Annual Retreat Program 2024

7:30 a.m. - Bus departs FBRI
9:30 a.m. - Bus arrives at The Homestead

10 – 10:05 a.m. — Welcome and Opening Remarks, Dr. Michael Friedlander

10:05  – 12:15 p.m. — Center Discussion Breakouts, Center directors lead discussions

12:15 – 1 p.m. — Lunch

1 – 1:45 p.m. — State of the Institute, Dr. Michael Friedlander

1:45 – 4:20 p.m. — New Primary Faculty Talks

• 1:45 p.m. — Dr. Sumita Mishra, "Exploring the Heart of Cardiometabolic Health"
• 2:05 p.m. — Dr. Chris Hourigan, "Measurable Residual Disease in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia" 
• 2:25 p.m. — Dr. Ryan Purcell, "Leveraging Rare Variants to Investigate Neurodevelopmental Conditions"
• 2:45 p.m. — Dr. Roberta Freitas-Lemos, "Tobacco-Related Cancer Prevention and Control: Innovative Strategies for Advancing Health Equity"
• 3:05 p.m. — BREAK
• 3:20 p.m. — Dr. Cheng-Chia (Fred) Wu, "Advanced Technology and Drug Delivery Initiative — Focused Ultrasound for Pediatric Brain Tumors"
• 3:40 p.m. — Dr. Sarah Lessard, "Identifying Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Health Benefits of Exercise"
• 4 p.m. — Dr. DaeYong Lee, "Harnessing Innate Immunity Using Biomaterials for Cancer Immunotherapy"

4:20 p.m. — Hotel check-in for overnight guests

5:30 – 7:30 p.m. — Poster Session I / Reception 

7:30 p.m. — Bus departs Homestead for return to Roanoke

Dinner on your own

 6 a.m. — Bus departs FBRI
8 a.m. — Bus arrives at The Homestead

7 - 8:30 a.m., Breakfast for overnight guests

8:30 – 9:45 a.m. — Graduate and Medical Student Talks

• 8:30 a.m. — Ruhul Amin, Gourdie Lab, "The Potential Presence of Endogenous Carboxyl Terminal Polypeptides of Connexin-43 in Small Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Bovine Milk"
• 8:40 a.m. — Blanka Bordas, Mulvaney Lab, "Testing the Effects of Methylation by PRMT5 on ZNF326"
• 8:50 a.m. — Mikel Cawley, Farris Lab, "Mitochondrial Diversity Shapes Circuit-Specific Functions in the Brain"
• 9 a.m. — Zach Hutelin, DiFeliceantonio Lab, “Why Do We Eat What We Eat? Specific Effects of Ultra-Processed Food”
• 9:10 a.m. — Kavya Iyer, DeLuca Lab, “Understanding Relationships between Nutritional Profiles, Sleep Characteristics, and Daily Perceptions of Fatigue for Children with Neuromotor Disabilities: A Prospective Study”
• 9:20 a.m. — Pranav Mathkar, Weston Lab, “Gene Therapy Rescues Survival and Synaptic Transmission Deficits in a Mouse Model of DNM1 DEE”
• 9:30 a.m. — Jamie Nelson, Montague Lab, “Decoding Past Mental States”

9:45 – 10:15 a.m. — Break

10:15 – 11:30 a.m. — Graduate and Medical Student Talks

• 10:15 a.m. — Shuhan Wang, Casas Lab, “Agency to Seek Social Information Enhances Peer Influence in Adolescent Risky Decision-making”
• 10:25 a.m. — Mason Wheeler, Pfleger Lab, "Cardiac REDD1 Controls Glucose Utilization Independent of mTORC1"
• 10:35 a.m. — Kenneth Young II, Smyth and Lamouille Labs, “Internally Translated Cx43 Isoform GJA1-20k Affects Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastatic Cancer Cell Behavior”
• 10:45 a.m. — Stewart Silver, Yan Lab, "Impact of Exercise-induced Chemokine CXCL14 on Immune Cells and Function"
• 10:55 a.m. — Lincoln Kartchner, Munson Lab, "Interactions between Astrocytes and Interstitial Fluid Flow in the Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment"
• 11:05 a.m. — Michael Klingener, Sassi Lab, "Extracellular cAMP as a New Therapeutic Approach for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis"
• 11:15 a.m. — James Stupin, Chappell Lab, "Gestational Regulation of Soluble Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Beta"

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Lunch

1 – 2 p.m. — Roundtables

Select one moderated discussion from among the following:

• Data Analytics and Modeling Needs | Dr. Allison Tegge
• Commercialization | Dr. Roberto Melendez
• NIH Funding Challenges & New Policies | Dr. Michael Friedlander, Dr. Anthony LaMantia, Dr. Zhen Yan
• Community Engagement and Recruiting Human Participants | Dr. Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, Dr. Brittany Howell, Leigh Anne Kelley

2  – 3:20 p.m. — Postdoctoral, Research Associate, Research Faculty Talks

• 2 p.m. — Dr. Quentin Fischer, Friedlander Lab, "Timing of Neurostimulation as a Potentially Important Variable for the Treatment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury"
• 2:10 p.m. — Dr. Rafaela Fontes, Bickel Lab, "Episodic Future Thinking: A Candidate Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorder"
• 2:20 p.m. — Dr. Jane Jung, Shin Lab, "Circuit-Specific Molecular Architecture of a Midline Thalamic Network"
• 2:30 p.m. — Dr. Dong-Youl Kim, Chiu Lab, "Real-Time Neurofeedback Using Functional MRI"
• 2:40 p.m. — Dr. Dan Meechan, LaMantia Lab, "Antioxidant Therapeutic Responses in a Model Of 22q11 Deletion Syndrome"
• 2:50 p.m. — Dr. Mark Renton, Johnstone Lab, "New Treatments for Improved Vascular Surgery Success"
• 3 p.m. — Dr. Karthi Sreedevi, Warren Lab, "Adeno-Associate Virus Mediated Gene Delivery of Perm1 Enhances Cardiac Contractility in Mice"
• 3:10 p.m. — Dr. Ignacio Aiello, Finkielstein Lab, "Bidirectional Interaction Between the Circadian System and Metastasis Development: Implications of the Immune Response"

3:20 – 6 p.m. — Networking

6 – 7:30 p.m. — Poster Session II

7:30 p.m. — Group Dinner   

9:30 p.m. — Bus departs Homestead for return to Roanoke

8 - 9:30 a.m. — Awards Breakfast, Closing Remarks and Adjourn

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. — Hotel check-out and depart