Agenda:
| 9:00am – 9:30am | Welcome and Overview | |
| 9:30am – 10:15am | The Antimicrobial protection hypothesis of AD
Rudolph Tanzi, PhD – Harvard University |
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| 10:15am – 11:00am | Alzheimer’s disease genetics implicate efferocytosis in microglia
Alison Goate, DPhil – Icahn School of Medicine of Mt. Sinai |
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| 11:00am – 11:10am | Morning Break | |
| 11:10am – 12:10pm | Lightning Talks Session 1: Role of the CNS resident immune response in AD |
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| Beth Stevens, PhD
Broad Institute and Boston Children’s Mapping Microglia States and (Dys)Function in Alzheimer’s Disease |
Carol Colton, PhD
Duke University Role of neuroinflammation and innate immune activation in influencing brain metabolism in AD |
Joseph El Khoury, MD
Harvard University Novel animal model in the study of microglia and HSV-6 |
| Followed by Large Group Discussion | ||
| 12:10pm – 12:40pm | Small Group Brainstorm 1 | |
| 12:40pm – 1:20pm | Lunch Break | |
| 1:20pm – 2:20pm | Lightning Talks Session 2: Circulating immune responses in the Development of AD |
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| Jenny Ting, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The Role of the Inflammasome in Alzheimer’s Disease |
Robyn Klein, MD, PhD
Washington University How antiviral immune responses in the CNS might trigger pathological forgetting |
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| David Gate, PhD
Stanford University Intrathecal immunity in Alzheimer’s disease |
Prof. Dr. Michael T. Heneka
University of Bonn NLRP3 inflammasome activation drives pathological spread in AD |
| Followed by Large Group Discussion | ||
| 2:20pm – 2:50pm | Small Group Brainstorm 2 | |
| 2:50pm – 3:00pm | Afternoon Break | |
| 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Lightning Talks Session 3: Pathogens and microbiome in the development of AD |
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| Sangram S. Sisodia, PhD
University of Chicago Sex-specific alterations in neuroinflammation and amyloid deposition by the microbiome in animal models |
Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, PhD
Duke University Brain Metabolic Health – At the Cross Road of Exposome Gut Microbiome Genome and Metabolome Gut-Brain Chemical Axis in Alzheimer’s Disease |
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| Serena Spudich, MD, MA
Yale University What role(s) might COVID-19 infection play in AD development and what are the key questions and gaps |
Mari L. Shinohara, PhD
Duke University Fungal infections and fungal receptors in AD: Lessons from research on MS |
| Followed by Large Group Discussion | ||
| 4:00pm – 4:30pm | Small Group Brainstorm 3 | |
| 4:30pm – 5:20pm | Putting it all Together | |
| 5:20pm – 5:30pm | Reconvene and Adjourn |
FAQS:
Is this symposium free?
This symposium is 100% free thanks to the generous support from Dr. Leslie Norins (Duke Med ’62) and Ms. Rainey Norins.
What will the small discussion groups be about?
Small discussion groups will be organized by topic to identify key gaps and testable hypotheses. Small discussion groups will be encouraged to outline fundable project ideas and next steps.
Possible topic groupings include (will be modified based on areas of interest captured at registration)
The role of microglia or astrocytes in AD development and progression
Potential role of microglia in infectious etiologies underlying AD
Potential role of astrocytes in infectious etiologies underlying AD
Blood-brain barrier and neurovascular/neurolymphatic structures in the AD pathogen hypothesis
Role of systemic immune system in AD
Exposure to specific pathogens and the risk of AD
Microbiome and AD
COVID-19 and AD
Age-related changes in immune system or metabolism and the risk of AD
Epidemiological approaches to probing the pathogen hypothesis of AD
Systems biology (-omics) approaches in investigating the role of infection/inflammation in AD
Use of animal models in studying the role of infection and inflammation in AD
Use of brain banks and biorepositories to investigate the role of infection and inflammation in AD
Use of novel brain imaging techniques to probe the pathogen hypothesis of AD
