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About the Event
The West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference (WCBSURC) is among the oldest intercollegiate conferences of its kind in the nation.
This one-day event will take place at California State University San Marcos on April 12, 2025.
California State University San Marcos is located in beautiful North San Diego County, in between the city of San Diego to the south, and Orange and Riverside counties to the north - minutes from the area’s best beaches and an hour from both the desert and the mountains!
The goals of the WCBSURC are:
- To provide a forum for undergraduate researchers to present original data they have generated in the fields of biology, biochemistry, biophysics and related fields.
- To foster intercollegiate interactions among students and faculty who share a commitment to undergraduate research in the biological sciences.
The conference will last only one day! To make the most of your experience, use our Conference Planner and start organizing
your day in advance. We recommend doing this ahead of time so you can fully enjoy
the event and plan which posters and seminars you’d like to attend. In the conference
planner site: Use the check boxes to select talks and posters you’re interested in. Use the dropdown
menu to filter by session type. When you're ready, you can view your schedule or download
it as a PDF.
Conference Planner
View our Conference Agenda to access our Conference Booklet with the list of all presenters and the titles of their presentations.
Access the list of Presenters with Full Abstracts
Schedule
- 7:30am-8:30am: Registration and Continental Breakfast
- 8:30am-8:45am: Welcome Remarks and Announcements
- 8:45am-9:45am: Poster Session #1
- 10:00am-12:00pm: Seminar Sessions
- 12:00pm-1:30pm: Box Lunches
- 1:15pm-2:15pm: Poster Session #2
- 2:30pm-3:30pm: Poster Session #3
- 4:00pm-4:45pm: Keynote Address
- 4:45pm-5:45pm: Awards Reception
|
Session
|
Name
|
SBSB Room
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Aquatic and Marine
|
SBSB 1103
|
|
2
|
Biochemistry and Biophysics I
|
SBSB 1101
|
|
3
|
Biochemistry and Biophysics II
|
SBSB 2107
|
|
4
|
Cell Biology
|
SBSB 1105
|
|
5
|
Cell Biology and Immunology
|
SBSB 1107
|
|
6
|
Ecology and Evolution
|
SBSB 1109
|
|
7
|
Microbiology
|
SBSB 1111
|
|
8
|
Molecular Biology I
|
SBSB 1102
|
|
9
|
Molecular Biology II
|
SBSB 2109
|
|
10
|
Neurobiology
|
SBSB 2140
|
|
11
|
Physiology
|
SBSB 2111
|
Room Location for Posters, Keynote, Exhibitor, Registration and Lunch is our USU Ballroom
Parking Information
If driving, navigate to the CSUSM Parking Garage (PS1) located at 103 Campus View Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078. We have paid for you to park on the 5th and 6th floors only. There will be signs with this information. From the parking garage, go to the 6th floor and cross the pedestrian bridge. You will see signs directing you to the University Student Union Ballroom (USU 2300).
Student Reflection
Registered students, fill out this survey the day of the conference for a chance to win a door prize. Submissions will be accepted until 4:45pm
Registration
- Registration deadline was March 31st, 2025. On-Site Registration is not allowed.
- No reimbursements after April 1st, 2025.
- Student and Faculty Registration. Registration cost is $55 for students and $80 for faculty and others. Includes access to all conference sessions, continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and printed conference agenda
-
Exhibitor/Sponsor Registration. Exhibitor registration cost is $175. Includes one recruiting table in a highly visible location at the conference and access to all conference sessions. Continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and printed conference agenda for up to two team members is also included
Guests
Announcements:
Guests/Faculty/Students that did not pay registration are allowed to attend the conference but WILL NOT be provided with food and beverages. Additionally, if room capacity is reached, we will kindly ask unpaid participants to step outside
There are food options available in North City within walking distance of campus
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Svasti Haricharan
Dr. Haricharan received her BSc in Zoology from Stella Maris College, India in 2004, her MSc in Molecular
and Human Genetics from University of Leicester, UK in 2005, and her PhD in Molecular
and Cellular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine in 2011. Dr. Haricharan also completed two stints of postdoctoral training, from 2011-2013 with Dr. Powel
Brown at UT MDACC focused on translational cancer research, and from 2013-2015 with
Dr. Matt Ellis at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center learning proteomic analysis
of patient tumors. Dr. Haricharan started her independent lab focused on non-canonical roles of DNA repair proteins
in promoting treatment responsiveness at Sanford Burnham Prebys, La Jolla in 2018.
She recently moved to SDSU as Associate Professor of Biology to continue her research.
She is also a Full Member of the Moores Cancer Center at UCSD.
