About Us
The Friedman Brain Institute and the Neuroscience Graduate Program, presents the 18th Annual Neuroscience Retreat.
The Friedman Brain Institute hosts a Neuroscience Retreat held in the spring of each year. Neuroscience is multidisciplinary by nature and, reflecting this, the scientists and physicians that contribute to the neurosciences at Mount Sinai hail from a variety of departments and campuses. The Retreat provides an opportunity for everyone in the Neuroscience community at Mount Sinai – faculty, fellows, students, researchers and clinicians – to meet and discuss their work in order to increase awareness of ongoing research and approaches, to foster new interactions, and to generate novel ideas.
For additional information, please contact Vena Persaud at vena.persaud@mssm.edu or Veronica Szarejko at veronica.szarejko@mssm.edu
Visit the Riverside Church
Retreat Organizers
Abha K. Rajbhandari, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Graduate Education
Sarah A. Stanley, MBBCh, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Bone Disease | Neuroscience
Moderators
Jessica L. Ables, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Neuroscience
Neris Michel Enamorado Escalona, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dermatology
Brian Sweis, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Neuroscience
Opening Remarks
Paul J. Kenny, PhD
Chairman, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience
George Huntley, PhD
Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program
Keynote Speakers
Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, PhD
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
Columbia University
Wendy Suzuki, PhD
Professor of Neural Science
NYU
Speakers
Verónica Burstein, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuroscience
B. Ülgen Kilic, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow, Psychiatry
Ayako Kuno
Graduate Student
Jeronimo Lukin, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow, Neuroscience
Gita Pathak, PhD
Assistant Professor, Genetics & Genomic Sciences
Ignacio Saez, PhD
Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, Neurology &
Graduate Education
Daniela Schiller, PhD
Professor, Psychiatry &
Neuroscience
Sanutha Shetty
Graduate Student
Hao Sun
Graduate Student
Filip Swirski, PhD
Professor, Medicine, Cardiology
Diagnostic, Molecular Interventional Radiology
Immunology & Immunotherapy
Retreat Administrators
Veronica Szarejko
Project Manager
Danny Roldan
Web Content Specialist
Vena Persaud
Administrative Manager
Jenny Rivera
Administrative Director
AGENDA
8:30 – 9:00 am
(South Hall Lobby)
Registration
Coffee, tea, and water
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9:00 – 9:05 am
(Nave)
Introduction
Abha K. Rajbhandari, PhD (Psychiatry) and Sarah A. Stanley, MBBCh, PhD (Medicine)
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9:05 – 9:20 am
Welcome Remarks
Paul J. Kenny, PhD on The Friedman Brain Institute
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9:20 – 9:35 am
George Huntley, PhD on The Graduate Student Program
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9:35 – 10:15 am
Morning Keynote Speaker
Ishmail J. Abdus-Saboor, PhD – Columbia University
“Skin-brain axis for social touch: mice to naked mole-rats”
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10:15 – 10:25 am
Break + Raffle (3 awards)
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10:25 – 11:10 am
Short Talks I
Moderator: Jessica L. Ables, MD, PhD
Faculty | Ignacio Saez, PhD (Neuroscience) – “Eyes on the Prize: Dynamics of attention and value in Human Prefrontal Cortex”
Postdoctral | Veronica Burstein, PhD (Enamorado lab) – “Mapping Peripheral Neuroimmune Engrams”
Graduate Student | Ayako Kuno (Morishita lab) – “A critical period for social touch-dependent mesocortical control of social reciprocity”
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11:10 am – 12:15 pm
(South Hall)
Morning Poster Session
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11:50 am – 12:50 pm
(South Hall)
Lunch
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12:50 – 1:30 pm
(Nave)
Afternoon Keynote Speaker
Wendy Suzuki, PhD – NYU
“The Astonishing Effects of Exercise for Your Brain”
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1:30 – 2:00 pm
Panel Discussion: “Practical Tools for Thriving in Science”
Communicating Your Science • Finding the Right Environment • Tools for Thriving
Wendy Suzuki, PhD – NYU
Ishmail J. Abdus-Saboor, PhD – Columbia University
Daniela Schiller, PhD – Mount Sinai
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2:00 – 3:00 pm
(South Hall)
Afternoon Poster Session
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3:00 – 3:45 pm
(Nave)
Short Talks II
Moderator: Michel Enamorado, PhD (Dermatology)
Faculty | Gita Pathak, PhD (Genetics and Genomic Sciences) – “Large-Scale Biobank Evidence for Shared Genetic Architecture Between PTSD and Cardiovascular Disease”
Postdoctoral | Jeronimo Lukin, PhD (De Rubeis lab) – “Retrosplenial cortex involvement in novelty‑avoidance behavior in a mouse model of autism”
Graduate Student | Sanutha Shetty (Karki lab) – “Role of the ventral respiratory group (VRG) neuropeptidergic tonality in regulation of fear and metabolic response”
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3:45 – 4:00 pm
Break + Raffle (3 awards)
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4:00 – 4:45 pm
Short Talks III
Moderator: Brian Sweis, MD, PhD (Neuroscience)
Faculty | Filip Swirski, PhD (Cardiology) – “Brain-heart communication in heart disease”
Postdoctoral | B. Ülgen Kilic, PhD (Jacob Lab and Fiore Lab) – “Aberrant state transitions on brain energy landscape reveal clinically relevant system entrapment in Major Depressive Disorder”
Graduate student | Hao Sun (Goate lab) – “Identification of Candidate Genes at Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Loci Across Blood, Peripheral Myeloid, and Microglial Expression Quantitative Trait Locus Contexts”
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4:45 – 5:15 pm
(South Hall)
Awards + Closing Ceremony – Paul J. Kenny, PhD
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5:15 – 6 pm
Social Hour
Music
Sam Edwards, B.S.
