Keynote Speakers

Rozalyn Anderson, PhD Vilas Distinguished Professor Director Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center Department of Medicine, SMPH University of Wisconsin-Madison

Carmela Sidrauski, PhD Distinguished Principal Investigator Calico Life Sciences LLC

 

Guest Speakers

Jonathan Alder, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Christina Camell, PhD Associate Professor Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism University of Minnesota

Tamar Gefen, PhD Associate Professor Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Director, Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychology Northwestern University

Nathan K LeBrasseur, PhD Noaber Foundation Professor of Aging Research Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Director, Robert & Arlene Kogod Center on Aging Mayo Clinic

Alexander Misharin, MD, PhD Associate Professor Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Northwestern University

Mauricio Rojas, MD Professor Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Vice Chair of Research, Department of Internal Medicine The Ohio State University

 

Register Now Seating is limited, so please secure your spot by registering here. Once your registration is submitted, we will email you detailed instructions on how to complete your payment.

Registration Fees:

• $200 | Faculty, Staff,  & Industry Representatives

• $100 | Trainees (Postdoctoral, Medical, & Graduate Students)

The deadline to submit your abstract has passed. Here is a copy of the abstracts accepted for this symposium.

 

1. Poster Boards at Northwestern

The MAC Symposium will use 60" W x 40" H White Foam Boards on Easels. All mounting supplies will be provided.

Please design your poster to a maximum of 56" W x 36" H to ensure it fits comfortably within the board surface with a small margin on all sides.

 

2. Recommended Poster Dimensions

We recommend the following poster dimensions for the MAC Symposium:

 

• Recommended size: 48" W x 36" H (landscape) — easy to read, well-proportioned, and comfortable on the board.
• Maximum size: 56" W x 36" H — do not exceed this to avoid overhang on the board edges.
• Orientation: landscape is strongly preferred for readability and visual flow.

 

3. Poster Content and Structure

Your poster should tell a complete, self-contained scientific story that is understandable without requiring oral explanation. Think of it as a well-designed visual summary, not a printed manuscript. The recommended sections are:

 

Required sections

• Title — concise, descriptive, and written like a newspaper headline. Should convey the key finding, not just the topic.
• Authors and affiliations — list all co-authors with superscript institution numbers.
• Introduction / Background — briefly frame the scientific problem, state your hypothesis or aim. Keep it short: 3–5 sentences is ideal.
• Methods — succinct overview sufficient for the audience to understand how the study was performed. A brief description of statistical methods is appropriate. Avoid reproducing full protocols.
• Results — the centerpiece of your poster. Organize data to optimize visual flow. If using a 3–4 column layout, figures with self-explanatory legends can serve as your entire results section.
• Conclusions / Discussion — short summary of results with meaningful interpretation. Future directions may be included.

 

Optional but recommended sections

• Acknowledgments — funding sources, collaborators.
• References — key citations only; abbreviate if space is limited.
• Contact information — email address or QR code linking to your lab website or preprint.

 

The abstract itself does not need to be reproduced on the poster — attendees can access it in the symposium program.

 

4. Design and Visual Guidelines

A well-designed poster draws the eye to your key findings and invites conversation. Below are recommended design guidelines:

 

Layout

• Use a landscape, 3–4 column format as the default. Design so the poster reads column by column (left to right), not across rows.
• Keep at least 30–40% white space. Overcrowded posters discourage readers and dilute your message.
• A logical flow: Introduction (left) → Methods → Results → Conclusions (right).
• Figures should dominate the center columns; text can anchor the left and right.

 

Typography

• Use no more than 2–3 fonts total. Count bold and italic as separate styles — too many create visual noise.
• Sans-serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Helvetica, Calibri) for titles, headings, and labels — more legible at a distance.
• Serif fonts (e.g., Georgia, Times) may be used for body text paragraphs.
• Do not underline text — it reduces readability.
• Minimum font sizes — your poster should be readable from 5 feet away:
• Title: 72–96 pt (at least 1.5" tall)
• Section headings: 36–48 pt
• Body text: 24–28 pt minimum
• Figure labels and captions: 18–22 pt
• Left-align body text — it is easier to read than centered text.

