IBANGS Annual Meeting 2026:
Genes, Brain and Behavior
June 8-11, 2026
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
|
Daily Overview |
| 11:30am - 12:00pm |
Registration |
| 12:00pm - 4:00pm |
Trainee Workshop: Networking for Success in Science |
| 4:00pm - 5:30pm |
Data Blitz: Data Blitz |
| 6:00pm - 7:00pm |
Plenary 1: Presidential Address: From GWAS to Function: finding genetic mechanisms for brain disorders Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam |
| 7:30pm - 9:00pm |
Opening Reception Location: William Pitt Union Building |
| 8:00am - 8:30am |
Registration |
| 8:30am - 10:00am |
Outstanding Travel Awardee Presentations Chair: Cheryl Reed Characterization of Dpp6 effects on ethanol consumption, reward, and locomotor behavior University of New Mexico Dopaminergic targets of neonicotinoid action University of Oxford Clusterin gene as a modulator of nicotine reward and astrocyte morphology University of Colorado Boulder GWAS of aversion-based learning behaviors in Heterogeneous Stock Rats identifies novel associations for punishment resistance, cocaine avoidance, and locomotor activity Virginia Commonwealth University |
| 10:00am - 10:30am |
Break (coffee and science bingo cards) |
| 10:30am - 12:30pm |
Symposium 1: Encoding and Decoding Behavior: Computer Vision for Genetic and Neural Analysis Chair: Jacob Beierle Chair: Gregory Corder Behavioral State Space Modeling Reveals Hidden Structure in Spontaneous Pain and Analgesia University of Pennsylvania Genotype-dependent behavioral signatures of opioid withdrawal revealed by automated behavioral quantification Jackson Laboratory Mapping the landscape of social behavior Harvard University Decoding neuronal regulation of aggression across sexes using Drosophila Southern Methodist University |
| 12:30pm - 1:30pm |
Lunch: (Scientific interest microcommunities) |
| 1:30pm - 3:30pm |
Symposium 2: From Sequence to Structure: Decoding the Gene Regulatory Grammar of Addiction Chair: Francesca Telese Long noncoding RNAs form R-loops to shape emotional experience–induced behavioral adaptation Medical University of South Carolina Nucleus accumbens Drd3 medium spiny neuron abundance is associated with opioid in-take in outbred rats University of California, San Diego A single cocaine exposure rewires the 3D genome structure of midbrain dopamine neurons Johns Hopkins Re-engineering brain transcription factors connects transposable elements and neuroimmune response to cocaine-use Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine |
| 3:30pm - 4:00pm |
Break (QR questions on funding and A&I) |
| 4:00pm - 5:30pm |
Plenary 2: Keynote Address (Professor Erich Jarvis) Chair: Sean Farris Brain pathways for vocal learning and spoken language Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockerfeller University |
| 5:30pm - 7:00pm |
Posters A: Poster Session A Poster 2: Behavioral and Transcriptome Effects of a Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 Null Mutation on an Isogenic C57BL/6J Genetic Background Oregon Health & Science University Poster 4: Regulation of binge ethanol consumption and prefrontal cortex glutamate neurotransmission and glutamate transporter expression by STAT3 in astrocytes Virginia Commonwealth University Poster 6: Studying the role of Orb2 in encoding drive buildup in NPF neurons Bar Ilan University Poster 8: Systems Genetics of Fentanyl Addiction in the Collaborative Cross Marshall University Poster 10: A Systems-Level Map of THC-Induced Brain Signaling Reveals Divergent Genetic and Sex-Dependent Pathways University of Tennessee, Health Science Center Poster 12: Multidimensional phenotyping reveals strain-dependent variability in opioid-induced mechanical allodynia following oxycodone self-administration University of Colorado Boulder Poster 14: Adolescent Social Instability Stress Alters Anxiety and Nicotine Sensitivity in Two C57BL/6 Substrains Pennsylvania State University Poster 16: Sex and strain differences in the behavioral and brain transcriptional response to repeated delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure. University of Tennessee Health Science Center Poster 18: Brain transcriptomic profiles of risk for binge-like drinking and selected phenotype preservation for female and male inbred High Drinking in the Dark mice lines Oregon Health & Science University Poster 20: Sex-Specific Effects of Malat1 and Neuroinflammation in Alcohol Consumption University of Pittsburgh Poster 22: Viral-mediated knockdown of muscarinic M4 receptors exacerbates anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors in male and female mice Ajman University Poster 24: Ethanol preference and intake is reduced by a cross-species healthy fecal microbiome transplantation in female, but not male mice Virginia Commonwealth University Poster 26: SqueakPose Studio: An end-to-end platform for pose estimation and real-time edge-AI deployment National Institute of Health Poster 28: A