Past Speakers
September 2024
September 24, 2024
Jeremy Tanner, M.D. Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UTHealth San Antonio and faculty in South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Presentation: Biomarkers for AD - To Infinity and Beyond
September 10, 2024
Maria Mora Pinzon, MD, MS, FACPM Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
Presentation: Understanding Motivations: The Intersection of Myth and Reality in Alzheimer’s Care Among Latinos in the USA
August 2024
August 27, 2024
David K Johnson, M.A., Ph.D Professor of Neurology in the University of California at Davis, School of Medicine and Director of UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center - East Bay San Francisco
Presentation: The Good Life Program for Healthy Aging: A New Standard of Care for Geriatric Health in California
August 13, 2024
Candace A. Robledo, PhD, MPH Associate Professor Population Health and Biostatistics
Presentation: Let's Talk Maternal Health: Building Capacity of Address Health Disparities in South Texas.
July 2024
July 16, 2024
Valentina Rose Garbarino, Ph.D Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases UT Health San Antonio
Presentation: Exploratory biofluid biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease
July 2, 2024
Jesus Melgarejo, M.D., Ph.D Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine and RCMAR Scholar
Presentation: Relevance of Blood Pressure Variability in Age-Related Neurological Disorders
June 2023
June 20, 2023
Robin Hilsabeck, Ph.D. Associate Professor of the Department of Neurology and Head of Neuropsychology at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
Presentation: A Digital Health Solution for Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Primary Care
May 2023
May 23, 2923
Andrew Tsin, PhD Professor of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
Presentation: Molecular Pathway of Diabetic Retinopathy
May 16, 2023
Amy Kate Bailey, PhD Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies Department of Sociology Fellow, Institute for Health Research and Policy University of Illinois Chicago
Presentation: Blood at the Root: The Relationship Between Historical Lynching
May 2, 2023
Paris Adkins-Jackson, PhD Assistant Professor Departments of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
Presentation: Looking Black: A story about (his)tory and science
April 2023
April 18, 2023
Wilma A. Bainbridge, PhD Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychology at University of Chicago
Presentation: Predicting Memory in the Real World
April 11, 2023
Courtney E. Boen Assistant Professor, Axilrod Faculty Fellow Department of Sociology, Population Studies Center, & Population Aging Research Center The University of Pennsylvania
Presentation: The Scars of Legal Violence: Local immigration enforcement, state immigrant policy, & population health inequality
March 2023
March 21, 2023
Asaf Gilboa, PhD Senior Scientist of Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest,
and Associate Professor of Psychology, Psychology Department, University of Toronto and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, UHN
Presentation: Schemas and Memory Decision Making
February 2023
February 28, 2023
Frank Edwards, PhD Assistant Professor of School of Criminal Justice
Rutgers University –Newark New Jersey
Presentation: Quantifying and Contextualizing Structural Racism and State Violence: Police Violence and Family Separation
February 7, 2023
Jonathan Jackson, PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology
Executive Director, Community Access Recruitment and Engagement (CARE) Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Presentation: Towards a Quantified Science of Engagement and Recruitment
January 2023
January 17, 2023
Robert P. Friedland, PhD Rudd Chair and Professor of the Department of Neurology at the University of Louisville, School of Medicine
Presentation: "Unageing: The Four Factors That Impact How You Age"
November 2022
November 15, 2022
Rosie Curiel Cid, PhD Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences a Neuropsychologist and Chief of Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology & Cognitive Neuroscience Leader at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging
Presentation: Cognitive Predictors of Progression to Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease
November 1, 2022
Herminio Guajardo, PhD Lecturer and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Supported Instructional Facilitator in the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presentation: Sex, Opioids, and Brain Norepinephrine System
October 2022
October 25, 2022
Meron Sisay Abey Project Lead of Research and International Relations
of the Ethiopian Theater Professionals Association and Arts in Health
Project Lead of Gefersa Mental Health Rehabilitation Center
Presentation: SMALL PIECES: Evidence-Based Impact Review of Arts in Health in Ethiopia
October 4, 2022
Minerva M. Carrasquillo, Ph.D. Associate Consultant I |Diversity Leader
Department of Neuroscience U-BRI Associate Program Director, Mayo Clinic
Presentation: Alzheimer's Disease Genetics and Plasma Biomarkers Studies in African Americans
September 2022
September 27, 2022
