Featured Panel Sessions

Select Featured Panel Sessions will be livestreamed and available to view via a virtual platform.

View other scientific sessions being held this year. 

Basic-Translational-Clinical Roundtables

Targeting Axon Degeneration in Peripheral Neuropathies

Chair: Ahmet Hoke, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
Speakers: Michael Coleman, PhD; Shilpa Sambashivan, PhD
Date & Time: Sunday, November 12, 10:30 a.m.–noon EST
Location: WCC 206
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury

Distal axon degeneration is a principal cellular event resulting in symptoms in peripheral neuropathies. In this roundtable, advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of programmed axon degeneration and its relevance to slow distal axon degeneration seen in peripheral neuropathies will be discussed and therapeutic targets and biomarkers will be highlighted.

The Long Haul: Brain Dysfunction After Acute Illness

Chair: Joanna L. Spencer-Segal, MD, PhD
University of Michigan
Speakers: Joseph Hippensteel, MD; Benjamin H. Singer, MD, PhD; Elizabeth Wilcox, MD, PhD
Date & Time: Monday, November 13, 10:30 a.m.–noon EST
Location: WCC 206
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury

Patients who survive an acute illness frequently acquire new brain dysfunction, manifested as cognitive and affective symptoms. Long-term brain dysfunction can occur after systemic bacterial and viral infection treated both in and out of the intensive care unit. This session will describe the emerging understanding of the mechanisms that set the stage for persistent brain dysfunction in survivors of acute illness, including the interaction of acute and pre-existing chronic pathology.

Found in Translation: Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders From Animals to Humans

Chair: Jana Drgonova, PhD
National Institutes of Health/National Institutes of Drug Addiction
Speakers: Noelle C. Anastasio, PhD; Charles P. France, PhD; Patricia S. Grigson, PhD
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 15, 10:30 a.m.–noon EST
Location: WCC Ballroom B
Livestreamed: Yes
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior 

The roundtable aims to bring together scientists who move freely between discovery of targets for treatment of substance use disorders, preclinical medications development, and clinical trials. Speakers will share: experiences with moving discoveries through the translational pipeline to find new or repurposed pharmacotherapies; challenges overcome; and lessons learned.

Dual Perspectives

Alzheimer’s Targeted Treatments: Focus On Amyloid and Inflammation

Moderator: Takeshi Iwatsubo, MD
University of Tokyo
Panelists: Maria Carrillo, PhD; Michael Irizarry, MD; Joseph W. Lewcock, PhD
Date & Time: Sunday, November 12, 1:30–3 p.m. EST
Location: WCC Ballroom A
Livestreamed: Yes
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury

Progress in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research is enabling the development of disease-modifying therapies that slow down neurodegeneration-induced dementia. In this session, a moderator from academia, a spokesperson from Alzheimer’s Association, and speakers from the pharmaceutical industry will present their perspectives on molecular targeted therapies. The contribution of neuroscience to AD therapies through the translation from bench to bedside will be discussed in the context of all stakeholders. 

Storytelling Session 

Cross Cultural Narratives: On Being the Under-Resourced Neuroscientist

Chair: Jean A. King, PhD
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Panelists: Sadaf Ahmed, PhD; Sonia Bansal, PhD; Stephanie Proaño, PhD; Annabell Segarra, PhD
Date & Time: Monday, November 13, 1:30–3 p.m. EST
Location: WCC Ballroom B
Livestreamed: Yes
Theme: Theme J – History, Education, and Society

This storytelling session will highlight the experiences of four female neuroscientists discussing the cultural influences, stressors, challenges, and successes that shape their careers. The session is committed to bring to light the voices of people from other parts of the world, help expand a non-western viewpoints, and promote diversity and equity in science. All stories count.

Natives in Neuro: Building a Community of Indigenous Neuroscientists

Chair: Lauren W. McLester-Davis, PhD
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Panelists: Dominic J. Acri; Lucas M. Cheadle, PhD; Maeghan Murie-Mazariegos, PhD
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 14, 1:30–3 p.m. EST
Location: WCC Ballroom C
Theme: Theme J – History, Education, and Society

The participants make up a diverse snapshot of Indigenous researchers. There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., each with their own customs, language, and religions. Within neuroscience, Indigenous researchers are often seen as one group… if they are seen at all. Our participants will speak to their experiences as members of different tribes, their experiences at separate institutions, and the intersection between Indigeneity and other identities (e.g., gender, sexual orientation).