PROGRAM
conference program
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Evening Opening Reception
6:30-6:45 pm
Challenges in PTE Research: The Need for Biomarkers and Research Standards
Severn B. Churn, PhD (Program Director of Synapses, Channels and Neural Circuits NIH, USA)
9:00 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Laura Lubbers, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer, CURE Epilepsy, USA); Elisa Zanier, MD (Head of Department, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy), Giuseppe Remuzzi, MD (Director of Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy)
9:20 am
Post-Traumatic Epilepsy: The Lived Experience
Introduction by: Laura Lubbers, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer, CURE Epilepsy, USA)
Lived Experience Perspective
Jack Somers (Captain, US Military, retired)
Moment of Silence & Reflection
9:40 am
Clinical PTE: Recent Advances, Challenges and Solutions
Introduction, Session Moderator Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD (Director TBI Clinical Res. Center, University of Pennsylvania, USA)
– 9:45 am – Overview of PTE and Goals of the Conference Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD (Director TBI Clinical Res. Center, University of
Pennsylvania, USA)
– 10:05 am – Mechanistic Targets for PTE Prevention Wolfgang Löscher, PhD (Professor, Hanover Medical School, Germany)
– 10:30 am – Advances in the Neuropathological Characterization of PTE following TBI Victoria Johnson, MBChB, PhD (Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, USA)
– 10:50 am – Predicting PTE Risk: The Development of a Risk Tool for PTE Amy Wagner, MD (Professor, University of Pittsburgh, USA)
11:10 am – COFFEE BREAK
– 11:40 am – Synthesis of Concepts and Discussion of Next Steps Moderator and Discussant: Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD
Discussion Questions:
- How will we select the first/best biological mechanisms to test in clinical trials?
- What supporting data will be required?
12:30 am
Promising Clinical Biomarkers of PTE
Introduction, Session Moderator: David Brody, MD, PhD (Professor, Uniformed Services University, USA)
– 12:35 pm – Blood-Based Biomarkers of PTE Kevin Wang, PhD (Vice-Chair for Research, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA)
– 12:55 pm – Immune-Based Biomarkers: Lessons from TBI Edward Needham, MD, PhD (Consultant Neurologist, Clinical Research
Associate, University of Cambridge, UK)
– 1:15 pm – EEG Biomarkers: Lessons from Acquired Epilepsy in the ICU Edilberto Amorim, MD (Assistant Professor, University of California, San Francisco, USA)
1:35 pm – LUNCH
– 2:35 pm – Innovations in Brain Imaging: Implications for Post-Traumatic Epilepsy David Brody, MD, PhD (Professors, Uniformed Services University, USA)
– 2:55 pm – Blood-Borne Protein Biomarkers of Post-Traumatic Epileptogenesis; Gaps and Solutions Denes Agoston, MD, PhD (Professor, Uniformed Services University, USA)
– 3:15 pm – Synthesis of Concepts and Discussion of Next Steps Session Moderator and Discussant: David Brody, MD, PhD
Discussion Questions:
- What criteria must be met to establish that biomarkers are ready for use?
- What level of characterization and sensitivity threshold is required?
4:20 pm
PTE: The Industry Perspective on Needs for a Clinical Trial
Introduction, Session Moderator: Douglas H. Smith, MD (Robert A. Groff Endowed Professor of Neurosurgery, Director, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, University of Pennsylvania, USA)
– 4:25 pm – Needs for Developing Biomarkers for PTE Clinical Trials William Haskins, PhD (CEO and Co-Founder, Gryphon Bio, USA)
– 4:45 pm – Challenges in the Path to a Clinical Trial: The Startup Perspective Pavel Klein, MD (Neurologist and Director, Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, President and Co-founder, PrevEp, Inc, USA)
– 5:05 pm – Synthesis of Concepts and Discussion of Next Steps Session Moderator and Discussant: Douglas Smith, MD
Discussion Questions:
- How do we foster collaboration between industry partners and researchers?
- How do we ensure we address industry needs to move the field forward?
9:00 am
Welcome and Day 1 Recap
Elisa Zanier, MD (Head of Department, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy)
9:10 am
Partnering with the Lived Experience PTE Community
Melissa Miller, PhD (Health Services Program Manager, US Department of Defense)
9:30 am
Preclinical PTE: Advances, Challenges and Solutions
Introduction, Session Moderator: David Loane, PhD (Associate Professor, Trinity College Dublin,
Ireland)
– 9:35 am – Neuroinflammation as a Mechanism of Epileptogenesis: Insights from Status Epilepticus Models Annamaria Vezzani, PhD (Laboratory Head, Mario Negri, Italy)
– 9:55 am – Determining the Validity of Preclinical Animal Models Aristea Galanopoulou, MD, PhD (Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA)
– 10:15 am – Challenges and Advances in Large Animal Models John Wolf, PhD (Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, USA)
10:35 am – COFFEE BREAK
11:30 AM – Synthesis of Concepts and Discussion of Next Steps. Discussion Questions:
- How will we select the first/best biological mechanisms to test in clinical trials?