David Hopman, ASLA, PLA Associate Professor of the Department of Landscape Architecture College of Architecture Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas Arlington
Presentation: Nostalgia Triggers as an Element of Aesthetics for Landscapes Landscape Architecture
September 20, 2022
Dara S. Manoach, Ph.D. Prof. of Psychology, Dept. of Psychiatry, MGH/HMS
A. A. Martinos Center, Charlestown, MA
Presentation: Targeting Sleep Oscillations to Improve Memory in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
August 2022
August 30, 2022
Laura Cabrera, PhD Chair of Neuroethics and Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics Associate Professor of Philosophy
Senior Research Associate, Rock Ethics Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Presentation: Latinos Perceptions and Concerns about Alzheimer's Disease: A Neuroethics Perspective
August 23, 2022
Mohamad Habes, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Radiology and Epidemiology, Co-PI Imaging Core, South Texas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), Director, Neuroimage Analytics Laboratory (NAL)
Director, Biggs Institute Neuroimaging Core (BINC) Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases Director, Biomedical Image Analytics Division (BIAD) Research Imaging Institute University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA)
Presentation: Building Early Markers of Alzheimer's Disease Using Neuroimaging and Machine Learning
August 16, 2022
Franchesca Arias, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida, Gainesville FL
Presentation: Social Determinants of Health & Cognition
August 2, 2022
Sarah Creel, PhD Professor of the Department of Cognitive Science at The University of California, San Diego
Presentation: Haunting Melodies: Sometimes the Beat is in Your Head, Not the Music
June 2022
June 28, 2022
Karen Fingerman, PhD Wilson Regents Professor of Human Ecology Founding Director of the Texas Aging & Longevity Center and Director of Research for the UT Austin Center on Aging and Population Sciences
Presentation: Social Networks and Well-being in Late Life
June 21, 2022
Cristina Ceja, PhD Candidate Brain, Behavior, and Cognition Visual Thinking Lab, Northwestern University, IL
Presentation: Imagination Is Not Limitless: Investigating the Capacity Constraints of Visual Imagination
June 14, 2022
Assal Habibi, PhD Associate Research Professor of Psychology
USC Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Presentation: The Brain's Crescendo–How Music Training Impacts Child Development
June 7, 2022
Carolyn Halpin-Healy & Remei Capdevila-Werning Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arts & Minds, New York, NY & of the Department of Philosophy University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presentation: Arts & Minds: Empowering Museum Programs for People with Dementia and their Caregivers
May 2022
May 17, 2022
Noé Cuéllar Independent Artist and Researcher
Presentation: Generative Music in Flux: Sound Arts and Musical Technologies for Experience
May 10, 2022
Susan Landau, PhD Research Scientist of Neurodegeneration in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute University of California, Berkeley, CA
Presentation: Tau Heterogeneity in Alzheimer's Disease
May 3, 2022
Dahlia Guzman, PhD Lecturer II of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presentation: The Philosopher’s Work: The Role of Critical Thinking and Reason in Grappling with Genocide
April 2022
April 26, 2022
Bryan Denny, PhD Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychological Sciences and Director, Translational Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab Rice University, Houston, Texas
Presentation: How Can We Become Better Emotion Regulators? Evidence from Social Cognitive Neuroscience
April 19, 2022
Esti Blanco-Elorrieta, PhD Researcher for the Department of Psychology at the University of Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Presentation: Towards a More Inclusive Neurobiology of Language
March 2022
March 29, 2022
Susanne M. Jaeggi, PhD Professor of the Department of Education and Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine
Presentation: Promoting Learning and Achievement Across the Lifespan Using an Individual Differences Approach
March 22, 2022
Stephanie M. Grasso, PhD Assistant Professor of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Moody College of Communication. The University of Texas at Austin
Presentation: Patterns of Decline and Recovery in Bilingual Speakers with Primary Progressive Aphasia
March 15, 2022
Judith Kroll, PhD Distinguished Professor of the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine
Presentation: On the Fate of the Native Language Across the Lifespan: A Framework for Understanding Bilingual Resilience
March 8, 2022
Arturo Hernandez, PhD Professor of the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston
Presentation: Sensorimotor Plasticity, Cognitive Flexibility and the Bilingual Brain: A Neuroemergentist Perspective
March 1, 2022
Carrie R. McDonald, Ph.D., ABPP-CN Professor of Psychiatry, Radiation Medicine, and Applied Sciences for the Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics (CMIG) at the University of California, San Diego.