Drosophila model for nicotine reward Brown University Poster 30: Characterizing grimace behavior and microglia morphology in a mouse model of chronic alcohol withdrawal-induced pain University of Pittsburgh Poster 32: Parabrachial Nucleus Neurons are Sensitized to Mechanical Stimuli during Alcohol Withdrawal University of Pittsburgh Poster 34: Slc39a8 deficiency and ethanol: effects on locomotion, anxiety-like behaviors, and reward sensitivity in mice University of New Mexico Poster 36: Regulation of ULK4 expression by the inverted allele of CHRFAM7A in the neuronal and immune tissue State University of New York at Buffalo Poster 38: Unveiling Novel Histone Modifications in Drosophila Sleep Texas A&M University Poster 40: The Effect of Teneruin-4 on Cue-Reactivity University at Buffalo Poster 42: Knockout of mTORC1 modulator, GPR155, reduces ethanol AA University of Maryland Poster 44: Adolescent restraint stress increases adult morphine consumption in a sex- and strain-dependent manner Pennsylvania State University Poster 46: Hindbrain Circuits Underlying Short-Interval Prepulse Inhibition: Implications for Sensorimotor Gating and Neuropsychiatric Disorders National Institute of Health Poster 48: Manipulation of the autism-related gene, neuroligin 3, reveals a shared genetic basis for social behaviour and aging Western University Poster 50: Natural Variation in Olfactory Attraction among C. elegans Wild Strains. University at Buffalo |
| 7:30am - 8:00am |
Registration |
| 8:00am - 10:00am |
Selected Talks 1 Chair: Megan Mulligan From perception to valence: Fox neurons assign state-dependent valence to nutrient taste cues in Drosophila University of Delaware Specialized enhancer activity associated with convergent evolution of vocal learning Carnegie Melon University In vivo brain imaging and ex vivo permeability assays support a BBB mechanism underlying increased brain oxymorphone levels in Zhx2 knockout females following oxycodone administration Northeastern University Genomic associations with 24-hour food and fluid intake in heterogeneous stock rats University at Buffalo Dissecting the strain and sex specific connectome signatures of unanesthetized C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice using magnetic resonance imaging Penn State University Using a Connectome to Identify Motivational Neurons for Specific Conflict Resolution University of Utah |
| 10:00am - 10:30am |
Break (science bingo check-in) |
| 10:30am - 12:30pm |
Symposium 3: Dissecting the Development of Opioid Use Disorder Using Cross-species Systems Genetics Approaches Chair: Marissa Ehringer Initial QTL Mapping of Oral Oxycodone Self-Administration in the Hybrid Rat Diversity Panel University of Tennessee Health Science Center Genetic and neurobiological correlates of opioid use disorder vulnerability and resiliency using a rat model Baylor University Voluntary oxycodone self-administration reveals genetic variation in analgesic tolerance and hyperalgesia in rats University of Colorado Boulder Sex-specific Concordance of Striatal Transcriptional Signatures of Opioid Addiction in Human and Rodent Brains University of Pittsburgh |
| 12:30pm - 1:30pm |
Lunch (Identity and experience microcommunities) |
| 1:30pm - 3:30pm |
Symposium 4: Functional Implications of co-transmission in Regulating Neuroplasticity and Behavior Chair: Lewis Sherer A Co-Transmitting Neuron Regulates Aggression Through Pre- and Postsynaptic Mechanisms Brown University Experience-Dependent Co-Transmission Shapes Thermosensory Navigation Yale School of Medicine Sex-specific mechanisms of dopamine neuron resilience across species University of Pittsburgh Separating glutamatergic and dopaminergic subtypes in motivated behavior University of Colorado Boulder |
| 3:30pm - 4:00pm |
Break (short inclusion and A&I prompt) |
| 4:00pm - 5:00pm |
Plenary 3: Plenary 3: Early Career Achievement Award Lecture (Assoc.Professor Chongyuan Luo) Chair: Francesca Telese Dissecting Human Brain Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders with Single-Cell and Spatial 3D-Multiomics University of California San Diego |
| 5:00pm - 5:30pm |
Additional Selected Talk Binary partitioning of human brain organization due to divergent human cytoskeletal evolution SUNY at Buffalo |
| 5:30pm - 7:00pm |
