Events
March 1, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Kevin Bieniek, Ph.D.
Dr. Kevin Bieniek obtained his B.S. in biology and psychology from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences - Neurobiology of Disease from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, where he also serves as the director of the Brain Bank of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. His research focuses on elucidating the role of traumatic brain injury exposure on the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders like chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s disease by studying the relationships between sports-related and military-related head trauma, underlying burden and distribution of tau and beta-amyloid pathology, hereditary genetic risk factors and resulting neurocognitive deficits.
3/1/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
March 8, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Arturo Hernandez, Ph.D.
Dr. Arturo E. Hernandez obtained his Ph.D. at University of California, San Diego. He is a Professor of the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston, where he is also the director of the Laboratory for the Neural Bases of Bilingualism. His research focuses on the nature of language processing using both behavioral and neuroimaging methods to inform his work. His view is very much in line with the current emergentist view of language in which language development, processing and its neural bases are a reflection of multiple processes interacting at multiple levels. Although his work has focused on word level processing with bilingual speakers, he uses this focus as a manner to investigate questions of interest to cognitive and developmental psychologists.
3/8/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
March 15, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Judith Kroll, Ph.D.
Dr. Judith Kroll completed her bachelor's in psychology at New York University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at Brandeis University. Currently, she is Distinguished Professor of the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. The research that she and her students conduct concerns the way that bilinguals juggle the presence of two languages in one mind and brain. Their work, supported by grants from NSF and NIH shows that bilingualism provides a tool for revealing the interplay between language and cognition that is otherwise obscure in speakers of one language alone.
3/15/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
March 22 - March 23, 2022
NIH-NIA – Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias Virtual Summit 2022
The ADRD Summit 2022 will address research priorities for Alzheimer's disease-related dementias, including frontotemporal degeneration, Lewy body, multiple etiology dementias, and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia along with broader cross-cutting areas, including health equity. Significant portions of the Summit are dedicated to public comment on the updated draft research recommendations that will be presented. The Summit will conclude with a review of the highlights from the sessions and summary of the major themes from the public comments. Based on input received at the Summit, the recommendations will be revised and presented to the NINDS Council for approval. Approved recommendations become research milestones in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
March 29, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Susanne M. Jaeggi, Ph.D.
Dr. Susanne M. Jaeggi completed her PhDs in psychology and neuroscience at University of Bern, Switzerland. Currently, she is Professor of the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine, where she is also the director of the working memory and plasticity lab. Her research is focused on working memory and the development of working memory interventions with the aim that participants not only improve their working memory skills, but also general skills that go beyond the trained domain. She also seeks to understand the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms that drive training-related changes.
3/29/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
February 1, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Gladys Maestre, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Glady Maestre obtained her M.D. from the University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela, a fellowship in Psychiatric Neuroscience from Harvard Medical School, M.Phil. in Genetic Epidemiology and her Ph.D. in Pathobiology from Columbia University, and her M.A. in Neuroarchitecture from Iuav University of Venice, Italy. She is a Professor of Neuroscience and Human Genetics at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research and Co-Director of the South Texas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Her research explores cultural, educational, and genetic risks for Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline, as well as cognitive function and health among minorities and ethnically diverse populations across the lifespan.
2/1/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
February 10 – 12, 2022
UTRGV-RGV STEM Education Consortium – 5th Annual STEM Education Conference
With an overarching focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, this conference brings together educators to discuss STEM education research and how they are applied in P-20 learning environments.
Location: Isla Grand Beach Resort at South Padre Island & Virtual: Register HERE
February 11, 2022
NIH-NIA – Virtual Meeting on Aging-Related TDP-43 Proteinopathy
LATE, short for Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy, is a brain disorder that is related to the slow progression of memory loss in aging, thereby mimicking the clinical features of Alzheimer’ disease. Like Alzheimer’s disease, LATE is very common in older persons and has a large public health impact. LATE 2022 is an open follow-up meeting organized in collaboration with NIA to continue the conversation on LATE with a series of talks and discussions on the research since the last workshop. The meeting will include a wide range of topics including epidemiology, clinical and imaging features, potential biomarkers, and genetic studies in LATE. The meeting will also highlight and have open discussion on the important intersection between LATE and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP), including similarities as well as important differences that distinguish the two, and the common co-occurrence of LATE with Alzheimer’s disease. The goals of LATE 2022 are to provide updates, stimulate discussion, and consider future directions.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
February 18, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Preeti Zanwar, Ph.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Dr. Preeti Zanwar received her B.S. in Biology and her M.S. in Biological Sciences from University of Houston, her M.P.H. and her Ph.D. in Management and Policy Sciences from UTHealth School of Public Health at Houston. She is currently Course Coordinator & Instructor in Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Research Faculty Affiliate in the Center for Population Health & Aging and Research Faculty Fellow in the Center for Health Systems & Design, all based at The Texas A&M University. Her research is focused on disparities in access to preventive care (including cancer screening) by disability, and/or race and ethnicity; socioeconomics pathways to cognitive aging in developed vs. developing countries; inequities in vaccine uptake/outcomes of viral infection; and modelling differences in health care costs of multimorbidity.
