Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Risk Factors and Molecular Mechanisms

Jan 01–04, 2026 | Location to be Determined
Scientific Organizers: Maria Carolina Marchetto and Patricia C. B. Beltrão-Braga

  In Person
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Jan 01–04, 2026 | Location to be Determined

Scientific Organizers: Maria Carolina Marchetto and Patricia C. B. Beltrão-Braga

Supported by the  Directors' Fund

***Meeting program subject to change.

Available Formats:   = In Person
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Registration
4:00–8:00 PM
Welcome Mixer
6:00–8:00 PM
Friday, January 2, 2026
Breakfast
7:00–8:00 AM
Welcome and Keynote Address
8:00–9:00 AM
Daniel H. Geschwind †, University of California, Los Angeles
Characterization of Gene Regulatory Elements in Human Fetal Cortical Development: Enhancing Our Understanding of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Evolution
Genomic Risk Factors in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
9:00–11:15 AM
Stephen W. Scherer †, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
Environmental Exposures Associated with Elevated Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder May Augment the Burden of Deleterious de novo Mutations Among Probands
Michael F. Wells †, University of California, Los Angeles
Using 'Village-in-a-Dish' Approach to Study the Impact of Human Genetic Variation on Phenotypic Diversity
Kristen J. Brennand †, Yale School of Medicine
Using Stem Cells to Explore the Genetics Underlying Schizophrenia
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:30–9:50 AM
Poster Setup
11:15–1:00 PM
On Own for Lunch
11:15–5:00 PM
Poster Viewing
1:00–10:00 PM
Workshop: New Therapeutical Approaches for Modeling Neurodevelopmental Disorders
2:30–4:30 PM
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Mechanistic Insights on Neurodevelopmental Disorders
5:00–7:00 PM
Kasper Lage †, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Protein Interaction Studies in Human Induced Neurons Indicate Convergent Biology Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders
Renata Santos †, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266
Deficient LEF1 Expression is Associated with Lithium Resistance and Hyperexcitability in Neurons Derived from Bipolar Disorder Patients
Berit Elissa Powers †, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Screening Small Molecules in ES and iPS-Derived Motor Neurons to Identify Therapeutic Compounds for SMA
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Social Hour with Lite Bites
7:00–8:00 PM
Posters
7:30–10:00 PM
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Breakfast
7:00–8:00 AM
3-D Models to Investigate Neurodevelopmental Disorders
8:00–11:00 AM
Giorgia Quadrato †, University of Southern California, USC Stem Cell
Upgrading the Physiological Relevance of Human Brain Organoids
Maria Carolina Marchetto, University of California, San Diego
Impact of AUTS2 Deficiency on the Differentiation of Human Neurons
Madeline Lancaster †, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Human Brain Development Using Cerebral Organoids
Jin-Yuan Wang †, STEMCELL Technologies Inc.
Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Organoids for Disease Modeling
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:00–9:20 AM
Poster Setup
11:00–1:00 PM
On Own for Lunch
11:00–5:00 PM
Poster Viewing
1:00–10:00 PM
Career Roundtable
3:00–4:30 PM
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Accessing Neuronal Activity in Human Models for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
5:00–7:00 PM
Krishnan Padmanabhan †, University of Rochester School of Medicine
Network Size Affects the Complexity of Activity in Human iPSC-Derived Neuronal Populations
Anne G. Bang †, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Assaying Chemical Long-Term Potentiation in Human iPSC-Derived Neuronal Networks
Marie Obien †, MaxWell Biosystems
Advanced Functional Characterization of iPSC-Derived in vitro Models in Disease Modelling and Artificial Intelligence
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Social Hour with Lite Bites
7:00–8:00 PM
Posters
7:30–10:00 PM
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Breakfast
7:00–8:00 AM
Environmental Risk Factors in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
8:00–11:00 AM
Anca M. Pasca †, Stanford University
Stem Cell Models for Neonatal Hypoxia
Lena Smirnova †, Johns Hopkins University
Gene-Environment Interactions in Developmental Neurotoxicity: a Case Study of Synergy between Chlorpyrifos and CHD8 Knockout in Human BrainSpheres
Lorenz Studer †, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
An Epigenetic Barrier Sets the Timing of Human Neuronal Maturation
Cathy Barr †, University of Toronto
Neurobiology of Reading Disabilities and Comorbid Disorders: Genetic findings and Stem Cell Models
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:00–9:20 AM
On Own for Lunch
11:00–5:00 PM
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Viral Infections and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Outcomes
5:00–6:45 PM
Patricia C. B. Beltrão-Braga, University of São Paulo
Viral Infections and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Outcomes
Raphael Gaudin †, CNRS
Brain Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 Virions Perturbs Synaptic Homeostasis
Karin Nielsen †, University of California, Los Angeles
Neurodevelopmental Delay in Children Exposed to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 In-Utero
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers)
6:45–7:00 PM
Social Hour with Lite Bites
7:00–8:00 PM
Entertainment
8:00–11:00 PM
Cash Bar
8:00–11:00 PM
Monday, January 5, 2026
Departure
12:00–11:59 PM

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