Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Mechanisms and Therapeutics (J5)
January 19-22, 2027  | Beaver Run Conference Center, Breckenridge, CO, United States
Tomasz Nowakowski, Xin Jin, Stephan Sanders and Zhaolan (Joe) Zhou
Scholarship Deadline: Sep. 25, 2026 | Abstract Deadline: Dec. 30, 2026 | Early Registration Deadline: Nov. 20, 2026
* Session Chair † Invited but not yet accepted | Program current as of February 25, 2026 2 AM | For the most up-to-date details, visit https://www.keystonesymposia.org
Tuesday, January 19, 2027
4:00–8:00 PM Registration
6:00–8:00 PM Welcome Mixer
Wednesday, January 20, 2027
7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast
8:00–8:10 AM Welcome Remarks
8:10–9:00 AM Keynote Address
  Huda Y. Zoghbi, Baylor College of Medicine
A Journey in Rett Syndrome: From Basic Science Discovery of Causal Gene to Therapies of Patients
 
9:00–11:15 AM Decoding Variant Effects: From Population Genomics to Functional Consequences
  Hyejung Won, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Experimental Validation of Common Variants of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Xin Jin, Scripps Research Institute
Massively Parallel Dissection of Gene to Phenotype Relationships using Perturb-seq
 
  Thomas Bourgeron, Institut Pasteur
PARIS: Paris Autism Research International Sib-Pair Study
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
9:30–9:50 AM Coffee Break
11:15–12:15 PM Meet the Editors
12:15–1:00 PM Poster Setup
12:15–5:00 PM On Own for Lunch
1:00–10:00 PM Poster Viewing
2:30–4:30 PM Symposia Spotlight 1: Emerging Technologies in the Study of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
 
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available
5:00–7:00 PM Molecular Mechanisms Linking Gene Dysregulation to Protein Function and Cellular Phenotypes
  Yukiko Gotoh, University of Tokyo
Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Cortical Development
 
  Willow Coyote-Maestas, University of California, San Francisco
Deep Mutational Scanning Approaches to Correlate Structure and Function of Proteins
 
  Sila Ultanir, Francis Crick Institute
Kinase Signaling in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
7:00–8:00 PM Social Hour with Dinner
7:30–10:00 PM Posters
Thursday, January 21, 2027
7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast
8:00–11:00 AM Circuit Dynamics Shaping Developmental Outcomes
  Gabrielle Pouchelon, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Transient Connectivity and Circuit Reprogramming in Cortical Development
 
  Guillermina López Bendito, Instituto de Neurociencias
Spontaneous Activity–Gene Program Interplay in Circuits Development: Implications for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Liqun Luo †, Stanford University
Talk Title to be Announced
 
  Jessica A. Cardin †, Yale School of Medicine
Talk Title to be Announced
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
9:00–9:20 AM Coffee Break
11:00–12:00 PM Panel Discussion 1: What to Translate? When to Translate? How to Translate?
12:00–1:00 PM Poster Setup
12:00–5:00 PM On Own for Lunch
1:00–10:00 PM Poster Viewing
3:00–4:30 PM Career Roundtable
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available
5:00–7:00 PM Experimental Models for Interrogating Human Specific Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms
  Tomasz Nowakowski, University of California, San Francisco
Establishing Tools for Human Neuroscience
 
  Pierre Vanderhaeghen, KU Leuven
Interrogating Human Specific and Neurodevelopmental Risk Genes using Chimeric Models
 
  Paola Arlotta, Harvard University
Brain Organoids to Study Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
7:00–8:00 PM Social Hour with Dinner
7:30–10:00 PM Posters
Friday, January 22, 2027
7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast
8:00–11:00 AM Environment and Experience
  Zhaolan (Joe) Zhou, University of Pennsylvania
Epigenetic Dissection of Mechanisms underlying Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Kristen J. Brennand, Yale School of Medicine
Insights into Gene-Environment Interactions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Gloria Choi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cytokine Regulation of Brain and Behavior
 
  Anca M. Pasca, Stanford University
Neonatal Hypoxia and Pediatric Risk Factors
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
9:00–9:20 AM Coffee Break
11:00–12:00 PM Panel Discussion 2: Grand Challenges in NDDs
11:00–5:00 PM On Own for Lunch
2:30–4:30 PM Symposia Spotlight 2: Late-breaking research presentations selected from abstract submissions
  Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
 
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available
5:00–6:15 PM From Genetic Targets to Therapeutic Strategies
  Stephan Sanders, University of Oxford
Gene Targeting Strategies for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Joe Gleeson †, University of California, San Diego
Talk Title to be Announced
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
6:15–7:00 PM Closing Keynote Address
  Allyson Berent, Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics/AS2Bio
The Parents’ Journey through Drug Development: Making the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE-The Angelman Syndrome Story
 
7:00–7:15 PM Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions
7:15–8:15 PM Social Hour with Dinner
8:00–11:00 PM Entertainment
8:00–11:00 PM Cash Bar
Saturday, January 23, 2027
12:00–11:59 PM Departure