2024 Stanford Neurosciences IDP Student Retreat

November 1-3, 2024

Group Photo, October 2023 Retreat

Meetings & Lodging at Asilomar Conference Grounds 800 Asilomar Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

IDP Students and Faculty - Register by September 20, 2024

Click Here to Register!

 

Questions? 

Contact: Amanda Rashid (aarashid@stanford.edu)

Speakers

Nicholas Steinmetz, Ph.D.

Dr. Nicholas Steinmetz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics at the University of Washington in Seattle and a member of the International Brain Lab. Before establishing his own lab, he earned a PhD in Neuroscience at Stanford University, where he studied visual attention under the guidance of Dr. Tirin Moore and Dr. Kwabena Boahen. His research focuses on understanding the neural circuits and systems that underlie perception and cognition throughout the brain. 

Scott Owen, Ph.D.

Dr. Scott Owen is a Assistant Professor in Neurosurgery, and by courtsey, of Neurobiology at Stanford University, School of Medicine. He's Principle Investigator in his own laboratory the Owens Lab. Dr. Owen is passionate about integrating mechanistic studies in model systems with direct investigation of cells, synapses, and circuits in the human brain, to deepen our understanding of human brain function and to improve the translation of treatments for neurological disease from the lab to the clinic. 

Grace Huckins, Ph.D.

Grace Huckins is a lecturer in the Civic, Liberal, and Global Education program. They hold a PhD in neuroscience from Stanford University, where they also pursued a PhD minor in philosophy. Grace's research focuses on the development of brain-based explanations for human experiences and behaviors, examining their potential value for the general public. In addition to their research and teaching, they contribute to leading publications such as WIRED, Slate, and MIT Technology Review, writing on topics related to neuroscience, health, and artificial intelligence.

Stephen J. Smith, Ph.D.

Dr. Stephen J. Smith led a dynamic laboratory at Stanford University from 1990 to 2014, focusing on brain development, structure, function, and disease progression. In 2014, he transitioned to an exciting role as Senior Investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. During his time there, he served as an Allen Institute Investigator Emeritus and an Allen Neural Dynamics Fellow. Now back in California, Dr. Smith is a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Emeritus, at Stanford. He continues to be active in the fields of computational neuroscience, microscopy, and genomic data science

JoAnn Buchanan, Ph.D.

Dr. JoAnn Buchanan is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, part of the Stanford School of Medicine. Before joining Stanford, Dr. Buchanan spent over nine years at the Allen Institute, where she developed expertise in data analysis, image analysis, and electron microscopy. Her primary research tool is scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which she has utilized for many years.  Her additional specialties include tissue preparation, microwave processing, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), serial sectioning, immunolabeling, and array tomography.

Tamara Chan, PhD Candidate

Tamara Chan is currently a Neuroscience IDP student with a keen interest in the role of microglia in the brain. She is working under the guidance of Dr. Marius Wernig at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, where she focuses on creating human stem cell-derived models of the brain. Her research aims to unravel the cellular and molecular interactions among brain cells. Tamara is particularly fascinated by how microglia cooperate to achieve a precise spatial organization known as tiling, and she investigates how this process contributes to overall brain homeostasis.

Agenda

Friday, November 1

  • 4:00 pm Hotel Check-In Begins
  • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Dinner Available (Crocker Dining Hall)
  • 7:00 pm Speaker Dinner 
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Saturday, November 2

  • Sessions Held in Heather Room, Meals in Crocker Dining Hall
  • 7:30 - 9:00 am Breakfast 
  • 9:00 am Event Welcome
  • 9:10 - 9:40 am Speaker: Stephen Smith, "Dense local neuropeptide signaling in cerebral cortex" 
  • 9:40 - 10:10 am Speaker: Nicholas Steinmetz, "The Midbrain Reticular Formation in visual decision-making" 
  • 10:15 - 10:30 am Coffee Break 
  • 10:30 - 11:00 am Speaker: JoAnn Buchanan, "Oligodendrocyte precursor cells- versatile glia crucial to brain health and disease"
  • 11:00 - 11:30 am Speaker: Scott Owens, “Specialized physiology of primate and human neurons”
  • 11:45 - 12:00 am Group Photo Outside Hearst Social Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch 
  • 1:05 - 1:50 pm Faculty Speaker Panel
  • 1:50 - 1:55 pm Coffee Break 
  • 1:55 - 2:25 pm Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Committee Activity for Students
  • 2:25 - 3:05 pm Mental Health Committee Activity for Students
  • 3:05 - 5:55 pm Break: Explore Asilomar - Access to Beach, Volleyball, Games in Social Hall, Skit Prep, etc.
  • 6:00 - 8:00 pm Dinner and Skits near Crocker Dining Hall, Woodlands North & South
  • 8:00 - 10:00 pm Bonfire, Smores, & Costume Contest

Sunday, November 3

Sessions Held in Heather Room, Meals in Crocker Dining Hall

7:30 - 9:00 am Breakfast

9:00 - 10:30 am Pack Up & Check-Out (Hearst Social Hall)

10:30 - 10:55 am Speaker: Grace Huckins

10:55 - 11:20 am Speaker: Tamara Chan, “Elucidating Mechanisms of Microglial Tiling”

11:20 - 12:00 pm Student Panel: Tamara Chan, Grace Huckins, Ellen Gingrich, Yoo Jin Jung, Shawn Dhillon

12:00 - 12:10 pm Closing Remarks 

12:10 - 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm - Departures