The 2026 CMaT Summit, held at the Georgia Institute of Technology, brought together researchers, industry partners, and trainees for three days of collaboration, innovation, and celebration. The summit kicked off on Aug. 5 with a keynote address by Dr. Qasim Rafiq, followed by a faculty-led debate on the future of cell therapy.

On Aug. 6, the day began with a state of the center address by CMaT Director Johnna Temenoff, followed by trainee research presentations and an industry panel discussion. Later in the day, the poster session featured more than 30 CMaT trainee posters alongside contributions from industry members and Marcus Center researchers. The excitement continued with the Perfect Pitch Competition, where participants delivered timed presentations of their research. The day concluded with an industry tour for CMaT trainees.

Finally, on Aug. 7, trainees and faculty participated in a development training session on the “Use of Generative AI Tools in Research,” followed by testbed breakout sessions focused on research and collaboration. The summit concluded with the announcement of the CMaT Trainee Awards, recognizing trainees for their contributions to the CMaT community.

Poster Session Award Winners 

• First Place: Morgane Golan (UGA)
• Second Place: Gianna Slusher (GT)
• Third Place (Tie): Chanhyung Park (UW-Madison) and Ryan Miller (GT)
• People’s Choice: Amin Davarzani (UGA)
• Summer Trainee Winner: Angela Liang (Lu Lab)

Perfect Pitch Winner

• Md Marzan Sarkar (UGA) 

Trainee Service Award Winners

• Outreach Award: Makayla Garner (GT), Valeria De la Rosa-Villareal (UPRM), Yizhe Wang (GT), Carolina Colon (GT)
• Outstanding Research Award: Carolina Rivera (UPRM), Gianna Slusher (GT), Li  Zhaowei (GT), Frank Seipel (UW-Madison), Md Marzan Sarkar (UGA)
• Above and Beyond Award:  James Rolland (UW-Madison)
• Mentoring Award: Alondra Hidalgo (UPRM), Carlos Barreto-Gamarra (UPRM)
• Curriculum Enhancement Award: Erika Bowen Shamaun (UGA), Morgane Golan (UGA)
• Industry Award: Daniel Shah (GT)