2nd annual Ignite Research Symposium unites experts in health, nutrition and performance
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Media Contact: Jeremy Gross | HPNRI Outreach Coordinator | 405-744-1886 | jeremy.gross@okstate.edu
On April 7, researchers, health professionals and community members from across Oklahoma gathered in Tulsa for the second annual Ignite Research Symposium. They united to spark collaboration and drive discovery in human performance, nutrition and public health.
Held at the Tandy Conference Center in the AR and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building, the event served as a catalyst for future interdisciplinary partnerships aimed at improving the health outcomes of Oklahomans.
Sponsored by the Oklahoma State University Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute, OSU Center for Health Sciences, OSU Department of Nutritional Sciences, and OSU Industrial Engineering and Management, the symposium drew a robust lineup of 16 presenters from OSU and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
The event featured a rapid-fire presentation format, where each speaker introduced their current research, explained their expertise and identified areas for potential collaboration in five minutes. Presenters included experts in kinesiology, nutritional sciences, public health, rural health, biomedical imaging, microbiology, anatomy and industrial engineering.
Dr. Harshvardhan Singh, HPNRI implementation scientist, presented the statewide initiative, “Aging Our Way” which is focused on keeping adults active and healthy as they age. His research is focused on creating novel wearable tools that enhance human movement and smart data systems predicting health risks like osteoporosis before they even happen and helping people stay active, independent and living their best lives.
“Presenting at the IGNITE Conference sparked a new energy in my research,” Singh said. “It brought together collaborative minds and opened the door to explore merging our expertise to develop innovative feasible solutions to pressing health challenges.”
Among the featured speakers were Dr. Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan, director of the Center for Indigenous Health Research and Policy; Dr. Jill Joyce, co-director of the OSU Tactical Fitness and Nutrition Lab; and Dr. Kyle Simmons, director of the OSU Biomedical Imaging Center.
Each brought unique insight into how scientific discovery can be translated into actionable health strategies for diverse populations across the state.
Dr. Norman Hord, OSU professor and nutritional sciences department head, served as the event moderator to keep a consistent pace within the rapid-talk setup.
“The second annual Ignite Symposium expanded our collaborative networks, with particularly fruitful partnerships forming between Dr. Cassie Mitchell from the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at OU Health and the Regional Foodbank of Oklahoma, creating meaningful pathways to translate research into community impact,” Hord said. “We're thrilled that last year's ignite connections have already yielded grant submissions among new collaborators, Drs. Ashlea Braun, Stefano Tarantini and Andriy Yabluchanskiy, demonstrating the tangible outcomes that emerge when we bring passionate researchers together in this rapid-fire format.
“The energy in the room during those five-minute presentations crystallized exactly what we envisioned when creating Ignite — a catalyst for cross-disciplinary innovation that sparks new ideas and partnerships that continue to burn brightly long after the symposium ends.”
The symposium also reflected OSU’s larger mission through HPNRI, a university-based initiative dedicated to transforming Oklahoma’s health outlook through research-informed and practical solutions. The institute fosters collaboration with faculty and researchers across the OSU System and engages leading industry partners to develop innovative approaches to combat systemic health threats across the state.
Dr. Samuel Jeyasingh, One Health Innovation Lab director, said he appreciated the camaraderie of the event.
“I chose to participate in the symposium to connect with colleagues and ignite thoughts among participants from various disciplines on the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration to make a difference in the lives of students and the community,” Jeyasingh said.
For those interested in joining future annual Ignite symposiums or connecting with HPNRI, please contact Jeremy Gross.