Organisers
- Armen Saghatelyan (University of Ottawa)
- Karun Singh (Krembil Research Institute)
- David Kaplan (SickKids)
Date & Time: May 18, 2026 – Full day
Location: Hotel Bonaventure
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stem-cells-and-brain-development-tickets-1982633808091
PROGRAM
May 18th, Hotel Bonaventure
- 8h30: arrival and registration
- 8h45 opening remarks
20min talks + 5 min questions
short-talks: 10min talks + 5 min questions
Session 1: Neural stem cells: from development to function
9h00 Freda Miller (UBC)
Defining forebrain neural stem cell states and neighborhoods throughout life
9h25 Guang Yang (U. Calgary)
Splicing decisions at the crossroad of stem cell fate and neurodevelopmental disorders
9h50 Mateusz Ambrozkiewicz (U. Calgary)
How a ubiquitin ligase controls m6A RNA methylation in the developing brain
10h15 Tanya Foley (Pasteur Institute; short-talk)
A quiescence cycle underlies transcriptional heterogeneity among quiescent neural stem cells in the adult zebrafish telencephalon
10h30 Coffee break
Session 2: Neural development and synaptogenesis
10h45 Raquel Rodriguez-Aller (U. Ottawa, short-talk)
Cilia beating of ependymal cells regulates adult neural stem cell quiescence via mechanical forces mediated by PKD1/2-TRPM3
11h00 Martin Munz (U. Alberta)
Two distinct active circuit motifs during embryonic cortical development
11h25 Jean-François Cloutier (McGill)
Development of the vomeronasal glomerular map shapes chemosignal‑induced aggression
11h50 Julie Lefebvre (SickKids)
In Search of Synaptic Partners in Healthy and Diseased Circuits
12h15 Graziella Di Christo (U. Montreal)
Mechanisms underlying cortical GABAergic synapse refinement
12h40 lunch (included with registration)
Session 3: Neurodevelopmental disorders
14h00 Karanveer Singh Johal (U. Ottawa, short-talk)
Cortex-Specific Loss of the chromatin remodeller Srcap Impairs Neurogenesis and Cortical Morphogenesis
14h15 Jeff Biernaskie (U. Calgary)
Ependymal cell function and healthy brain aging
14h40 Julien Muffat (SickKids)
Investigating the crosstalk between microglia and their niche in development and disease, using synthetic human in vitro systems
15h05 Carl Ernst (McGill)
Interventional genetics for severe pediatric neurological disorders: Design, development, and delivery of new therapies for rare genetic diseases
15h30 Elsa Rossignol (U. Montreal)
Deficits in GABAergic interneurons migration leading to neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy
15h55 Closing remarks
17h00 CAN opening
Short Description
The 8th Satellite Meeting on Neural Stem Cells (NSCs) and Neural Development will bring together experts and trainees to share ideas and discuss recent advances in embryonic and postnatal stem cells, synaptogenesis, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Speakers from institutions across Canada and at all career stages will present new findings on how neural development proceeds under normal conditions and how its disruption leads to disease.
The meeting will feature three themed sessions:
- Session 1: Mechanisms underlying NSC heterogeneity and fate specification
- Session 2: Synaptic development
- Session 3: Human cellular models for studying neurodevelopmental disorders
We hope that this event will further strengthen collaborations and catalyze new interactions among researchers in the neurodevelopmental field.
Sponsored by:
