- Time:06.25 - 06.26
- Date:
BCMM Research Retreat
June 25- 26, 2026
Chaminade Resort and Spa
1 Chaminade Ln, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Welcome to the BCMM retreat! Please review the information linked below before and during the event. Check back regularly for updates.
The final program and abstract book can be accessed here (MyAccess login required).
Presentation upload: Please upload your presentation as early as possible, but no later than 5 min prior to the start of the session. Include your last name in the file name. Use this link to upload your presentation.
About Chaminade
Chaminade Resort and Spa: https://www.chaminade.com/
Weather: In late June, Santa Cruz typically experiences warm, sunny weather with average daily temperatures in the mid-70s. In the morning, you can expect foggy weather. We recommend layered clothing and comfortable shoes, especially if you are planning to join the hike.
Recreation: Chaminade Resort and Spa has two heated outdoor pools and three heated outdoor whirlpools, a fitness center, three miles of scenic hiking trails, as well as tennis and a pickleball court.
Traveling to/from Chaminade
The retreat will be held at the Chaminade Resort and Spa.
Location Address:
Chaminade Resort and Spa
1 Chaminade Lane
Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Traveling to Chaminade by Shuttle
BCMM has arranged for a shuttle to transport attendees to/from UCSF and Chaminade. When you arrive at the shuttle stop, please check in with Amber Atkinson, who will confirm your presence. For any questions or concerns, please contact Amber Atkinson at [email protected].
If you miss the shuttle, it is your responsibility to make alternative travel arrangements. Please ensure you are at the designated stop 15-minutes before the scheduled departure time to avoid any inconvenience.
UCSF Stops and Pick-Up Times:
- Parnassus: The shuttle will leave from 707 Parnassus Ave. at 9:00AM on June 25th
- Mission Bay: The shuttle will leave from 1651 4th St. at 9:30AM on June 25th.
Return Trip from Chaminade:
The return trip will depart on June 26th no later than 2 PM from Chaminade. We expect to be back to UCSF between 3:30-4:30pm (based on traffic).
Traveling to/from Chaminade by Car
Chaminade has ample parking, which is free for guests. Electric charging stations are available onsite near the meeting and event rooms.![]()
Retreat Check-In
Time: Retreat registration opens at 11 am in front of the Santa Cruz Room (located in the main resort building). Lunch is served at 12 pm and the science program will start at 1 pm. A full program is below.
Check-in process: The registration table will be in front of Santa Cruz Room between 11 am and 1 pm on Friday, June 25th or inside the Santa Cruz Room after 1 pm on that day.
Room check-in time: Given the size of our group, Chaminade has asked us to stagger when attendees visit reception to check into your room. Below are the assigned check-in windows. Please honor the assigned time to avoid heavy traffic at the reception desk. Please note that all guests are required to leave a credit card on file for incidentals. For families’ check-in, only one card on file is sufficient. Rooms will be available after 4pm.
Group 1 (faculty and staff): 2:50pm-3:00pm
Group 2 (trainees): 3:00pm-3:10pm
Group 3 (trainees cont.): 4:00pm-4:15pm
Roommates: We've assigned roommates based on your preferences or lab affiliation whenever possible. Most attendees, except faculty, will share a room.
Retreat Program
A summary of the program is listed below. Check back later for a complete program.
