PolyBio Research Foundation

We’re happy to share that PolyBio’s Spring 2026 symposium that took place last Friday is now available in a recording! Listen to PolyBio-supported project updates at your own pace, or share your favourite research with friends.

Presentations by researcher: https://polybio.org/spring-2026-symposium/
Full recording: https://youtu.be/tD5gWVEjudQ?si=vN-UzACfkTFONTi_

Exciting news—we’re hosting Marc Elia at PolyBio’s Spring 2026 Symposium, who will be presenting on Invivyd’s collaboration with the SPEAR working group to develop monoclonal antibody therapies for Long COVID and post-COVID vaccination syndrome. This is one of the key presentations on May 22 addressing biomarker-guided clinical trials in the Long COVID field.

Register for the symposium here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VP0r-Io_SWefoRpvErHmWg #/registration

Excited for PolyBio’s upcoming Spring symposium on Friday, May 22? Here’s the full program of presenters you’ll hear from!

From novel platforms of detection for SARS-CoV-2 & herpesviruses implicated in Long COVID, to updates on clinical trials & the Long COVID Cure Initiative, this scientific symposium has a presentation lineup you won’t want to miss.

Full schedule & registration: https://polybio.org/2026-spring-symposium/

Amy Proal, PhD--PolyBio Research Foundation & Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai
11:00 AM - 11:10 AM ET
Scaling a Translational Model to Deliver Treatments for Long COVID and Related Chronic Diseases

Resia Pretorius, PhD--Stellenbosch University
11:10 AM - 11:20 AM ET
Markers of Thromboinflammatory Pathology in Long COVID

Marcus Buggert, PhD--Karolinska Institute
11:20-11:30 AM ET
SARS-CoV-2 gut and lymphoid pathology, plus Long COVID longitudinal study

Petter Brodin, MD, PhD--Karolinska Institute
11:30-11:40 AM ET
Whole Genome Sequencing and Immune Profiling in Long COVID

Dominique Salmon, MD, PhD--INSERM
11:40-11:50 AM ET
Biological analysis of platelets and plasma in Long COVID patients treated with maraviroc and pravastatin

Q&A SESSION
11:50-12:00 ET

Nicolas Huot, PhD--Institut Pasteur
12:00-12:10 PM ET
SARS-CoV-2 Persistence in the Intestine: Innate Immune Control of Gut Viral Reservoirs

Lael Yonker, MD--UT Southwestern
12:10-12:20 PM ET
Neutrophil-Driven Endothelial Injury and Microclot Formation in Long COVID

Sean Miller, PhD--Yale School of Medicine
12:20-12:30 PM ET
Human Retinal Biomarkers and Organoid Models to Study Infection-Triggered Neurodegeneration in Long COVID

Alessandra Luchini, PhD--George Mason University
12:30-12:40 PM ET
Identifying a Borrelia-Associated Subgroup in Long COVID Using Urinary EV Biomarkers

Sasha Tabachnikova, PhD--Yale University
12:40-12:50 PM ET
Salivary shedding of HHV-6, and not EBV, correlates with Long COVID symptom severity*

Q&A
12:50-1:00 PM

MIchela Locci, PhD--Unniversity of Pennsylvania
1:00-1:10 PM ET
Direct Lymph Node Interrogation of Adaptive Immunity in Long COVID

Zian Tseng, MD--UCSF
1:10-1:20 PM ET
Postmortem Mapping of SARS-CoV-2 Persistence in Sudden Cardiac Death

Michael VanElzakker, PhD--Harvard Medical School
1:20-1:30 PM ET
Long COVID & ME/CFS neuroinflammation and neutrophil function

David Putrino, PhD--Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
1:30-1:40 PM ET
Noninvasive Neuromodulation for Cognitive Impairment in Long COVID

Mark Painter, PhD--University of Pennsylvania
1:40-1:50 PM ET
Virus-Specific CD8 T Cells as Biosensors of Antigen Persistence in Long COVID

Shannon Stott, PhD--Boston University
2:00-2:10 PM ET
Ultrasensitive Microfluidic Detection of Viral Particles in Long COVID Blood

Francis Eun Lee, PhD--Emory University
2:10-2:20 PM ET
Use of MENSA to identify SARS-CoV-2 persistence and viral reactivation in Long COVID

Michael Peluso, MD--UCSF
2:20-2:30 PM ET
VIPER: Validating Diagnostics to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Persistence and Other Drivers of Long COVID

Michael Peluso
2:30-2:40 PM ET
CHIIME: Defining Infection and Immune Drivers of ME/CFS

Timothy Henrich, MD--UCSF
2:40-2:50 PM ET
Characterizing SARS-CoV-2 Tissue Reservoirs in Long COVID

Beverly Peng--J. Craig Venter Institute
3:00-3:10 PM ET
Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing to Study Tissue-Specific Drivers of Endometriosis

Nadia Roan, PhD--Gladstone Institutes
3:10-3:20 PM ET
Cytolytic viral-specific CD8+ T cell responses in Long COVID

Chiara Giannerelli, PhD—New York University
3:20-3:30 PM ET
SARS-CoV-2 Persistence in Vascular Tissue and Cardiovascular Risk

Peter Moschovis, MD, MPH--Mass General Hospital
3:30-3:40 PM ET
Targeting Gut Barrier Dysfunction to Treat Pediatric Long COVID

Henry VanBrocklin, PhD--UCSF
3:40-3:50 PM ET
Whole-Body Imaging of T Cell Activation in Long COVID

Esen Sefik, PhD--Yale University
4:00-4:10 PM ET
Defining SARS-CoV-2 RNA Reservoirs and Neutrophil-Driven Inflammation in Long COVID

Eduardo Reategui, PhD--Ohio State University
4:10-4:20 PM ET
BARA: Integrated Detection of Viral Antigens and Nucleic Acids in Long COVID

Mario Murakami, PhD--Harvard Medical School
4:20-4:30 PM ET
Using ultrahigh resolution brain scanning to understand neuroimmune sensitization

To Be Announced
4:30-4:40 PM ET

Marcelo Freire, PhD--J. Craig Venter Institute
4:40-4:50 PM ET
Proteomics reveals immune markers in Long COVID vagal nerve stimulation clinical trial

Q&A and Concluding Remarks
4:50-5:00 PM