Location: Asilomar Conference Grounds (800 Asilomar Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950)
2026 Neuroscience Program Retreat Schedule
September 27–29, 2026 • Asilomar Conference Grounds
Sunday, September 27
Time
Event
Location
2:30–3:00 pm
Schedule and T-shirt Pick-Up
Chapel
3:00–3:05 pm
Opening Remarks and Announcements
Chapel
3:05–3:50 pm
Session 1
Moderator: Mercedes Paredes
Moderator: Mercedes Paredes
Chapel
3:05–3:20 pm Jeff Johnston
Representational geometry shapes working memory errors
Representational geometry shapes working memory errors
3:20–3:35 pm Aimee Kao
Lysosomal pH Regulation in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease
Lysosomal pH Regulation in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease
3:35–3:50 pm Zachary Knight
Control of ingestion by the caudal brainstem
Control of ingestion by the caudal brainstem
3:50–4:10 pm
First-Year Student Introductions
Chapel
4:10–4:20 pm
Break
—
4:20–5:20 pm
Community Building Session: Community Support and Mentorship
Chapel
5:20–6:00 pm
Room Check-In
Check-in available after 5:00 pm
Check-in available after 5:00 pm
Front Desk, Admin Bldg
5:20–6:00 pm
Poster Setup
Heather
6:00–7:00 pm
Dinner
Crocker Dining Hall
7:00–8:00 pm
Keynote: Simulations in the sleeping brain
Speaker: Massimo Scanziani • Moderator: Moritz Stingl
Speaker: Massimo Scanziani • Moderator: Moritz Stingl
Chapel
8:10–10:00 pm
Poster Session & Social Time
Heather
Monday, September 28
Time
Event
Location
7:30–8:30 am
Breakfast
Crocker Dining Hall
9:00–10:00 am
Session 2
Moderator: Dev Manoli
Moderator: Dev Manoli
Chapel
9:00–9:15 am Loren Frank
Thinking and Doing
Thinking and Doing
9:15–9:30 am Olive Tambou (Student, Paz Lab)
A Thalamic Stroke's Ripple Effect: Prefrontal Dysfunction and Anxiety-Related Behaviors
A Thalamic Stroke's Ripple Effect: Prefrontal Dysfunction and Anxiety-Related Behaviors
9:30–9:45 am Andoni Asencor (Student, Pleasure Lab)
Balance Starts with B(12): Neuronal vitamin B12 deficiency leads to ataxia in adulthood
Balance Starts with B(12): Neuronal vitamin B12 deficiency leads to ataxia in adulthood
9:45–10:00 am Grae Davis
Homeostasis
Homeostasis
10:00–10:30 am
Coffee Break
Chapel
10:30–11:00 am
Session 3
Moderator: Su Guo
Moderator: Su Guo
Chapel
10:30–10:45 am Jennifer DiSanto (Student, Namboodiri Lab)
Mesolimbic dopamine contradicts reward prediction error even in a fully-observed environment
Mesolimbic dopamine contradicts reward prediction error even in a fully-observed environment
10:45–11:00 am Sarah Wade (Student, Molofsky Lab)
A genetic sensor for cell-cell contacts in vivo
A genetic sensor for cell-cell contacts in vivo
11:00 am–12:00 pm
Forum on AI in Science
Moderator: Saul Kato
Moderator: Saul Kato
Chapel
12:00–12:05 pm
Program Photo
Outside Admin Bldg
12:05–1:00 pm
Lunch
Crocker Dining Hall
1:00–2:00 pm
Faculty Meeting
Scripps
1:00–2:00 pm
Student Meeting
Chapel
1:00–2:00 pm
Postdoc Meeting
Admin Bldg Patio
2:00–6:00 pm
Afternoon Off
—
6:00–7:00 pm
Dinner
Crocker Dining Hall
7:10–7:55 pm
Session 4
Moderator: Nilla Sivakumar
Moderator: Nilla Sivakumar
Chapel
7:10–7:25 pm Cathryn Cadwell
Dynamic connectivity motifs in the developing human brain
Dynamic connectivity motifs in the developing human brain
7:25–7:40 pm Ritwik Vatsyayan (Postdoc, Shirvalkar Lab)
Can we see signatures of chronic pain in brain circuits?
Can we see signatures of chronic pain in brain circuits?
7:40–7:55 pm Cathrine Sant (Postdoc, Corces & Mucke Labs)
Single-nucleus multi-omic profiling of APOE effects in AD and healthy brain aging
Single-nucleus multi-omic profiling of APOE effects in AD and healthy brain aging
8:00–8:45 pm
Skits
Chapel
8:45–10:45 pm
Karaoke
Seascape
Tuesday, September 29
Time
Event
Location
7:30–8:30 am
Breakfast
Crocker Dining Hall
8:30–9:00 am
Check Out
No later than 11:00 am
No later than 11:00 am
Front Desk, Admin Bldg
9:00–10:15 am
Session 5
Moderator: Prasad Shirvalkar
Moderator: Prasad Shirvalkar
Chapel
9:00–9:15 am Robert Edwards
The Properties of Neurotransmitter Release and their Regulation
The Properties of Neurotransmitter Release and their Regulation
9:15–9:30 am Beatriz Cuevas (Student, Yackle Lab)
Circuit and cellular mechanisms for breathing without thinking about it
Circuit and cellular mechanisms for breathing without thinking about it
9:30–9:45 am Yanilka Soto-Muñiz (Student, Nakamura lab)
HIF1α Regulates Energy Metabolism in Neurons
HIF1α Regulates Energy Metabolism in Neurons
9:45–10:00 am Shih-Yi Tseng (Postdoc, Frank Lab)
Sequential construction and cross-environment generalization of task representations in the hippocampal-prefrontal network
Sequential construction and cross-environment generalization of task representations in the hippocampal-prefrontal network
10:00–10:15 am Michael Oldham
Coordinated dysregulation of modular gene activity in human neuropathologies
Coordinated dysregulation of modular gene activity in human neuropathologies
10:15–10:45 am
Coffee Break & Voting for Awards
Chapel
10:45–11:45 am
Session 6
Moderator: Kevin Yackle
Moderator: Kevin Yackle
Chapel
10:45–11:00 am Bill Seeley
Selective vulnerability and resilience in FTD/ALS
Selective vulnerability and resilience in FTD/ALS
11:00–11:15 am Elyssa Margolis
Aversive stress can change opioid receptor signaling from inhibitory to excitatory
Aversive stress can change opioid receptor signaling from inhibitory to excitatory
11:15–11:30 am Dev Manoli
Understanding the neural mechanisms of social attachment in health and illness
Understanding the neural mechanisms of social attachment in health and illness
11:45 am–12:00 pm
Closing Remarks & Awards
Chapel
12:00–1:00 pm
Lunch & Depart
Crocker Dining Hall
Schedule is subject to change.