2/18/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
February 28 – March 1, 2022
NIH-NIEHS –Workshop: Advancing Environmental Health Equity through Implementation Science
The purpose of this workshop is to explore how environmental health scientists can use implementation science to inform the development, adaptation, implementation and scale-up of interventions, practices, and policies to prevent and/or mitigate potentially harmful environmental exposures and ultimately advance environmental health equity.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
January 11, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Dedra Buchwald, M.D.
Dr. Dedra Buchwald obtained her B.S. in Neurobiology and her M.D. from the University of California, San Diego. She completed her internship in internal medicine at the North Carolina Memorial Hospital, her residency at the Duke University Medical Center and her fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She is a Professor of Medicine in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University where she is the Director of the institutionally funded Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health. She has a broad background in public health and primary care, with special emphases on culturally competent care and the health of American Indians and Alaska Native peoples. Her work considers health at the level of the individual, the community, and the health system, using an array of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
1/11/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
January 13 – 14, 2022
Florida International University & Emory University – Annual Conference: Social, Environmental, and Biological Determinants of Dementia Disparities
The first conference in the series will discuss the scientific challenges for researchers to address health disparities using interdisciplinary approaches for investigation of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD). The breadth of the conference is intended to convey what we know and more importantly what we don't know that could advance the field, and potentially could reduce the risk of the neurodegenerative disease.
Virtual Event
January 18, 2022
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Marisa Bartolomei, Ph.D.
Dr. Marisa Bartolomei received her B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Maryland, and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is currently a Perelman Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology and Co-Director of the Epigenetics Institute at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her current research focuses on genomic imprinting, X inactivation, DNA methylation, epigenetics and environment.
1/18/2022 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
January 19 – 20, 2022
Research Centers Collaborative Network (RCCN) – Workshop: Measuring Biologic Age
The RCCN is sponsoring a workshop series to address problems of high relevance to multiple NIA Center programs. These workshops will feature the sharing of paradigms, conceptual models, and key insights from perspectives of the participating centers programs. The sixth workshop, “Measuring Biologic Age”, will be held January 19 and 22, 2022 in Bethesda, Maryland. The scope of the workshop is broad and includes these themes: conceptual issues relevant to defining biologic age, whether what can be measured is useful, how to choose a measure of biologic age, and what are the potential applications and implications?
Location: Bethesda, Maryland & Virtual Event: Register HERE
January 27, 2022
Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium (TARCC) – 2022 TARCC Scientific Symposium: Advances in Alzheimer's Disease Science, Research, and Care
Please join researchers from the TARCC to hear the latest on Alzheimer’s disease and related work being conducted at TARCC member institutions.
Location: Austin, Texas & Virtual Event: Register HERE
December 7, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga, M.D., D.Sc.
Dr. Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga received his M.D. from Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social, El Salvador and his Endocrinology specialty at Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición Salvador, Zubirán, Mexico. Later, he completed his Master and his PhD in Medical Sciences at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM). He is currently an Assistant Professor of the Department of Human Genetics at the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. His current research focuses on complex diseases such as diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Dr. Lopez-Alvarenga is one of the RGV AD-RCMAR Scientists who studies the association of diabetes and vascular dementia in Hispanics.
12/7/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
December 9 – 10, 2021
UTRGV, Alzheimer's Association, & Newcastle University – Brain Aging and Dementia in LMIC Virtual Symposium
This virtual conference will provide a forum to discuss risk factors and increasing burden of vascular and neurodegenerative diseases including HIV Dementias in the context of incidence and prevention in cross-cultural populations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries compared to Europe, North America and Japan.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
December 14, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenters: Alejandro Cano Villagrasa, M.Sc. & Beatriz Valles González, Ph.D.