Posters B: Poster Session B Poster 1: 5-HTR2 serotonin receptor subtypes bidirectionally modulate acoustically-evoked behavior selection in zebrafish Haverford College Poster 3: A non-additive polygenic genetic architecture underlies the divergence of male courtship song type in Drosophila University of Pennsylvania Poster 5: Modeling Behavior in Modern Day Neuroscience: Statistical Inference Using Generalized Linear (Mixed) Models. University of Maryland, Baltimore County Poster 7: A novel task to evaluate episodic-like memory changes with aging across the lifespan in marmosets University of Pittsburgh Poster 9: Carnegie Melon University Poster 11: Characterizing the Impact of Astrocyte Molecular Rhythms in the Nucleus Accumbens on Alcohol Drinking and Reward, Social, and Locomotor Behaviors University of Pittsburgh Poster 13: Variation in Mushroom Body Morphology in Cocaine Preferring Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel Lines Clemson University Poster 15. Primary human macrophages as an ex vivo model for human-specific neuroinflammation State university of New York at Buffalo Poster 17: Inverted CHRFAM7A Allele Enhances Microtubule Dynamics via ULK4 Dependent Mechanisms in the Human Brain University at Buffalo Poster 19: Blue light-induced oxidative stress alters dopaminergic function in Drosophila melanogaster California State University, Fresno Poster 21: Evaluation of sleep and circadian traits as risk factors for substance use disorders University of Pittsburgh Poster 23: Meta analytical behavioral metrics to enhance motor phenotype reliability The Jackson Laboratory Poster 25: Characterizing chronic alcohol withdrawal-induced pain: cold hypersensitivity and neuronal hyperexcitability across two models of alcohol dependence University of Pittsburgh Poster 27: Drosophila metabotropic glutamate receptor homologs mangetout and mGluR differentials affect locomotion in adult-specific neuronal knockdown California State University, Fresno Poster 29: Identifying activity and ciradian patterns in marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) with genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease University of Pittsburgh Poster 31: Utilizing Zebrafish to Understand How ap2s1 Regulates Habituation Learning Haverford College Poster 33: VIP Signaling in the Prefrontal Cortex Promotes Alcohol Motivation and Reshapes Cortical Output Circuits University of Pittsburgh Poster 35: Metals exposure impairs flight performance in Drosophila melanogaster University of Maryland, Baltimore County Poster 37: Gustation discrimination task for detecting Alzheimer’s related pathologies in aging marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). University of Pittsburgh - Aging Institute Poster 39: Sex-Specific Genetic Influences on Creativity: COMT Polymorphisms and Divergent Thinking in Elite Judo Athletes Levinsky-Wingate Academic College Poster 41: Neurophysiological phenotypes as translational biomarkers for genetic neurodevelopmental disorders: Using cross species functional biological processes to advance translation UC Davis School of Medicine Poster 43: Social Stress Engages BNST Kappa Opioid Receptors to Escalate Alcohol Consumption Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Poster 45: Clocking the effects of sleep loss: the neurogenetic intersection of sleep disturbance and disordered behaviour in Drosophila University of Western Ontario Poster 47: Integrative Multi-Ancestry Genomic and Neuroimaging Analysis of ADHD-Related Behavioral Phenotypes in Children: Interaction-Based GWAS Linking Genetic Variation, Brain Structure, and Symptom Severity University at Buffalo |
| 7:30am - 8:00am |
Registration |
| 8:00am - 10:00am |
Selected Talks 2 Chair: Gregg Homanics CaMPARI2 enables stimulus-locked whole-brain activity mapping at cellular resolution in unrestrained larval zebrafish Haverford College Molecular signatures of maladaptive plasticity in the amygdala in a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain Texas Tech University Central Amygdala Ninein Deletion Alters Ethanol Anxiolysis, Consumption, and GABAergic Function Virginia Commonwealth University Long Noncoding RNA Gas5 Modulation of the Stress-Related Phenotypes of Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure University of Pittsburgh Dimensional mapping of mouse behavior reveals clusters enriched for neuropsychiatric disorder related phenotypes Fujita Health University Core circadian clock neurons regulate activity of insulin-producing cells Rutgers University |
| 10:00am - 10:30am |
Break |
| 10:30am - 12:30pm |
Symposium 5: Bridging the Rodent to HumanTranlational Gap: Marmosets as Model Systems for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease Chair: Lauren Bailey Chair: Stacey Rizzo Generation of genetically engineered marmosets with AD risk mutations University of Pittsburgh Behavioral characterization of marmosets with genetic risk for AD University of Pittsburgh From Marmosets to Man: Building a Translational Platform to Advance Alzheimer's Disease Research University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Comparative genetics of AD: from mice to marmosets to humans The Jackson Laboratory |
| 12:30pm - 1:30pm |
Lunch: (Committee meetups and open networking) |
| 1:30pm - 2:30pm |
IBANGS Business Meeting |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm |
Plenary 4: Distinguished Investigator Award Lecture (Professor Leslie Griffith) Chair: Karla Kaun Location, location, location Brandeis University |
| 6:00pm | Closing Banquet & Awards Celebration Location: The Porch Restaurant |