Conferences – Wijenayake Lab

2026
Human Milk-derived Extracellular Vesicles may mitigate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in neonates, an in vivo perspective.
Location: The International Society of Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Ricoo.
Lewicki N, Grewal M, Storm JA, Wijenayake S (Oral and Poster Presentations)
2026
Environmental Enrichment Buffers the Impact of Maternal Immune Activation on Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and Offspring Development.
Location: The Society for Biological Psychiatry, New York, USA.
Martz J, Hammer B, Langen TJ, Berkowitz BN, Berkowitz B, Storm JA, Lu J, Lehri D, Wijenayake S, Marrocco J, Kentner AC (Oral Presentation)
2025
Human Milk-derived Extracellular Vesicles Reduce NF-kB Pathway Activation and NLRP3 Inflammasome Formation in vitro and in vivo.
Location: The International Society of Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting. Vienna, Austria.
Wijenayake S and Lu J (Oral Presentation, invited)
2025
Human Milk-derived Extracellular Vesicles attenuates Inflammasome Formation in human microglia and neonatal hypothalamus.
Location: Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences. Ottawa, ON, CAN.
Wijenayake S and Lu J (Oral Presentation, invited)
2025
Milk nanovesicles mitigate neuro & hepatic inflammation in offspring with perinatal high fat diet exposure.
Location: The Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Conference. Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
Lewicki N, Lu J, and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2025
Exposure to milk-derived extracellular vesicles promotes fat breakdown in offspring exposed to maternal obesity.
Location: The Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Conference. Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
Obtial MF and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2025
Milk Extracellular Vesicles Attenuate Intrinsic Apoptosis in human microglia.
Location: The Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Conference. Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
Goldberg L and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2025
Milk-derived extracellular vesicles regulate microglial immunity.
Location: The Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Conference. Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Franck E and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Human milk extracellular vesicles promote heat shock response during neuroinflammation.
Location: Canadian Neuroscience Meeting. Vancouver, BC, CAN
Storm JA and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Human milk extracellular vesicles promote heat shock response during neuroinflammation.
Location: Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences Annual Meeting. Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Storm JA and Wijenayake S (Oral Presentation)
2024
Human milk extracellular vesicles promote heat shock response during neuroinflammation..
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Scientific Meeting. Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Storm JA and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Milk extracellular vesicles improve peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor function in offspring of maternal obesity.
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Scientific Meeting, Winnipeg. MB.
Obtial MF and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Milk extracellular vesicles attenuate NFkB-mediated pro-inflammation and inflammasome activation in microglia..
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Scientific Meeting. Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Lu J and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Milk extracellular vesicles attenuate NFkB-mediated pro-inflammation and inflammasome activation in microglia.
Location: Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences Annual Meeting. innipeg, MB.
Lu J and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Milk extracellular vesicles attenuate NFkB-mediated pro-inflammation and inflammasome activation in microglia..
Location: Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, Vancouver, BC, CAN
Lu J and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
The micro-morphers of the brain: identifying phenotypic markers for microglial states.
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Annual Meeting. Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
Franck E and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2024
Milk Extracellular Vesicles Attenuate Intrinsic Apoptosis in Human Microglia
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Network Annual Scientific Meeting, Winnipeg, MB
Goldberg L and Wijenayake S (Poster Presentation)
2023
Milk Nanovesicles & Neurodevelopmental Programming.
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Annual Meeting. Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
Wijenayake S (Oral Presentation, Invited)
2023
Human milk extracellular vesicles promote heat shock protein response following heightened pro-inflammation.
Location: The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting. Seattle, WA, USA. Poster presentation.
Storm JA and Wijenayake S
2023
Milk extracellular vesicles attenuate pro-inflammation and inflammasome activation in microglia.
Location: The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting. Seattle, WA, USA. Poster presentation.
Lu J and Wijenayake S
2023
Human milk extracellular vesicles promote heat shock protein response following heightened pro-inflammation.
Location: Manitoba Student Health Research Forum. Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Poster presentation.
Storm JA and Wijenayake S
2023
Human milk extracellular vesicles influence DNA demethylation modifications in activated microglia.
Location: Manitoba Student Health Research Forum. Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Poster presentation.
Obtial MF, Storm JA, Lu J, and Wijenayake S
2023
Milk extracellular vesicles attenuate pro-inflammation and inflammasome activation in microglia.
Location: Manitoba Student Health Research Forum. Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Poster presentation.
Lu J and Wijenayake S
2023
Human milk extracellular vesicles promote heat shock protein response following heightened pro-inflammation.