Alejandro Cano Villagrasa is a clinical psychologist and speech therapist with Masters in Psychology and Perinatal Psychopathology, Mental Health and Neuro Speech Therapy. He is currently a professor in Speech Therapy and Psychology at the Valencia International University (VIU). His main research areas are cognitive-linguistic symptoms in acquired brain injury, neurodevelopment disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Beatriz Valles González is a phonoaudiologist with a master in linguistics and a Ph.D. in Education. She completed a post-doc in genetics at Columbia University and in clinic bioethics at University of Chicago. She is currently chair of the speech therapy program at Valencia International University (VIU). Her research focused on executive function and speech in people with cognitive decline.
12/14/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
December 21, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Stephen Goutman, M.D., M.S.
Dr. Stephen Goutman obtained his degree in neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) completed his medical degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (Chicago, IL) and his neurology residency and neuromuscular fellowship at Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH). He received a Master’s in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology and Director of the Pranger Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Clinic and Associate Director of the ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine. Dr. Goutman’s research is focused on identifying causes of and treatments for ALS.
12/21/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
November 1 – 4, 2021
National Institutes of Health – 2021 NIH Virtual Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration
The National Institutes of Health Seminar will provide participants with a unique, virtual opportunity to learn, share and meet with NIH and HHS experts, as well as with peers from across the globe. If you are an administrator, researcher, early-stage investigator, graduate student, or anyone new to working with the NIH grants process, then this seminar is designed specifically for you.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
November 2, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Bernard Fongang, Ph.D.
Dr. Bernard Fongang received his M.Sc. in Computational Physics from the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon and his Ph.D. in Computational Physics from the University of Le Mans, France. Later, he completed his post-doc in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He is currently an assistant professor of Bioinformatics at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. His current research focuses on developing and applying multi-omics approaches to delineating the basis of neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Fongang is one of the RGV AD-RCMAR Scientists who studies he association of gut microbiome and dementia.
11/2/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
November 4 – 5, 2021
Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute – 19th Annual Update in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)
The goal of this conference is to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic capability of healthcare professionals who care for persons living with dementia and their caregivers.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
November 9, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Marcio Almeida, Ph.D.
Dr. Marcio Almeida obtained his B.S. in Biology from the Pontificia U Catolica, Brazil and his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He completed his post-doc in Genetics at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Human Genetics at the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. His research interests focus on the identification of novel endophenotypes associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Almeida is one of the RGV AD-RCMAR scientists who studies novel omics endophenotypes predicting genetic risk of dementia in Mexican Americans.
11/9/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
November 16, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Jill E. Bormann, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Dr. Bormann received her B.S. in Nursing from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD; M.S. in Nursing from the University of Texas in Austin; and Ph.D. in Nursing from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. She is a Clinical Professor at the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science/Beyster Institute of Nursing Research at the University of San Diego. She is also a board-certified Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing and Research Health Scientist. Her research and clinical interests are in the areas of mental health, complementary and integrative therapies, and spiritual well-being. Dr. Bormann pioneered a program of research on the health-related outcomes of the “Mantram Repetition Program” in various groups.
11/16/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
November 23, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Beate Ritz, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Beate Ritz obtained her M.D. and Ph.D. in Medical Sociology at the University of Hamburg Germany, and her MPH and Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of California Los Angeles. She is a Professor of Epidemiology with co-appointments in the Environmental Health department at the UCLA School of Public Health and in Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the health effects of occupational and environmental toxins such as pesticides, ionizing radiation, and air pollution on chronic diseases including neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders (Parkinson's disease, autism cognition), cancers, and adverse birth outcomes and asthma.
11/23/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
November 30, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Jason R. Richardson, M.S., Ph.D., DABT, Fellow ATS
Dr. Jason Richardson received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Mississippi State University and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University. He is Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University. Dr. Richardson is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT) and a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (ATS). His research focuses on the role of environmental exposures and their interactions with genetic susceptibility as contributors to neurological disease using translational approaches.
11/30/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
October 5, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Mariana Alessandri, Ph.D.
Dr. Alessandri received her B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from Mary Washington College, her M.A. in Philosophy and Social Policy from American University and her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University. She is currently an associate professor of the Department of Philosophy, College of Liberal Arts at UTRGV. She teaches existentialism, religious studies, and is especially interested in the RGV born, Pan-American-University-graduated, poet-philosopher fiction writer Gloria Anzaldua, as well as other women-of-color feminists.
