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 August 26, 2026 3 AM | For the most up-to-date details, visit https://www.keystonesymposia.org
Tuesday, January 19, 2027
4:00–8:00 PM Registration Colorado Ballroom Foyer
6:00–8:00 PM Welcome Mixer Colorado Ballroom Foyer
Wednesday, January 20, 2027
7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast Summit Gallery
8:00–8:10 AM Welcome Remarks Breckenridge Ballroom
8:10–9:00 AM Keynote Address Breckenridge Ballroom
  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 Breckenridge Ballroom
  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
The Genetic Orchestra of Autism: From Medicine to Neurodiversity
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
9:30–9:50 AM Coffee Break Breckenridge Ballroom Foyer
11:25–12:25 PM Meet the Editors Breckenridge Ballroom
12:25–1:00 PM Poster Setup Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3
12:25–2:30 PM On Own for Lunch
1:00–10:00 PM Poster Viewing Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3
2:30–4:30 PM Symposia Spotlight 1: Emerging Technologies in the Study of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Breckenridge Ballroom
  Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
 
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available Breckenridge Ballroom Foyer
5:00–7:00 PM Molecular Mechanisms Linking Gene Dysregulation to Protein Function and Cellular Phenotypes Breckenridge Ballroom
  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 Summit Gallery
7:30–10:00 PM Poster Session 1 Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3
Thursday, January 21, 2027
7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast Summit Gallery
8:00–11:00 AM Circuit Dynamics Shaping Developmental Outcomes Breckenridge Ballroom
  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
Wiring Specificity of Neural Circuits
 
  Weizhe Hong, UCLA Los Angeles
The Neuroscience of Prosocial Behavior: From Helping and Cooperation to Social AI
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
9:00–9:20 AM Coffee Break Breckenridge Ballroom Foyer
11:10–12:10 PM Panel Discussion 1: What to Translate? When to Translate? How to Translate? Breckenridge Ballroom
12:10–1:00 PM Poster Setup Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3
12:10–3:00 PM On Own for Lunch
1:00–10:00 PM Poster Viewing Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3
3:00–4:30 PM Career Roundtable (Joint) Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available Breckenridge Ballroom Foyer
5:00–7:00 PM Experimental Models for Interrogating Human Specific Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Breckenridge Ballroom
  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 Summit Gallery
7:30–10:00 PM Poster Session 2 Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3
Friday, January 22, 2027
7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast Summit Gallery
8:00–11:00 AM Environment and Experience Breckenridge Ballroom
  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 Breckenridge Ballroom Foyer
11:10–12:10 PM Panel Discussion 2: Grand Challenges in NDDs Breckenridge Ballroom
12:10–2:30 PM On Own for Lunch
2:30–4:30 PM Symposia Spotlight 2 Breckenridge Ballroom
  Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
 
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available Breckenridge Ballroom Foyer
5:00–6:15 PM From Genetic Targets to Therapeutic Strategies Breckenridge Ballroom
  Stephan Sanders, University of Oxford
Gene Targeting Strategies for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
 
  Joe Gleeson, University of California, San Diego
Lessons from Neurodevelopmental Disease
 
  Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
 
6:15–7:05 PM Closing Keynote Address Breckenridge Ballroom
  Allyson Berent,  Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics/AS2Bio
The Parents’ Journey through Drug Development: Making the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE-The Angelman Syndrome Story
 
7:05–7:15 PM Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions Breckenridge Ballroom
7:15–8:15 PM Social Hour with Dinner Summit Gallery
8:00–9:00 PM Entertainment
8:00–9:00 PM Cash Bar
Saturday, January 23, 2027
12:00–11:59 PM Departure