SOSA's 11th Symposium
We are excited to announce that we have revamped our programming to focus on Innovation & Collaboration to Build Resilience in Jamaica and the Caribbean. In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which highlighted the urgent need for innovation, adaptable systems, and community strength, our renewed approach emphasizes innovative & practical solutions for recovery and long-term preparedness.
Continuing our trajectory of meeting students’ needs, our Outreach Efforts will now focus on supporting the recovery of STEM education capacity for schools in Western and Southwestern Jamaica that were hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.
Step into the forefront of innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact at SOSA’s 11th Symposium!
Join a dynamic lineup of stimulating sessions designed to expand knowledge, foster collaboration, and stimulate innovation on March 23, 2026, at the University of the West Indies, Mona in Kingston, Jamaica.
Sessions include innovation ideation and teaming to support new interdisciplinary collaborations.
Position yourself at the nexus of science and application by engaging in this transformative event that will cultivate discovery, collaboration, and professional advancement.
Present a poster to showcase your research to an audience of diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise.
Support our Mobile STEPS efforts to support the recovery of STEM education capacity in South & Western Jamaica.
In conjunction with the Symposium, outreach efforts will focus on the recovery of schools in Western & Southwestern Jamaica
SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
Monday, Mar 23, 2026 | UWI, Mona
9:00am
SESSION I
Collaborative Genomics: Equity, Deployment, and Real World Impact
11:20am
SESSION II
Resilience Ideation for Scientific Exploration (RISE) Workshop & Teaming Session
12:30pm
WORKING LUNCH
Teaming Session
1:30pm
SESSION III
Advancing Human & Environmental Health
3:15pm
SESSION IV: PANEL DISCUSSION
AI: Use, Governance, and Implications in Health & Technology
4:15pm
SESSION V
Seeding Collaborations
5:00pm
SESSION VI: POSTER SESSION & RECEPTION
Awards & Networking
Detailed Schedule
Registration
8:30AM – 8:50AM
Symposium Convening & Welcome
Chair: Craig Fletcher, PhD, DVM; Associate Vice Chancellor, UNC-Chapel Hill
9:00AM – 9:10AM
Session 1. Collaborative Genomics: Equity, Deployment, and Real-World Impact
Chair: Marcia Roye, PhD; Director, Graduate Studies and Research, UWI, Mona
9:10AM – 9:40AM Speaker 1: Yusuf Henriques, MS, MPH; Chief Executive Officer, IndyGeneUS BIO
TBA
9:40AM – 10:10AM Speaker 2: Oscar Rodriguez, PhD; Assistant Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mapping how the genome shapes our antibodies with long-read sequencing
10:10AM – 10:40AM Speaker 3: Paola Giusti-Rodriguez, PhD; Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Latin American Genomics Consortium: meaningful partnerships to advance psychiatric genomics research
10:40AM – 11:10AM Speaker 4: Devy Frederick, MSc; Head of Business Development, CariGenetics
Caribbean Roots with Global Reach: Unlocking Preventative Healthcare for All
11:10AM – 11:20AM Break
Session 2. Resilience Ideas for Scientific Exploration (RISE) Workshop
Chairs: Danielle Webster, PhD; Senior Lecturer, University of Central Florida & Icolyn Amarakoon, PhD; Senior Lecturer, UWI
11:20AM – 12:20PM Framing | Ideation | Pitching | Clustering | Prioritization
Working Lunch & Teaming Session
Chair: Melissa Sanderson, PhD; Senior Lecturer, University of Technology
12:20PM – 1:30PM Teaming |Refining
Session 3. Advancing Human & Environmental Health
Chair: Natwaine Gardner, PhD; Principal Director of Science in the Office of the Prime Minister
1:30PM – 2:00PM Speaker 1: Reginald Archer, PhD; Associate Professor, Tennessee State University
Transforming Science and Health in the Caribbean with Geospatial Technologies
2:00PM – 2:30PM Speaker 2: Oswaldo Lozoya, PhD; Scientific Computing Principal Investigator, RTI International
Data, data, everywhere; To prompt is not to think-Environmental Health Research in the Times of Big Data
2:30PM – 2:55PM Speaker 3: Dr. Susan Lowe (MBBS (Hons), BES (Hons), MSocSci/Associate Researcher, UWI
Teaching of Human Sexuality: A Viewpoint – sexuality is to mental health as nutrition is to medicine
3:00PM – 3:15PM Break
Session 4. Panel Discussion – AI: Use, Governance, and Implications in Health & Technology
Chair: Sasha-Gay Wright, PhD; Head, Biomedical Engineering, UWI
3:15PM – 4:15PM Panel Discussion
Cordel Green, MBA, LLB, LLM; Executive Director, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica
Melissa Daley, MTE; CEO, Orca Intelligence
Ricardo Harripaul, PhD; Johnson & Johnson
Session 5. Seeding Collaborations: Next Steps
Chair: Prudence Hall, Global Health and Health Systems Strengthening Specialist, Expert in Biomedical Research, Translational Medicine & Healthcare Standards Development
4:15PM – 5:00PM Convening | Funding | Strategic Planning
Session 6. Poster Session & Networking Reception
Chair: Keriayn Smith, MSQM, PhD; Associate Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill
5:00PM – 6:00PM Closing Remarks | Collaboration Support Awards | Poster Presentations