During her training she was exposed to a range of research areas from transgenic mouse
models of breast cancer development to implementing and analyzing multi-omics studies
on patient tumors. In her own lab, she incorporates skills learned from her different
training experiences to focus on patient-informed cancer research balanced on a strong
foundation of classical molecular biology techniques. Dr. Haricharan's independent research program focuses on studying cancer biology through the lens
of the lived experiences of the host in the contexts of race, gender and age.
Abstract Submission has closed
Abstract Information
- Eligibility: The primary author must be an undergraduate student. Co-authors can include fellow students, faculty, or research advisors.
- Abstract Length: Limit the abstract to 250-300 words. Abstracts longer than 300 words are not allowed. This should include a brief introduction, objectives, methods, results, and conclusion.
- Submission Format: Submit the abstract as a plain text entry through the conference submission portal.
- Deadline: All abstracts must be submitted by March 10th, 2025
- Presentation Type: Indicate your preferred presentation type (oral, poster, or either). The committee may adjust based on availability.
Submission Format
The posters should measure no more than 36 inches wide by 48 inches in length (vertical poster, tall and narrow). Pushpins will be provided.
Presenters will stand by their poster during the designated presentation time. The poster must be removed when the respective poster session ends.
Talk presenters, research talks can be no longer than 10 minutes and we will allow up to 5 minutes per questions. Please prepare your research talks in Google Slides or PowerPoint.
FAQs
- How do I register for the conference?You can register online through the conference website. Registration opens January 6th.
- Are there any discounts or scholarships available for students?No. Registration fees are already as low as they can be.
- How can I apply for a travel grant?There are NO travel grants through CSUSM. Your research mentor can be a good resource to help you find travel grants through your school or professional societies.
- What is the dress code for the conference?Dress how you will feel the most confident to present. Business casual is often recommended for science conferences.
- Can I present my research at the conference?Yes, this is a conference for undergraduate students to present their research. You can submit your abstract from January 6th to March 10th for consideration. You can select between poster, talk, or either.
- How do I prepare to attend a conference for the first time?Review the conference program when available and plan your schedule ahead of time. Make sure to bring business cards (or a QR code to your LinkedIn profile), prepare an elevator pitch about your research, and familiarize yourself with the venue and transportation options.
- Are meals included in the conference fee?Lunch will be provided as well as coffee and an afternoon snack. Dinner is not provided; you can check San Marcos or San Diego for options for dinner.
- What should I do if I need special accommodation (e.g., accessibility needs)?Contact the conference organizers as early as possible to discuss any special needs, so they can make the necessary arrangements to ensure your participation is smooth.
- What if I have to cancel my registration?You have to cancel before April 1st, 2025 to receive reimbursement.
- Will Parking be provided?Yes, you will be able to park at CSUSM. A map will be provided and you will be able to follow the signs when arriving to CSUSM.
- When will I be notified if my abstract was accepted?You will be notified about acceptance of your abstract within 10 business days from date of abstract submission.
- Is there a fee to submit an abstract?No, there is a fee for registration but not for abstract submission.
- What happens if I got accepted but I am unable to go?Contact conference organizers as soon as possible. Remember reimbursements are not allowed after April 1st.
- I was accepted and I selected poster, but the conference organizers are telling me
I have to give a talk or I was accepted and I selected talk, but they are telling
me I have to give a poster.Talk and poster selection will be done by the conference committee, and it depends on availability. If you selected poster but we notify you that you can only give a talk, you have the option to accept or reject that, and vice versa. If you reject, then we will not be able to accommodate your research.
- Can I change my mind and give a talk or Can I change my mind and give a poster?No, once accepted to give a poster or a talk, you have to present in the format you were notified.
- What are the poster dimensions?The posters should measure 36 inches wide by 48 inches in length (vertical posters, tall and narrow). Pushpins will be provided.
- What if my poster is larger?Your poster cannot be larger. If your poster is larger, it will disrupt other participants, and we cannot display it.
- Can you print my poster?No, please have your poster printed before the conference!
- How do I prepare my talk?You can prepare your talk on Google Slides or Power Point. Please practice your talk and make sure it is no longer than 10 minutes. You will also have 5 minutes for questions. Giving a talk is a great way to practice communicating your research and is great for your CV!
- Do I email my talk or how do I bring it?Please bring your talk already saved on a USB-A storage device. Do not bring it with a USB-C storage device as we cannot guarantee we will have adapters. Please practice your talk on a different computer other than yours, to make sure all videos, external links and pictures are working properly.
More FAQs may be added later so don’t hesitate to check the website again before sending an email.
Organizers
For more information please contact wcbsurc-2025@csusm.edu