8:15-8:50         Registration and breakfast

8:50-9:00         Welcome and keynote speaker introduction
Suzanne Tomlinson-Mathis, Gulf Coast Consortia
Anil Pillai, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

9-:00-9:45       Keynote Presentation
Understanding how Coordinated Populations of Hippocampal Neurons Code Memories
Laura Colgin, PhD, University of Texas, Austin

Session 1
Moderator      Tom Green, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

9:45-10:05       The Role of Sleep in Brain Network Structure and Depression Among Chemotherapy-Treated Breast Cancer Patients
Sahil Bajaj, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center

 10:05-10:25   Fear in the Sensory Cortex: Its Role in Fear and Anxiety Disorders
Wen Li, PhD, University of Texas Health, Houston

10:25-10:45    Decoding Threat and Safety in the Human Brain
Moh Milad, PhD, University of Texas Health, Houston

10:45-11:00    Panel discussion

11:00-11:25    Networking break

Session 2       Rising Stars/ESIs
Moderator     Michelle Patriquin, University of Texas Health, Houston

11:25-11:35    Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment for Cocaine Use Disorder: Where We Are and Where We Are Going
Heather Webber, PhD, University of Texas Health, Houston

11:35-11:45    Functional Genomics Meets Brain Organoids: Uncovering Human Interneuron Development Through CRISPR Screens
Xiangling Meng, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

11:45-11:55    C. albicans Gut Colonization Derived Chronic Polymicrobial Cerebritis Causes Neurodegenerative Disease in Mice
Lynn Bimler, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

Moderators    Francesco Versace, MD Anderson Cancer Center

11:55- 12:30 pm Rapid Fire (2 min each)

Lessons Learned from the LATINO Study: Conducting International OCD Genetics Research in Latino Populations
Dayan Berrones, Baylor College of Medicine, Poster 3

Simulated Spaceflight Induced Cognitive Deficits: Insight Through the Gut-Brain-Axis
Marissa Burke, Weill Cornell/Houston Methodist Research Institute, Poster 46

Structural Design and Development of Dual OCT/SERT Inhibitors
Timothy Chavez, University of Texas Medical Branch, Poster 6

Prelimbic Cortex Neurons Expressing Dopamine D1 Or D2 Receptors Differentially Modulate Approach-Avoidance Conflict In Rats
Ana Beatriz Costa Augusto Contrucci, McGovern Medical School, Poster 8

Do GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Alter Brain Responses to Reward-related Cues? A Systematic Review
Vincent Dang, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Poster 9

Recruiting and Retention Challenges for a Prospective Study on Early Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Post Injury
JeTaury Davis and Sydney Larsen, Baylor College of Medicine, Poster 10

Probing Chemical Space and Conformational Changes for Subtype-Selective Orexin Receptor Antagonists Cross-Modulating Dopamine D3 and Mu-Opioid Receptors
Cadell Green, University of Texas Medical Branch, Poster 14

Understanding the Basis of GSK3β’s Modulation of Nav1.6 Using MZ Compounds
Akanksha Gurtu, University of Texas Medical Branch, Poster 15

Natural Language Processing of Spontaneous Speech as a Scalable Tool for Early Behavioral Phenotyping Related to Pain
Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Poster 19

Structure-Based Design of Selective Bitopic Agonists for Dopamine D2 and D3 Receptors and Cellular Signaling Evaluation in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Alexander Knieb, University of Texas Medical Branch, Poster 20

Deciphering the Role of Protocadherin 9 in Mediating Neuron-Astrocyte Interactions in the Hippocampus
Marlon Mattos, Baylor College of Medicine, Poster 26

Chronic Stress-Driven Gz Platelet Activity Promotes Tumor Growth and Changes in Social Behavior in Ovarian Carcinoma
María Torres, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of  Texas Health, Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Poster 39

Astrocytic and Microglial IFN-I Pathways Differentially Regulate Synapse and Social Behavior
Ashutosh Tripathi, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Poster 41

Effect of Anti-microbial Immunizations in the Progression of Amyloid and Neuroinflammatory Pathologies in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Catalina Valdes, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Poster 42

Insights into the Genetic Architecture of Neuropsychiatric Disorders through the Lens of Genome Structural Instability
Bo Zhou, Texas A&M University, Poster 45

12:30-2:15 pm Lunch and Posters- Event Hall
12:30-1:15      Lunch
1:15-2:15         Poster Session

Session 3
Moderator       Shoshana Eitan, Texas A&M University

 2:15-2:35        Learning-Associated Astrocyte Ensembles Regulate Memory Recall
Ukbong Kwon (Wookbong Kwon), PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

2:35-2:55         Neuroprotective Function of Microglia Against TDP-43 Neurodegeneration
Long-Jun Wu, PhD, University of Texas Health, Houston

2:55-3:15         Overcoming Fear to Obtain Reward: Focus on the Rat Prefrontal Cortex
Fabricio Do Monte, PhD, University of Texas Health, Houston

3:15-3:30         Panel Discussion

3:30-3:45         Break

Session 4
Moderator       Fernanda Laezza, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

 3:45-4:05         Drugging the Undruggable for Alzheimer’s Disease
Jim Ray, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center

 4:05-4:25         Engineering Improved Interfaces Between Biomaterials and the Nervous System to Understand Development and Disease
Christina Tringides, PhD, Rice University  

4:25-4:45         Structure-Based Design of Selective Dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) Bitopic Agonists and Modulators
Alessandro Bonifazi, PharmD, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch

4:45-5:00         Panel Discussion

5:00-5:05         Closing remarks

5:05-6:00         Reception-event hall