Day 1: June 25th
| 9:00am | Shuttle departs from UCSF Parnassus |
| 9:30am | Shuttle departs from UCSF Mission Bay |
| 11:00am-12:00pm | Arrival at Chaminade. Check-in at the BCMM retreat registration table outside the Santa Cruz Ballroom (follow directional signage) |
| 12:00pm-1:00pm | Lunch Fountain Courtyard |
| 1:00pm-3:00pm | Science Session Santa Cruz Ballroom |
| 3:00pm-3:10pm | Coffee Break Santa Cruz Ballroom Faculty and staff may check in at this time. Trainees should wait until the leisure period to check into their rooms. Please honor the assigned time to avoid heavy traffic at the reception desk. |
| 3:20pm-4:00pm | BCMM Technology Hub Presentations Santa Cruz Ballroom |
| 3:00pm-4:15pm | Room Check-in Given the size of our group, Chaminade has asked us to stagger when attendees visit the reception desk to check into your room. Below are the assigned check-in windows. Please honor the assigned time to avoid heavy traffic at the reception desk. |
| 4:15pm-6:00pm | Leisure Time Program TBA |
| 6:00pm-7:00pm | Poster set-up Manresa Room |
| 6:00pm-7:00pm | Dinner Sunset Restaurant |
| 7:00pm-8:30pm | Poster Session Manresa Room |
| 8:30pm-9:30pm | Reception Sunset Patio The bar will open at 6 pm, at the start of our dinner time, and close at 10 pm, when the quiet hours begin. |
| 9:30pm | Poster collection Manresa Room |
| 10:00pm | Quiet Hours |
Day 2: June 26
| 7:30am-8:50am | Breakfast Sunset Restaurant |
| 8:50am-9:30am | Science Session Santa Cruz Ballroom |
| 9:30am-10:30am | Keynote Lecture Santa Cruz Ballroom |
| 10:30am-10:40am | Group Photo
|
| 10:40-11:00am | Coffee Break; Room Check-Out |
| 11:00am-12:00pm | Guest Speaker Presentations Santa Cruz Ballroom |
| 12:00pm -12:10pm | Closing Remarks and Poster Award Ceremony Santa Cruz Ballroom |
| 12:10pm-12:30pm | Trainee Networking - organized discussion |
| 12:00pm-1:30pm | Lunch Sunset Restaurant |
| 1:15 pm | Departure (shuttle) |
Presenter Information
Poster Presentation Guidelines
The maximum poster size is 4 feet wide by 4 feet high (1.2 meters by 1.2 meters), which allows two posters mounted per side on the corkboard. We recommend printing a 48 inches wide x 36 inches tall (122 cm x 91 cm) poster, which is the most widely used size. Use minimum 20-point Arial or Helvetica font so that it can be seen in the back of the presentation room (or in the back of the crowd looking at your poster).
BCMM will not cover the poster printing fees. It is your responsibility to print your poster and bring it with you to the retreat.
Please mount your poster on the poster board located in the Manresa Room starting at 5:45 pm on 6/25. Posters should be removed when the reception concludes at 9:30pm. Any poster remaining after 9:30 pm on 6/25 will be discarded.
Poster presenter map:
| Location | Presenter |
A01 | Rebecca Knoll |
A02 | Rafaella Shima |
A03 | Huijuan Yan |
A04 | Mikaela Matera-Vatnick |
A05 | Elze Rackaityte |
A06 | Rachel Rock |
A07 | Daniel Gonzalez-Martinez |
A08 | Lea Twicken |
A09 | Natasha Hunt |
A10 | Elad Deiss-Yehiely |
A11 | Punit Sundaramurthy |
A12 | Priscilla Tiandra |
A13 | Gloria Tavera |
A14 | Taylor Halsey |
A15 | Margot Bacino |
A16 | Erica Maissy |
| A17 | Mahima Choudhury |
| A18 | Leen Arnaut |
Poster presentation requirements:
- Please prepare a concise and clear 3 min presentation of the presented work
- Plan to stand in front of your poster between 7:00-8:30pm
Oral Presentation Requirements
File Format: Save your presentation in a format compatible with the presentation equipment (usually PowerPoint, PDF, or Keynote).
Backup Copy: Have a backup copy of your presentation that is relatively easy to access (email, box, etc.).
Presentation upload: Please upload your presentation as early as possible, but no later than 5 min prior to the start of the session. Include your last name in the file name. Use this link to upload your presentation.
Test Slides: Test your slides on the presentation computer beforehand to ensure proper display and functionality. Don’t overcrowd or have too many slides. Plan time for questions.
Poster Competition
Poster presentations will be judged by a committee based on their overall appearance, clarity of presentation, significance and impact of the research work, and a brief oral summary of your work (<3 min). Only BCMM members are eligible to win poster prizes.
First Prize: $1000 to use towards a research-related or career development-related expense.
Second and Third Prize: $500 to use towards a research-related or career development-related expense.
UCSF and the BCMM do not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.
For Attendees Bringing Guests/Family
All UCSF attendees will be provided with meals as part of the retreat. For those attendees who are bringing extra guests, please see below regarding dining options.
Additional Meal Tickets: If you're bringing guests, you can purchase spouse program passes at the Chaminade front desk. The spouse rate is $89.90 per day (+tax) and includes shared room accommodations with the meeting attendee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the Sunset Restaurant, on-site recreational amenities on a daily basis, and service charges. Purchase of the family/guest meal plan is optional.