Julissa Ortiz-Delatorre is The Susan and Bill Smith/UO Endowment Scholar in the Department of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon. She is studying the effects of estrogen depletion on human skeletal muscle mechanics and metabolism independent of age.  

Julissa recently attended the 2025 “Advances in Skeletal Biology Conference,” held at the Myology Institute at the University of Florida and presented a poster showcasing preliminary data from her dissertation research. Entitled “Investigating Estrogen's Influence on Human Skeletal Muscle Mechanics Independent of Age,” this poster earned a perfect score, along with a prestigious “Outstanding Poster Recognition” award. 

ARCS members are all familiar with the poster session that ARCS Oregon Third-Year Scholars present at our annual fundraising event. This session is universally popular with members and guests, showcasing the amazing work of our scholars, as well as their excellent presentation skills, all in a relatively stress-free environment.  

A scientific poster session is a slightly different proposition. Poster sessions at professional meetings provide a major networking opportunity for science trainees where they can meet and talk research with one another and established scientists in their fields. Winning can draw attention to a trainee’s work and help them make connections that might lead to collaborations, mentorship, or job opportunities.  

For Julissa, the award provided important validation of her work. Imposter Syndrome can affect even the most brilliant scholars, and “Recognition like this is very helpful in boosting confidence. Someone who has no connection to me and is there to critically judge my work thinks my ideas for a dissertation proposal are good ideas,” she says. Another bonus: Her participation in the poster session connected her with a new collaborator!   

Congratulations, Julissa, on this impressive achievement. We know there will be more conferences, poster sessions, presentations, and awards to come, and we look forward to watching your continued success.