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Meeting. Winnipeg, MB. Canada. Poster presentation.
Storm JA and Wijenayake S
2023
Human milk extracellular vesicles influence DNA demethylation modifications in activated microglia.
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Meeting. Winnipeg, MB. Canada. Poster presentation.
Obtial MF, Storm JA, Lu J, and Wijenayake S
2023
Milk extracellular vesicles attenuate pro-inflammation and inflammasome activation in microglia.
Location: Manitoba Neuroscience Meeting. Winnipeg, MB. Canada. Poster presentation.
Lu J and Wijenayake S
2022
Potential role of non-nutritive bioactive components in maternal milk on developmental programming.
Location: The Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, USA.
Wijenayake S, Eisha S, Purohit M, and McGowan PO
2022
Molecular mechanisms of milk exosome uptake in the brain; a link to epigenomic programming.
Location: The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease World Congress. Vancouver, BC, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Eisha S, Purohit M, and McGowan PO
2021
Developmental programming in response to maternal obesity– A novel link to breast milk exosomes and microRNAs?
Location: Transcription, Chromatin, Epigenetics, Toronto, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S and McGowan PO
2020
Innate immune system challenge with lipopolysaccharide reveals a “primed” neuroinflammatory condition in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness.
Location: Virtual Conference
Wijenayake S, Ashbrook DG, Michalovicz LT, Kelly KA, Broderick G , O’Callaghan JP, and McGowan PO
2019
Perinatal high fat diet alters maternal milk miRNA expression and programs the DNA methylome in the amygdala.
Location: 13th Annual Neurometabolomics Satellite Conference. Toronto, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Abuiash S, de Vega WC, Lum CMW, Sasaki A, and McGowan PO
2019
Perinatal high fat diet alters maternal milk miRNA expression and programs the DNA methylome in the amygdala.
Location: 13th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting. Toronto, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Abuiash S, de Vega WC, Lum CMW, Sasaki A, and McGowan PO
2017
No need to diet – just control your metabolism! Regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in hibernating ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).
Location: Canadian Society of Zoologists, Satellite Symposium: 50 years of comparative biochemistry – the legacy of Peter Hochachka. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Tessier SN, and Storey KB
2016
Freezing vs Hibernation; the tale of metabolic reorganization in winter.
Location: 53rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Cryobiology, Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Al-attar R, Tessier SN, and Storey KB
2015
Metabolic arrest during hibernation! Cardiac regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in a hibernating ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).
Location: Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, Toronto, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Tessier SN, and Storey KB
2015
Hibernating to Survive Freezing! The story of how a small mammal (13-line ground squirrel) tackles the big problem of starvation and freezing.
Location: Annual Heart Research Day, Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Tessier SN, snd Storey KB
2015
Metabolic Arrest during Hibernation! Cardiac regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in hibernating ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).
Location: Heart Research Day, Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Tessier SN, and Storey KB
2015
No need to diet! Just control your metabolism! Regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in hibernating ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).
Location: 11th Annual Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology Symposium (OCIB), Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S, Tessier SN, and Storey KB
2014
No Oxygen? No Problem! Epigenetic mechanisms of anoxia tolerance: a role for DNA methylation.
Location: 10th Annual Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology Symposium (OCIB), Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S and Storey KB
2014
Heat shock protein response during dehydration in African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).
Location: Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Research Conference, Montreal, QC, CANADA
Wijenayake S and Storey KB
2014
Epigenetic mechanisms of anoxia tolerance: a role for DNA methylation.
Location: Society for Experimental Biology, Manchester University, Manchester, UK
Wijenayake S and Storey KB
2014
Epigenetic mechanisms of anoxia tolerance: a role for DNA methylation.
Location: American Aging Association, San Antonio, TX, USA
Wijenayake S and Storey KB
2012
Extracellular invaders mediate DNA methyltransferase enzymes (MTases) to gain access to the host genomes.
Location: Evolution, Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S and Gorelick R
2011
How did cytosine methylation acquire its gene regulatory function?
Location: 50th annual symposium, Canadian Society of Zoologists (CSZ), Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S and Gorelick R
2011
How did cytosine methylation acquire its gene regulatory function?
Location: 6th annual symposium, Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE), Banff, AB, CANADA
Wijenayake S and Gorelick R
2011
DNA methyltransferase enzymes (MTases) may not enhance genomic protection against exogenous DNA invasions.
Location: 9th Annual Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology Symposium (OCIB), Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Wijenayake S and Gorelick R