Presentation: Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Profiles of Older Adults with Epilepsy
March 1, 2022
Kevin Bieniek, PhD Assistant Professor of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. Director, Biggs Institute Brain Bank - Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio
Presentation: The STAC Neuropathology Core: A Research Resource for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
February 2022
February 22, 2022
Preeti Zanwar, PhD, MS, MPH Lecturer of Applied Health Economics & Outcomes Research of the Jefferson College of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University
Presentation: Smart and Connected Age-Disability-and-Dementia Friendly Cities
February 1, 2022
Gladys Maestre, MD, PhD Professor of the Department of Neuroscience and Human Genetics. Director of the Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research. Co-Director the South Texas Alzheimer’s Research Center at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, School of Medicine
Presentation: UTRGV Alzheimer’s Initiative: Desafía los Olvidos
January 2022
January 18, 2022
Marissa Bartolomei, PhD Perelman Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology. Co-Director, Epigenetics Institute at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Presentation: In Utero Exposure of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals May Reprogram Adult Physiology and Behavior Through Epigenetic Mechanisms
January 11, 2022
Dedra Buchwald, MD Professor of Medicine in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University. Director, Initiative for Research and Education to Advance Community Health
Presentation: Building an Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Program among American Indians and Alaska Natives
December 2021
December 21, 2021
Stephen Goutman, MD, MS – Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, Director of the Pranger Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Clinic and Associate Director of the ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan.
Presentation: ALS Environmental Risk Factors
December 14, 2021
Beatriz Valles González, PhD – Chair of the speech therapy program at Valencia International University (VIU)
Alejandro Cano Villagrasa, MSc – Professor of Speech Therapy and Psychology at Valencia International University (VIU).
Presentation: Características Lingüísticas-Cognitivas en Pacientes con Daño Cerebral Adquirido en Fase Crónica
December 07, 2021
Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga, MD, D.Sc.- 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.
Presentation: Is there Evidence that Prediabetes is a Risk Factor of Dementia?
November 2021
November 30, 2021
Jason R. Richardson, MS, PhD, DABT, Fellow ATS – Professor of Environmental Sciences and Associate Dean for Research in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University.
Presentation: Gene-Environment Interactions in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Path to Precision Medicine
November 23, 2021
Beate Ritz, MD, PhD – Professor of Epidemiology & Environmental Health at the UCLA School of Public Health and Neurology at UCLA School of Medicine.
Presentation: Pesticides, Air Pollution, and Neurodegeneration
November 16, 2021
Jill E. Bormann, PhD, RN, FAAN – Clinical Professor at the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science/Beyster Institute of Nursing Research at the University of San Diego.
Presentation: An Ancient Calming Practice for Modern Times: Mantram Repetition Program
November 09, 2021
Marcio Almeida, PhD – 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.
Presentation: Identification of Plasma-derived Biomarkers Associated with AD Progression on the Hispanic Population
November 02, 2021
Bernard Fongang, PhD – 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.
Presentation: The Human Microbiome in Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases
October 2021
October 19, 2021
Claudia L. Satizabal, PhD – Assistant Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases
Presentation: Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
October 12, 2021
Jason D. Flatt, PhD, MPH – Assistant Professor in the Social and Behavioral Health Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Public Health
Presentation: Sexual and Gender Minority Populations and Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
October 05, 2021
Mariana Alessandri, PhD – Associate Professor of Philosophy at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Seeing Red: A Counter-Cultural Philosophy of Anger
September 2021
September 28, 2021
Mitzi M. Gonzales, PhD, ABPP-CN – Assistant Professor of the Department of Neurology at University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio & Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Presentation: Applying Geoscience to Alzheimer's Disease - A Translational Approach
September 14, 2021
Donald H. Ruggles, AIA, NCARB, ICAA, ANFA – CEO of Ruggles Mabe Studio, Denver, CO.
