Post-conference Career Development with Advanced Technology Course
IBEC 2026: Exercise and Healthspan
Post-conference Course Schedule
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
7:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
8 a.m. Welcome and opening remarks
Course 1: Application of Omics for Exercise Research
8:10 a.m.
Single Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics
Proteomics/
Phosphoproteomics
Metabolomics
Shenglin Mei, Ph.D.
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
Benjamin Miller, Ph.D.
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Junco Warren, Ph.D.
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
10:10 a.m Coffee Break
Course 2: Mitochondrial Structure and Function
10:20 a.m.
Mitochondrial Bioenergetics
3D Mitochondrial Network
Mitochondrial and Cellular Imaging
Demonstration
Demonstration
Darrell Neufer, Ph.D.
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Brian Glancy, Ph.D.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Joshua Drake, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech
12:20 p.m. Catered Lunch and Presentation/Discussion, Room G101 A/B, 4 Riverside Circle
Course 3: Career Development in Exercise Medicine
1:30 p.m.
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
Blake Rasmussen, Ph.D.
UT Health San Antonio
Christina Hugenschmidt, Ph.D.
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Kent Langston, Ph.D.
Yale School of Medicine
3 p.m. Roanoke activities at various locations around the city
6 p.m. Catered dinner and social
7:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
8 a.m. Welcome and opening remarks
Course 4: Molecularly-engineered Rodent Models
8 a.m.
Genetically-engineered Mice in Exercise Research
Pulsatile, Inducible Transgenic Mice
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Gene Editing
AAV and myoAAV Demonstration
Zhenji Gan, Ph.D.
Medical School of Nanjing University
Kevin Murach, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas
Daniel Grigsby, Ph.D.
University of Virginia
10 a.m. Coffee Break
Course 5: Functional Assessment: Metabolism, Exercise Capacity, and Muscle Contractility
10:10 a.m.
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
Demonstration
Demonstration
12:10 p.m. Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Facility and Lab Tours
12:50 p.m. Catered Lunch and Presentation/Discussion, Room G101 A/B, 4 Riverside Circle
Course 6: Grant Writing and Review
2:30 p.m.
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
Topic TBD
How to Write the Aims Page
Joshua Drake, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech
Sarah Lessard, Ph.D.
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
Sumita Mishra, Ph.D.
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
Junco Warren, Ph.D.
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
Siobhan Craige, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech
Zhen Yan, Ph.D.
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
4:20 - 4:30 p.m. Closing and Distribution of Certificates