciplinary Science'
14:50 - 16:05	Poster session 2 (groups to be confirmed) Poster take down
16:05 - 16:15	Coffee break and networking
16:15 - 17:05	Oral presentations 2
17:05 - 18:00	Awards and social

Photography and videography

We will be taking photographs and recording some videos for departmental purposes.

If you do not wish to be in any of the photos or videos, please make yourself known to the person taking pictures or videos.

If you are presenting your research at the conference and would like to highlight it in a video, contact us at lmp.communications@utoronto.ca. See examples on our Youtube channel such as Asnia Shaw and Ain Kim.

Download the app!

Enhance your conference experience by downloading our conference app - coming soon!

Using the app will enable you to:

read abstracts for oral and poster presentations
access maps
see the agenda
personalize your itinerary
chat with participants
receive updates
...and more!

Keynote speaker: Dr. Laurent Bozec

Talk title "Disruptive by Design: The Power of Interdisciplinary Science"

Dr. Laurent Bozec is a Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto. He is an internationally recognized researcher who works at the intersection of biophysics, materials science, oral biology, and tissue pathology. Trained as an applied physicist, he uses advanced microscopy and quantitative mechanical methods to investigate the structure, degradation, and failure mechanisms of collagen-based and mineralized tissues at the nanometre scale.

His research program spans oral biology, connective tissue pathology, and structural biophysics. Dr. Bozec has contributed to our understanding of how collagen architecture, crosslinking, and nanoscale mechanics influence tissue integrity, resilience, and modes of breakdown. His work has informed the study of enamel and dentin degradation, the progression of caries, and the structural basis of developmental conditions such as molar hypomineralization. He has also extended these biophysical approaches to cultural heritage science, where they have helped analyze and preserve historic materials such as parchment, leather, and archaeological bone.

Dr. Bozec also serves in major leadership roles at the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Governing Council, the Vice Chair of the Academic Board, and the Dean’s Designate for the School of Graduate Studies. He holds appointments in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and the Faculty of Information, and he is affiliated with the Data Science Institute. Over the course of his career, he has supervised and graduated more than 100 graduate students, which reflects his longstanding commitment to interdisciplinary training and mentorship.

In his keynote titled "Disruptive by Design: The Power of Interdisciplinary Science", Dr. Bozec will explain how many advances in laboratory medicine and pathobiology emerge at the boundaries between disciplines. Drawing on work in biophysics, dentistry, materials science, oral and connective tissue structure, and degradation biology, he will show how insights at the smallest scales can reshape our understanding of tissue failure, diagnostic interpretation, and the material foundations of disease. His talk examines how work in the space between disciplines encourages discovery, accelerates translation, and expands what becomes visible and measurable in human tissues.