10/5/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
October 12, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Jason D. Flatt, Ph.D., MPH
Dr. Jason D. Flatt (He/Him/His) obtained his B.S. in Health Science from the University of Florida, his MPH in Health Promotion Education from the University of South Carolina, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he later completed a fellowship on Epidemiology of Aging and Population Neuroscience. He is an Assistant Professor in the Social and Behavioral Health Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Public Health. His research interests focus on on improving health among vulnerable aging populations, including sexual and gender minorities, racial/ethnic minorities, and other disadvantaged groups.
10/12/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
October 19, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Claudia L. Satizabal, Ph.D.
Dr. Claudia Satizabal earned her B.S. in Microbiology from the Los Andes University in Bogota, Colombia, her M.S in Epidemiology from the Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands and her P.D. in Epidemiology and Biomedical Sciences from the Pierre & Marie Curie University, Paris France. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, where she leads the Population Neuroscience core. Her research interests are centered on the lifestyle and genetic determinants influencing abnormal brain aging (cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative neuroimaging markers), stroke, cognitive decline, and dementia.
10/19/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
October 26, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Dedra Buchwald, MD
Dr. Dedra Buchwald obtained her BS in Neurobiology and her MD from the University of California, San Diego. She completed her internship in internal medicine at the North Carolina Memorial Hospital, her residency at the Duke University Medical Center and her fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She is a Professor of Medicine in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University where she is the Director of the institutionally funded Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health. She has a broad background in public health and primary care, with special emphases on culturally competent care and the health of American Indians and Alaska Native peoples. Her work considers health at the level of the individual, the community, and the health system, using an array of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
10/26/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
September 1, 2021
Alzheimer's Association - Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Global Symposium
The Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Global Symposium: Pathway to Translation is supported by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging. This virtual conference will convene the dementia research community to discuss how discoveries in genetics impact biomarker development and target discovery and validation, and how to apply these findings in basic and translational research.
9/1/2021 10:00am – 12:00pm CT
Virtual Event: Register HERE
September 7, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Caleb E. Finch, Ph.D.
Topic: Air Pollution, Dementia, and ApoE: GxE in the Gero-Exposome
Dr. Finch received his B.S. from Yale University and his Ph.D. from Rockefeller University. He is currently a professor and ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. His research has focused on the basic mechanisms in the human biology of aging, with focus on inflammation and nutritional influences, air pollution influences on aging and the evolution of the human lifespan and diseases of aging, especially Alzheimer’s disease.
9/7/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
September 9, 2021
Rotary Club of San Benito, TX
Presenter: Gladys Maestre, M.D., Ph.D.
Topic: Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia
Dr. Gladys Maestre will lead a conversation with the members of the Rotary Club of San Benito and the community in general about Alzheimer’s Disease and its impact in the lives of patients, family members, and caregivers.
9/9/2021 12:00pm – 1:00pm CT
Location: 258 Sam Houston Blvd., San Benito, TX
September 14, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Donald H. Ruggles, AIA, NCARB, ICAA, ANFA
Topic: TBA
Donald Ruggles obtained his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oklahoma. He is licensed to practice in Colorado, Texas, Utah, Illinois, and Wyoming. He is currently the CEO of Ruggles Mabe Studio, a boutique architecture and interior design firm based in Colorado. He has spent the past 50 years committed to the design of space including studies outside the private practice with a focus on classical and traditional design. In his book “Beauty, Neuroscience and Architecture”, he investigates how timeless forms and patterns in architecture and design affect our health and well-being.
9/14/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
September 18, 2021
Senior Advocacy Coalition – De Fiesta con mis Abuelos
The Senior Advocacy Coalition will host De Fiesta con mis Abuelos on Market Square, downtown Brownsville to celebrate el Dia de los Abuelos. Join us to share food, photo book, loteria, live music and so much more.
9/18/2021 9:00am – 12:00pm CT
Location: Historical Market Square, 1150 Market Square St., Brownsville, TX
August 3, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Carrie R. McDonald, Ph.D., ABPP-CN
Topic: Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Profiles of Older Adults with Epilepsy
Dr. McDonald received her B.S. in Psychology from Eckerd College and her Ph.D. in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Florida, with a specialization in neuropsychology. She is currently a professor of Psychiatry, Radiation Medicine, and Applied Sciences for the Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics (CMIG) at the University of California, San Diego. Her research has focused on the study of postoperative outcomes, brain networks, and multimodal imaging in people diagnosed with epilepsy.
8/3/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
August 4, 2021
Report Release – Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America: A Decadal Survey of the Behavioral and Social Sciences
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Join us for a virtual public release event for the new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America: A Decadal Survey of the Behavioral and Social Sciences. This report develops a research agenda for the next decade in the behavioral and social sciences as it relates to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias. Drawing on extensive input from the scientific community and other stakeholders, the committee authoring the report assess the role of the social and behavioral sciences.