Clinical Research Coordinator
MIND Lab and MAP Lab
Sam is a classically trained pianist who’s studied for over 15 years. He has primarily played solo classical and orchestral accompaniment, though recently shifting his focus to jazz. At Mount Sinai, Sam is a research assistant for both the MIND and MAP labs, studying under Dr. Shalaila Haas and Dr. Muhammad Parvaz.
Awards
Our awards ceremony is one of the highlights of the retreat. We are thrilled to honor the outstanding students, postdocs and faculty that make up the Friedman Brain Institute membership.
Philip Hausfeld Memorial Scholarship Award ($5,000)
Christina Maher (co-mentored by Ignacio Saez and Angela Radulescu)
Brain Award ($2,000): The Brain Award is given to a student with the best record of achievement in neuroscience.
Elijah van der Rijn (Cai Lab)
Neuroscience Mentorship Distinction Award (NMDA) ($500): The Neuroscience Mentorship Distinction Award (NMDA) is presented to a Neuroscience MTA faculty member that exemplifies exceptional mentorship, dedication to trainee well-being, and career development and commitment to the educational mission of Mount Sinai and the community.
Joe Castellano, PhD (Neuroscience)
Klaudiusz Weiss Outstanding Junior Faculty Award ($2,000)
Brian Sweis, MD, PhD (Psychiatry/Neuroscience)
Postdoctoral Innovator Award ($25k)
Alberto Corona PhD (Kenny Lab) – Identification of Stress-Induced Cardiovascular and Behavioral States
Xuanming Guo, PhD (Russo Lab) – Brain-Reactive Autoantibodies as Mediators of Stress-Induced Depression
Best Poster Award:
CEYE student poster – 1 award: $100 – Nathaniel Tjen (HSMSE)
Postdocs – 2 awards – $200 each
Yuan Cheng (Neuroscience)
Xingjian Li (Neurology)
Students – 2 awards – $200 each
Ella Lubbers (Neuroscience)
Ivan Soler (Neuroscience)
Morning Raffles:
Amazon $50 GC
Win Wang – Genetics
Dina Vazquez – Neuroscience
Bose EarPods
Rachel Heisler – Psychiatry
Afternoon Raffles:
Amazon $50 GC
Nanami Kawamura – Psychiatry
Liza London – Neuroscience
Bose EarPods
Yael Jacob – Psychiatry
Best Images:
1st Place ($200)
Christina Megino (Postdoc, Hematology and Oncology, Bravo Cordero Lab)
Image: Latency in the Lattice
2nd Place ($100)
Melissa Umphlett, MD (Department of Pathology – Neuropathology division)
Image: Neuron #1
3rd Place ($50)
Natalie Suhy (PhD Student, Neuroscience, Blanchard Lab)
Image: Patient Stem Cell-Derived Blood-Brain Barrier In A Dish
Most “Liked” Social Media Image:
1st Place ($200) – Dina Vazquez (Postdoc, Neuroscience, Kenny Lab)
2nd Place ($100) – Christina Megino (Postdoc, Hematology and Oncology, Bravo Cordero Lab)
3rd Place ($50) – Natalie Suhy (PhD Student, Neuroscience, Blanchard Lab)
Best Talk:
Best Postdoc Talk: $250
B. Ülgen Kilic, PhD (Postdoctoral fellow, Psychiatry)
Best Student Talk: $125 each
Ayako Kuno (Neuroscience, Morishita Lab)
Sanutha Shetty (Neuroscience, Rajbhandari Lab)
Best Question Award (3 awards – $100 each)
Hamilton Oh (Postdoc, Neuroscience, Russo Lab)
Brooke Friedman (PhD student, Neuroscience, Raj Lab)
Sarah Williams (PhD student, Neuroscience, Yang Lab)
Scavenger Hunt – Morning Session:
Maria Savoia (Associate researcher, Neuroscience, Hurd Lab)
Afternoon Session:
Rimjhim Tomar (Postdoc, Neuroscience, Schaefer Lab)
