All times listed in Central Daylight Time. All press events will be held in Press Conference Room S501D in the McCormick Place Convention Center. Media registrants will have access to the livestream of all press events and recordings.
Saturday, October 05
Immune cells outnumber neurons in the brain but have historically been overlooked. Beyond just protecting the brain, immune cells support brain development and plasticity, including during gestation. Scientists will explain the consequences of maternal inflammation and maternal cocaine use on the developing embryo, including the associated risks of autism, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric conditions. Speakers will also present new evidence that fear and anxiety are regulated by various immune cells, suggesting new approaches for treating PTSD and anxiety disorders.
Moderator(s):
Shane Liddelow, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Presenter(s):
Irene Sanchez Martin, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Olena Bukalo, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Keith Murphy, University College Dublin
Freya Shepherd, Cardiff University
Parkinson’s disease is the second-most prevalent neurodegenerative disease globally, second only to Alzheimer’s disease. Decreased dopamine has long been associated with Parkinson’s disease, but neuroscientists are still uncovering new roles for it in the brain. Experts will share findings that beyond dopamine’s role as a chemical messenger, it regulates some protein functions, which may explain why this common neurotransmitter has such diverse effects. Speakers will explain how the brain’s immune system fails to do its job in Parkinson’s disease and describe new imaging techniques that will provide valuable insights into the way the disease spreads and develops.
Moderator(s):
Nandakumar Narayanan, University of Iowa
Presenter(s):
Winnie Chen, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Albert (Gus) Davis, Washington University in St. Louis
Yasir Gallero Salas, Gubra
The social interactions of our daily lives, both in-person and online, are influenced by biological processes. Neuroscientists will share new insights into how the brain processes social information, what may influence this — including the gut microbiome and biological sex — and how findings could be harnessed in treating autism and mood disorders. Researchers will also explain the surprising use of prairie voles for studying the neural basis of empathy, and how people determine trustworthiness on social media.
Moderator(s):
Nancy Padilla-Coreano, University of Florida
Presenter(s):
Hong Xu, Nanyang Technological University
Qi Wei Xu, McGill University
Sarah Blumenthal, Emory University
Namyoung Jung, Pohang University of Science and Technology
Sunday, October 06
Millions of patients are now taking drugs like Ozempic, which target GLP-1 receptors to reduce appetite. But GLP-1 receptors are widespread in the brain, suggesting that these drugs may have off-target effects. Speakers will explain newly identified applications for GLP-1 drugs in Alzheimer’s disease and for managing pain, as well as less desirable impacts on motivation.
Moderator(s):
Karolina Skiblicka, Pennsylvania State University
Presenter(s):
Emile Andriambeloson, Neurofit
Yong Ho Kim, Gachon University
Ralph DiLeone, Yale University
The teenage brain is still developing, making it extremely pliable and vulnerable to damage. Scientists will explain findings that binge drinking and nicotine vaping during adolescence disrupt signaling pathways in the future adult brain, with consequences for later mental health. Speakers will also highlight biological and social factors that shape the relationship between brain activity and psychiatric symptoms during teenage years. These findings contribute to growing evidence that pre-adult experiences are crucial for shaping the brain.
Moderator(s):
Beatriz Luna, University of Pittsburgh
Presenter(s):
Qingyu Zhao, Cornell University
Laurel Seemiller, Pennsylvania State University
Steve Laviolette, University of Western Ontario
Certain limitations have beset researchers for decades — animal studies don’t always translate to humans, and some research is too invasive to be performed. With the power of stem cells, researchers can precisely model debilitating diseases and develop cutting edge therapies with the potential to transform millions of lives. Experts in the field will share how this revolutionary technique is producing breakthroughs on intractable diseases like dementias, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Moderator(s):
Lee Rubin, Harvard University
Presenter(s):
Catherine Priest, Neurona Therapeutics
Sergiu Pasca, Stanford University School of Medicine
Rita Sattler, The Barrow Neurological Institute
Merit Cudkowicz, Massachusetts General Hospital
A fifth of U.S. adults experience chronic pain, and a reliance on opioids has led to a substance use disorder epidemic. One challenge in drug development is that drugs developed in animal models often fail in humans. Scientists will share a new solution to this — a method for growing human pain neurons in the lab — which has the potential to revolutionize pain research. Experts will also reveal unusual pathways of pain and a new understanding of the placebo effect, offering novel targets for drugs.
Moderator(s):
Greg Dussor, University of Texas at Dallas
Presenter(s):
Tony Oosterveen, bit.bio
Nasim Maleki, Harvard University
Emma Kindström, Linköping University
Grégory Scherrer, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Monday, October 07
Is cognitive decline a natural part of aging? Researchers will describe how learning and motivation change across the lifetime rather than simply diminish, challenging long-held assumptions about cognitive performance and aging. Experts will reveal new insights into memory consolidation in older adults and the critical role of blood pressure in healthy aging, particularly in women.
Moderator(s):
Carol Barnes, University of Arizona
Presenter(s):
Zoe Arvanitakis, Rush University
William Hayward, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Akram Bakkour, University of Chicago
Insufficient sleep is an epidemic of the modern day with the average person getting less than seven hours of sleep per night. While the connection between poor sleep and memory problems is well-established, new insights into how memories are consolidated during sleep offer a roadmap for identifying which brain areas fail in disease and aging. Neuroscientists will discuss the link between sleep and another modern-day epidemic — the decreasing attention span — as well as Alzheimer’s disease. Findings will help explain the risks of sleep deprivation and provide new avenues for treating memory disorders.
Moderator(s):
Ksenia Kastanenka
Presenter(s):
Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz, Cornell University
Xinyue Chen, Columbia University
Brooke Greiner, Medical College of Wisconsin
Azahara Oliva, Cornell University
Aaron Wilber, Florida State University