8/4/2021 1:00pm – 2:00pm CT
Virtual Event: Register HERE
August 10, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Jose G. Ortiz, Ph.D.
Topic: TBA
Dr. Ortiz obtained his B.S. in Biology, M.S., and Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Sciences, with specialization in neuropsychopharmacology from the University of Connecticut. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Pharmacology at Yale University School of Medicine. He is currently a professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.
8/10/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
August 17, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Blanca I. Restrepo, Ph.D.
Topic: Tuberculosis, Diabetes, and Aging
Dr. Restrepo received her B.S. in Medical Technology from Colegio Mayor de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. She received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She has conducted pathogenesis studies with fungi, bacteria and helminths and her current work is devoted to tuberculosis (TB). She conducts multi-disciplinary studies in the Texas-Mexico border that are devoted to understanding the epidemiology and the biological basis for the re-emerging importance of type 2 diabetes and old age as risk factors for TB. She is currently an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston, School of Public Health in Brownsville. She is also adjoint associate Professor at the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute of UTRGV.
8/17/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
August 20, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience & Neurology Grand Rounds
Presenter: Stal Shrestha, Ph.D.
Topic: Long-Term Effects of Antidepressants on the Serotonergic System During Brain Development
Dr. Shrestha completed his Ph.D. training in Clinical Neurosciences at the NIH-Karolinska Institute graduate partnership program in Sweden. He is currently pursuing an M.D.-Ph.D. at the University of Miami Miller, School of Medicine. His research is focused on global health, particularly in the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutics for early disease stages, with the goal of making these services affordable globally.
8/20/2021 12:00pm – 1:00pm CT
Virtual Event
August 24, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Sarah Robinson, AIA
Topic: Architecture Is a Verb
Sara Robinson obtained her Master of Architecture at Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. She is also a writer, educator, and organic farmer whose practice is based in the Langhe region of Piemonte, Italy. She is an Adjunct Professor in the department of Architecture Design and Media Technology at Aalborg University, Denmark and teaches in the NAAD program at IUAV, Venice. Her writing and interdisciplinary research is concerned with understanding the many ways the built environment interacts to shape body, mind, and culture in a more-than-human world.
8/24/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
August 31, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Joanne E. Curran, Ph.D.
Topic: TBA
Dr. Curran obtained a B.S. in Applied Biology, a BH.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. Dr. Curran's research focuses on identifying and characterizing susceptibility genes for disease conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and related complications in large pedigree-based studies. Most recently, her research efforts have been directed towards assessment of the human lipidome and its relationship to disease, using genome-wide lipid measures as endophenotypes for metabolic related diseases. She is currently a Lacks Valley Stores Ltd. Endowed Professor at the Department of Human Genetics, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute at UTRGV.
8/24/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
July 1, 2021
Alzheimer's Association – An Update on a New Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease
Join us for a discussion about the new therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Rebecca Edelmayer of the Alzheimer’s Association will lead a conversation with experts Dr. Alireza Atri of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute and Dr. Eric Tangalos of the Mayo Clinic to discuss aducanumab (Aduhelm), recommendations to identify appropriate patients, and the importance of early detection and opportunities for collaboration in the patient journey. This 60-minute webinar includes Q&A opportunities for attendees.
7/1/2021 12:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom
July 6, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Thomas Albright, Ph.D.
Topic: Contextual Influences on Visual Processing
Dr. Albright received his B.S. in Psychology from University of Maryland, followed by his Ph.D. on Psychology and Neuroscience from Princeton University. He is currently a professor and director of the Vision Center Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences. His work is centered on how the brain enables humans to perceive and behave in a world of varying sensory demands. His work also focuses on how to build environments and architecture that encourage learning, productivity and healing.
7/6/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
July 13, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Gary W. Miller, Ph.D.
Topic: Using the Exposome to Understand Environmental Drivers of Neurodegeneration
Dr. Miller obtained his B.S. in Exercise Physiology and M.S. in Biology from Old Dominion University. He received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Georgia. He is the founding director of the HERCULES Exposome Research Center at Emory University, the first exposome-based research center in the U.S. His work focuses on providing a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the non-genetic contributors to health and disease. He is currently a professor at the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University and Vice Dean of Research Strategy and Innovation.
7/13/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
July 20, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: José Dávila-Montes, Ph.D.
