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 Presentation title TBA
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)
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 Experience Dependent Astrocyte Plasticity
Ben Deneen, 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