2026 Stanford Neurosciences IDP Student Retreat

October 9-10, 2026

Group Photo, October 2025 Retreat

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

Neurosciences IDP Students and Faculty - Register Here!

 

Questions? 

Contact: Amanda Rashid (aarashid@stanford.edu)

Speakers

Ethan Soloman, M.D., Ph.D.

Ethan Solomon, MD, PhD, is an Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a member of the Stanford Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab. He earned his MD and PhD in Bioengineering through the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his psychiatry residency at Stanford School of Medicine. His research integrates electrophysiological approaches, including sEEG, ECoG, and scalp EEG, with brain stimulation technologies to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and perception in psychiatric disorders. Dr. Solomon is the recipient of an NIMH K99 award supporting his work on theta burst stimulation of hippocampal-cortical networks in individuals with schizophrenia.

Ben Emery, Ph.D.

Ben Emery, PhD, earned his PhD from the University of Melbourne, where he studied molecular mechanisms of oligodendrocyte signaling and demyelinating disease. He later joined Ben Barres’ laboratory at Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow, contributing to the development of a widely used brain cell-type transcriptome database. He now leads a research program focused on the genetic pathways regulating oligodendrocyte development, myelination, and remyelination, with the goal of understanding and treating disorders involving myelin loss, including multiple sclerosis.

John Kochalka

John Kochalka, PhD, recently earned his PhD in Neurosciences from Stanford University, where his research focused on understanding how large-scale cortical networks organize neural activity and influence perception and behavior. His dissertation, “Dynamical Structure and Behavioral Function of Large-Scale Cortical Networks,” combined systems and computational neuroscience approaches to investigate brain activity across scales. During his graduate training, John worked in the Deisseroth and Druckmann laboratories, developing expertise in neural circuit dynamics, large-scale imaging, and computational approaches to neuroscience. Following his PhD, he continues his research at Stanford as a Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioengineering, where he studies the organization and dynamics of neural circuits.

Henry T. (Hank) Greely, JD

Henry T. (Hank) Greely, JD, is the Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law and Professor, by courtesy, of Genetics at Stanford University. His research focuses on the ethical, legal, and societal implications of advances in genetics, neuroscience, stem cell research, and other biosciences. He directs the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences and the Stanford Program in Neuroscience and Society and serves on several national advisory committees related to science, ethics, and public policy. A Stanford faculty member since 1985, Professor Greely is a leading voice on the intersection of law, medicine, and emerging biomedical technologies.

Stephanie Nelli, Ph.D.

Stephanie Nelli, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Cognitive Science at Occidental College. She earned her B.A. in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining Occidental, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, where she studied the computational principles underlying rapid learning and flexible decision-making. Her research uses neuroscience, machine learning, and computational modeling to investigate how the brain learns, adapts, and makes decisions in novel environments.

Allison Morningstar

Allison Morningstar, Neurosciences IDP PhD Student, earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester before joining the Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program (IDP) in 2020. As a Ph.D. student, she conducted research in the Giardino Lab, investigating the neural mechanisms underlying stress, motivation, alcohol use disorder, and feeding behavior. Her work has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications advancing the understanding of brain circuits that regulate behavior. Allison is passionate about neuroscience research and its potential to improve treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Agenda

Friday, October 9

  • Sessions Held in Nautilus Room, Meals in Crocker Dining Hall
  • 7:30 - 9:00 am Breakfast 
  • 9:30 - 9:45 am Event Welcome in Nautilus Conference Room
  • 9:45 - 10:15 am Speaker
  • 10:15 - 10:20 am Q&A
  • 10:20 - 10:50 am Speaker
  • 10:50 - 10:55 am Q&A
  • 10:55 - 11:10 am Break
  • 11:10 - 11:40 am Speaker
  • 11:40 - 11:45 am Q&A
  • 11:50 - 12:00 pm Group Photo Outside Hearst Social Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch
  •  

Friday, October 9 Continued

  • Sessions Held in Nautilus Room, Meals in Crocker Dining Hall
  • 1:15 - 1:45 pm Speaker
  • 1:45 - 1:50 pm Q&A
  • 1:50 - 2:50 pm Director/Student Town Hall (Students only)
  • 2:50 - 3:50 pm Student Org Session (MHC & NeuROOTS)
  • 3:50 - 6:00 pm Break: Check-In at 4 PM, Explore Asilomar - Access to Beach, Volleyball, Games in Social Hall, Skit Prep, Crafts in Nautilus Room, etc.
  • 6:00 - 8:00 pm Dinner and Skits near Crocker Dining Hall, Woodlands North & South
  • 8:00 - 10:00 pm Bonfire & Smores

Saturday, October 10

Sessions Held in Nautilus Room, Meals in Crocker Dining Hall

7:30 - 9:00 am Breakfast

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

9:30 - 10:00 am Speaker

10:00 - 10:05 am Q&A

10:05 - 10:35 am Speaker

10:35 am - 10:40 am Q&A

10:40 - 10:55 am Break

10:55 - 11:55 am Speaker Panel 

11:55 - 12:00 pm Closing Remarks

12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch & Departures After