Brain Barriers
April 8 - 12, 2025
Abstract Deadline: January 24, 2025
Organizers:
Ayal Ben-Zvi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Caroline Menard, Universite Laval/CERVO Brain Research Center, Canada
Julie Siegenthaler, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
Joy Zuchero, Denali Therapeutics
We are pleased to announce the ninfh Cold Spring Harbor conference on Blood Brain Barrier which will begin at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 8th, and run through lunch on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
The purpose of this Cold Spring Harbor meeting is to explore and encourage new conceptual approaches and to apply novel methods to the neuroprotective physiologies of BBB structures. Our goal is to pair genetic model organism biological methods with recent insights in vertebrate BBB physiology and development. We hope to create cross-fertilization between fields that rarely see each other and get people thinking about how model systems can help parse the regulatory networks necessary for parsimonious BBB function.
The conference is intended to foster the cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas and expertise between developmental and evolutionary biologists, vascular and BBB physiologists, and disease-oriented industry scientists interested in modifying or circumventing specific pathways of neuroprotection. While a number of speakers have been invited, please note that the majority of oral presentations will be drawn from openly submitted abstracts.
Keynote Speaker:
Benoit Vanhollebeke, Université libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
Sessions & Co-Chairs:
Development, Plasticity, and Specialization of CNS Barriers
Annika Keller, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Baptiste Lacoste, University of Ottowa, Canada
Cell Biology & Physiology of CNS Barriers
Rich Daneman, UC San Diego
Martin Lauritzen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Emerging Concepts and Hot Topics in CNS Barriers
Natasha O’Brown, Rutgers University
Monica M. Santisteban, Vanderbilt University
Barrier-omics in Health and Disease
Ali Erturk, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
Andrew Yang, University of California, San Francisco
Barriers at Choroid Plexus, Meninges and Circumventricular Organs
Ines Martinez-Corral, INSERM, Lille, France
Roos Vandenbroucke, Ghent University, Belgium
Panel Discussion: “Breaking Down Barriers to Diversify the Scientific Workforce”
Translating CNS Barriers Across Species
Axel Montagne, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Dionna Williams, Emory University
CNS Barrier Damage Repair in Injury, Infection, and Disease
Katerina Akassoglou, University of California, San Francisco
Matthew Campbell, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Workshop: How to Frame and Write Constructive, Fair, Peer-Review
Moderator: Joy Zuchero, Denali Therapeutics
CNS Barrier Access for Therapeutics
Isabelle Aubert, University of Toronto, Canada
Ben Deverman, Broad Institute
Abstracts should contain interesting and exciting material and must be submitted electronically by the abstract deadline. The selection of material for oral and poster presentations will be made by the organizers and individual session chairs. Status (talk/poster) of abstracts will be posted on our website as soon as decisions have been made by the organizers.
We are eager to have as many young people as possible attend since they are likely to benefit most from this meeting. We have applied for funds from government and industry to partially support graduate students and postdocs. Apply in writing to Kelley McGrath stating the need for financial support - preference is given to those submitting abstracts.
Social Media:
The designated hashtag for this meeting is #cshlbbb. Note that you must obtain permission from an individual presenter before live-tweeting or discussing his/her talk, poster, or research results on social media. Click the Policies tab above to see our full Confidentiality & Reporting Policy.
Meeting sponsored in part by:
In-Person Fees:
Academic/Media Private Room/Private Bath Package: TBA
Academic/Media Private Room/Shared Bath Package: TBA
Academic Shared Room Package: TBA
Academic/Media No-Housing Package: TBA
Student Package/Double Occupancy: TBA
Student Package/No Housing Package: TBA
Corporate Private Room/Private Bath Package: TBA
Corporate No-Housing Package: TBA
*Student Housing is default double occupancy. Please inquire about availability and fees to upgrade to a private room.
NOTE: We cannot guarantee housing will be on campus. Room packages close 2 weeks before the meeting start date
Virtual Participation: Includes access to the oral sessions via Zoom, the digital poster gallery, the Slack discussion workspace, and the Leading Strand video archive. If you are submitting an abstract for an oral or poster presentation, please plan to attend the meeting in-person.
Presenters: Individuals submitting abstracts and facing financial barriers should firstly request financial aid (see above). Permission to present your talk or poster virtually will be given only in exceptional circumstances and on a case-by-case basis. If you think you are eligible for an exemption from the requirement to present in person, please provide a justification in writing via email to Kelley McGrath.
Non-presenting participants: We plan to broaden access to the conference by allowing certain categories of non-presenting participants to attend virtually at reduced fees.
Categories include:
1. Individuals from low & middle-income countries;
2. Individuals from non-LMIC countries in Asia, Australasia, Africa, or South America;
3. Individuals from US & Canadian minority-serving institutions;
4. Individuals with a demonstrable financial barrier;
5. Individuals with family obligations or other special circumstances.
For categories 5 & 6 above, please provide a justification via email to Kelley McGrath.
Virtual Fees:
Academic Virtual Package: TBA
Grad Student Virtual Package: TBA
Corporate Virtual Package: TBA
Late Fee (Registrations submitted after 5:00 p.m. ET on April 3):
Late Academic Virtual Package: TBA
Late Student Virtual Package: TBA
Late Corporate Virtual Package: TBA