 

Color

• Use a light background with dark text for maximum contrast and readability.
• Use color strategically to highlight the most important results or key message — avoid the 'tabloid look' of too many saturated colors.
• Be mindful of color blindness: avoid using red and green together (affects ~5% of males). Use patterns, shapes, or labels as secondary differentiators in figures.
• Maintain a uniform color scheme across all figures for a professional, cohesive appearance.

 

Figures and images

• Use a minimum image resolution of 300 dpi; 600 dpi is ideal. Pixelated images appear unprofessional and are harder to read.
• Label everything: all axes, plot lines, conditions, and scale bars. Figures should be fully self-explanatory when viewed with their legend.
• Use A), B), C) labeling consistently and make sure captions reference these labels.
• Ensure you have rights to use any images sourced from outside your own work. When in doubt, contact the creator or omit the image.

 

Questions? Contact the MAC Symposium organizing committee. We look forward to seeing your work!

The Hyatt Centric is connected to the Feinberg School of Medicine campus  and the conference venue via an enclosed, climate controlled sky bridge. There are several hotels that are within walking distance of the conference venue:

AC Hotel by Marriott, 630 North Rush, Chicago, IL 60611

Aloft Chicago Mag Mile, 243 East Ontario, Chicago, IL 60611

Courtyard by Marriott, 165 East Ontario, Chicago, IL 60611

DoubleTree by Hilton*, 300 East Ohio, Chicago, IL 60611

Embassy Suites, 511 North Columbus Drive, Chicago, IL 60611

Embassy Suites, 600 North State Street, IL 60654

Hampton Inn, 160 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611

Homewood Suites, 152 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611

Hotel Saint Clair, 162 E Ontario, Chicago, IL 60611

Hyatt Centric Chicago*, 633 North St. Clair, Chicago, IL 60611

Omni Hotel, 676 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

W Chicago, 644 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611

Warwick Allerton, 701 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

* Discounted Rates Available. Must use link above or indicate you are a guest of Northwestern University when making reservation. 

During rush hour (7-9 AM and 4-6 PM) or inclement weather: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) offers train service to/from both O’Hare and Midway airports and can be the most reliable way to reach our campus.

During non-peak travel times: Taxis or ride sharing services are also good options to travel to our campus.

CTA Service

You will need a Ventra Card to use the train and bus in Chicago. You can purchase a card online or at any CTA station. The fare is $5 for the train from O’Hare and $0.25 for the bus transfer (used within 2 hours of original fare).

Route from O'Hare

1. From O’Hare International Airport Terminals 1, 2, or 3, follow signs that say “CTA Trains” or “Trains to City” which will take you to the O’Hare Blue Line station on the lower level.
2. Take the Blue Line train to the Clark/Lake station to transfer to the Red Line. From the Red Line station at Lake, take the Red Line train heading north to the Howard station. Get off at the Chicago station (second stop). Go east on Chicago Avenue to Michigan Avenue, then head south to the street of your hotel. (Superior, Huron, or Erie Street, ~0.3 miles)

OR

1. From O’Hare International Airport Terminals 1, 2, or 3, follow signs that say “CTA Trains” or “Trains to City” which will take you to the O’Hare Blue Line station on the lower level.
2. Take the Blue Line train and get off at the Chicago station. Take the CTA Bus #66 east to Navy Pier. Get off at the Superior, Huron, or Erie stop, depending on your hotel.

Route from Midway

1. From Midway International Airport, follow signs that say “CTA Trains” or “Trains to City” which will take you to the Midway Orange Line station located on the east side of the airport.
2. Take the Orange Line train to the State/Lake station to transfer to the Red Line. From the Red Line station at Lake, take the Red Line train heading north to the Howard station. Get off at the Chicago station (second stop). Go east on Chicago Avenue to Michigan Avenue, then head south to the street of your hotel. (Superior, Huron, or Erie Street, ~0.3 miles)

The Intercampus Shuttle runs between the Chicago and Evanston campus on Monday through Friday.

• Evanston to Chicago schedule
• Chicago to Evanston schedule

Campus Map (pdf)

Interactive Map (Google Maps)