- What supporting data will be required?
12:15 pm
Promising Preclinical Biomarkers of PTE, pt1
Introduction, Session Moderator: Kevin Staley, MD (Physician Investigator, Professor, Mass General, Harvard School of Medicine, USA)
– 12:20 pm – Multi-omic Biomarkers of PTE Firas Kobaissy, PhD (Morehouse School of Medicine, USA)
– 12:40 pm – Imaging Biomarkers of PTE Federico Moro, PhD (Head of Unit, Mario Negri, Italy)
– 1:00 pm – Preclinical EEG Biomarkers of PTE Asla Pitkänen, MD, PhD (Professor of Neurobiology, University of Eastern Finland, Finland)
1:20 pm – LUNCH
2:20 pm
Promising Preclinical Biomarkers of PTE, pt2
Session Moderator: Kevin Staley, MD
– 2:25 pm – Developing Treatments for PTE: The Translational View Terence O’Brien, MD (Professor, Monash University, Australia)
– 2:45 pm – Synthesis of Concepts and Discussion of Next Steps Session Moderator and Discussant: Kevin Staley, MD
Discussion Questions:
- When are biomarkers ready for use?
- What level of characterization and sensitivity threshold is required?
3:30 pm BREAK
– 3:50 pm – Hot Topics in PTE: Data Blitz Presentations
Introduction, Session Moderator: Christopher Dulla, PhD (Professor, Tufts University, USA)
EARLY CAREER WINNERS
– 4:00 pm – Ilaria Lisi, Mario Negri Institute, Italy
– 4:15 pm – Bin Gu, PhD, Ohio State University, USA
– 4:30 pm – Irma Ngadimon, PhD, Monash University, Malaysia
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
– 4:45 pm – Justin Weppner, MD, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, USA
– 5:00 pm – Tawfeeq Shekh-Ahmad, PhD, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
– 5:15 pm – Discussion – Session Moderator and Discussant: Christopher Dulla, PhD
5:45 pm
Wrap-up for the day
6:00 pm
Buses to Science Museum tour and dinner
7:30 pm
Dinner
9:00 am
Welcome and Recap
Co-Chair Elisa Zanier, PhD ((Head of Department, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy)
9:10 am
Involvement of Affected Individuals and the Public in PTE Clinical Research
Daniel Correa, MD, MS (Assistant Professor, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA)
9:30 am
Developing the Data Infrastructure Needed for Progress in PTE
Introduction, Session Moderator: Severn B. Churn, PhD (Program Director of Synapses, Channels and Neural Circuits NIH, USA)
– 9:35 am – Federated Platforms/Systems for Validation and Optimization of Preclinical Findings Joost Wagenaar, PhD (Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, USA)
– 09:55 am – Harnessing the Power of Big Data for PTE Analysis: Next Steps in Multi-Modal Data Analysis and Field-Wide Data Standardization Dominique Duncan, PhD (Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, USA)
– 10:15 am –Data Sharing and Standardization: Lessons from the Federal Inter-agency TBI Research (FITBIR) Informatics System Hibah Awwad, PhD (Program Director, Traumatic Brain Injury, NINDS, NIH, USA)
– 10:35 am – Discussion (Talk and Discussion) Session Moderator and Discussant: Severn B. Churn, PhD
Discussion Questions:
What considerations must be taken into account, from the researchers’ perspective, to ensure buy-in to federated data ecosystem?
What additional resources or technology are needed to achieve multimodal analysis?
11:20 am – COFFEE BREAK
11:40 am
The Roadmap to an Interventional Trial for PTE Moderator: Laura Lubbers, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer, CURE Epilepsy, USA), Elisa R. Zanier,
MD (Department Head, Mario Negri Institute, Italy)
Based on discussion during the conference, an outline of a PTE action plan will be presented for discussion. A set of panelists, along with the general audience, will discuss this plan.
Panelists: Christopher Dulla PhD, Daniel Correa MD MS, Douglas Smith MD, Mary Jo Pugh PhD RN, Pavel Klein MD and Ramon Diaz-Arrastia MD PhD.
1:00 pm – ADJOURN
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