Otto Schmitt Distinguished Lecture Series

The IEM Otto Schmitt Distinguished Lecture Series is designed to foster discussion of the grand challenges for engineering in medicine. IEM invites national opinion leaders in research, industry, and government to give one or two talks each academic year.

These public lectures are named in honor of Dr. Otto Schmitt, a longtime University professor of biophysics, bioengineering, and electrical engineering, who made significant contributions to a wide range of fields including submarine detection, electrocardiography, and quality of life measures.

Dr. Stephen Quake, I-E-M Otto Schmitt Lecturer.

Thank you!

2:00-3:30 pm: Lecture by Dr. Quake
4:00-6:00 pm: Poster Session and Networking Reception
Winners will be announced soon

Location: UMN Health Sciences Education Center (Room 7-150/2)

"Understanding the mysteries of the cell: How many cell types arise from one genome"

Stephen Quake, PhD
Lee Otterson Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University
Former Head of Science, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Founding Co-president, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub

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Poster Session Details

Important Notes:

Posters must be up on the designated poster panel by 3:45pm.
The official poster viewing will occur from 4:00-5:30 PM on Oct. 14, 2025 in HSEC 7150/2.
To participate in the Poster Award Competition, the presenter of the poster must be a non-faculty first author and available during the entire poster viewing portion of the session.
Presenters must be affiliated with the University of Minnesota.

Research Themes:

Data Science & AI
Cardiovascular Engineering
Neuroengineering
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
Medical Devices
New Frontiers in Biomedical Engineering

Student Awards per Theme*:

$750 for 1st place
$500 for 2nd place
$250 for 3rd place

*Post-doc posters will be eligible for $1,500 1st, $1,000 2nd, $500 3rd place awards across themes.

Only the first 100 posters will be accepted:

Option 1: Digital Poster (max. 30: first come, first served).
Option 2: Paper poster on Wall (max. 70).
Physical poster dimensions must be no larger than 46 inches wide by 32 inches high.
Push pins will be provided.

Poster Award Competition and Guidelines:
Judges will evaluate the originality, significance, and reliability of the presented work as well as the clarity of the poster presentation.

Additional instructions and formatting guidelines will be provided via email after you complete your registration.

Dr. Quake's Bio

Stephen Quake, PhD

Lee Otterson Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University

Stephen Quake has received numerous awards for his contributions to science and is one of only two dozen scientists elected to all three National Academies. Steve also holds a faculty position at Stanford University, where he is the Lee Otterson Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics. Previously he was the founding co-president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (2016-2022), investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2006-2016), and professor at the California Institute of Technology (1996-2005).

Past Otto Schmitt Lectures