Topic: TBA
Dr. Dávila-Montes received his B.A. and M.A. in Translation and Interpreting and his Ph.D. in Translation and Cross-Cultural Studies from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. He also received a Master of Arts in Spanish Literature at State University of New York at Binghamton. He is the founder of the legacy Translation and Interpreting Office at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where he is currently a professor. He has also taught Translation, Interpreting, Spanish, and Japanese Language in Barcelona Autonomous University, State University of New York at Binghamton, Dublin City University, and Hunter College of New York.
7/20/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
July 27, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Mark Zylka, Ph.D.
Topic: Development of CRISPR/Cas Gene Therapy for Angelman Syndrome
Dr. Zylka obtained his B.S. in Biochemistry at Virginia Tech and his Ph.D. in Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. He then completed his postdoctoral research at California Institute of Technology. He is currently a W.R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at UNC-Chapel Hill Medical School. His research is focused on the mechanisms and therapeutics for autism and pain.
7/27/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
July 26 – 30, 2021
Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2021
The AAIC will gather the world’s leading scientists, clinical researchers, early career investigators, clinicians, and the care research community to share breaking research discoveries that will lead to methods of prevention and treatment and improvements in diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease.
AAIC 2021 will be held in-person in Denver and online.
Virtual Event: Register HERE
June 1, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Oshin Vartanian, Ph.D.
Topic: Place Preference: Insights from the Neuroscience of Architecture and Design
Dr. Vartanian received his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Maine, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in cognitive neuroscience at York University and DRDC Toronto, where he is currently a Defence Scientist. He is the Editor of Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts and past Editor of Empirical Studies of the Arts. His main areas of interest include the cognitive and neural bases of aesthetics and creativity. He holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor position in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto-Scarborough.
6/1/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
June 8, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Alberto Perez-Gomez, M.A., Ph.D.
Topic: Contributions of Enactive Cognitive Theory and Neurophenomenology to Architectural Design
Dr. Perez-Gomez obtained his undergraduate degree in architecture and engineering in Mexico City, followed by postgraduate work at Cornell University, and was awarded a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. by the University of Essex in England. He is Saidye Rosner Bronfman Professor of Architecture History at McGill University in Canada, where he directs the History and Theory option. His work is focused on the theory of architecture, the ethics and poetics in architectural history and philosophy, and the connection of architecture to its location and its inhabitants.
6/8/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
June 11, 2021
RCMAR National Coordinating Center Webinar Series
Presenter: Dr. Maria G. Carranza
Topic: Best Practices for Using and Obtaining Diversity Supplements
NIA's Diversity Supplement program supports the development of eligible trainee-candidates who seek independent careers in aging and geriatrics research and meet NIA's goal to enhance diversity in the biomedical workforce. This RCMAR webinar will examine the best practices for application preparation and submission, as well as a review of funding policies.
6/11/2021 11:00am – 12:00pm CT
Virtual Event
June 14 – 16, 2021
Alzheimer's Association – Promoting Diverse Perspectives: Addressing Health Disparities Related to Alzheimer's and all Dementias
This virtual conference supports vital health equity in Alzheimer’s research and drives collaboration across the dementia science field. Addressing Health Disparities is the first of two conferences hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association with sponsorship from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). These conferences will explore disparities in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other dementia, while connecting early career and senior investigators to valuable networking and mentorship opportunities.
5/20/2021 8:30am – 2:00pm CT
5/21/2021 8:30am – 1:00pm CT
Virtual Event: Register HERE
June 15, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Deborah A. Cory-Slechta, Ph.D.
Topic: Developmental Exposures to Air Pollution and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Dr. Cory-Slechta is Professor in Environmental Medicine and Pediatrics and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Minnesota. Her research has focused largely on the relationships between brain neurotransmitter systems and children's neurodevelopment, and how such relationships are altered by exposures to environmental toxicants, including the role played by environmental neurotoxicant exposures in developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases.
6/15/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262
June 29, 2021
UTRGV Neuroscience Research Seminars
Presenter: Helena Hogberg, Ph.D.
Topic: TBA
Dr. Hogberg received her Ph.D. in Physiology from Stockholms University. She is currently the Deputy Director of Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Hogberg has extensive experience with New Approach Methods (NAMs) in the field of developmental neurotoxicity. Her skills include 3D cell cultures, iPSCs, primary neural cultures, metabolomics, transcriptomics, high-content imaging, and electrical activity recording using MEAs.
6/29/2021 3:30pm – 5:00pm CT
Virtual Event via Zoom: https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/5078903262