Presentation: Beauty, Neuroscience and Architecture–Timeless Patterns & Their Impact on Our Well-Being
September 07, 2021
Caleb E. Finch, PhD – Professor and ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.
Presentation: Air Pollution, Dementia, and ApoE: GxE in the Gero-Exposome
August 2021
August 31, 2021
Joanne Curran, PhD – Lacks Valley Stores Ltd. Endowed Professor at the Department of Human Genetics, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute at UTRGV.
Presentation: Genomic Approaches to Gene Discovery in Complex Disease
August 24, 2021
Sarah Robinson, AIA – Adjunct Professor in the department of Architecture Design and Media Technology at Aalborg University, Denmark. Visiting Professor, NAAD-Neuroscience and Architecture Master’s Program at IUAV, Venice, Italy.
Presentation: Architecture is a Verb
August 17, 2021
Blanca I. Restrepo, PhD – Associate Professor of Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston, School of Public Health in Brownsville. Adjoint Associate Professor at the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute at UTRGV.
Presentation: Tuberculosis, Diabetes, and Aging
August 10, 2021
Jose G. Ortiz, PhD – Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.
Presentation: Neurotransmitters and Drugs
August 3, 2021
Carrie R. McDonald, Ph.D., ABPP-CN – Professor of Psychiatry, Radiation Medicine, and Applied Sciences for the Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics (CMIG) at the University of California, San Diego.
Presentation: Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Profiles of Older Adults with Epilepsy
July 2021
July 27, 2021
Mark Zylka, PhD – W.R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Medical School.
Topic: Development of CRISPR/Cas Gene Therapy for Angelman Syndrome
July 20, 2021
José Dávila-Montes, PhD – Professor of Translation and Interpreting at the Department of Writing and Language Studies, Interim Associate Dean for Assessment of the College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Rhetoric, Tropes, and the Brain –Searching for Connections across Languages
July 13, 2021
Gary W. Miller, PhD – Professor of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Vice Dean of Research Strategy and Innovation at Columbia University.
Presentation: Using the Exposome to Understand Environmental Drivers of Neurodegeneration
July 6, 2021
Thomas Albright, PhD – Professor, Director of the Vision Center Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences.
Topic: Contextual Influences on Visual Processing
June 2021
June 29, 2021
Presenter: Helena Hogberg, PhD – Deputy Director of Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Presentation: Advancing the 3Rs in the 21st Century: Challenges and opportunities for neuro microphysiological systems
June 15, 2021
Deborah A. Cory-Slechta, PhD – Professor of Environmental Medicine and Pediatrics and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.
Topic: Developmental Exposures to Air Pollution and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
June 8, 2021
Alberto Perez-Gomez, MA, PhD – Saidye Rosner Bronfman Professor of Architecture History at McGill University, Canada.
Presentation: Contributions of Enactive Cognitive Theory and Neurophenomenology to Architectural Design
June 1, 2021
Oshin Vartanian, Ph.D. – Defence Scientes at DRDC Toronto.
Presentation: Place Preference: Insights from the Neuroscience of Architecture and Design
May 2021
May 25, 2021
Nikos Salingaros, PhD – Professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Architectural Theorist & Urbanist.
Presentation: How Improved Design Supports Health
May 18, 2021
Patricia C. Lopes, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University.
Presentation: Why do we feel sick?
May 11, 2021
Justin O’Rourke, PhD, ABPP-CN – South Texas Veterans Health Care System Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center.
Presentation: Concussion
May 5, 2021
Christopher Rincón, BFA – Executive Director of the River Pearce Foundation.
Presentation: Metaphor and its Role in Historic Preservation
April 2021
April 27, 2021
Stephanie M. Campos, PhD – Visiting Assistant Professor of the Biology Department at Swarthmore College.
Presentation: How Chemicals Control our Social Lives: Neuroethology Lessons from Lizards
April 13, 2021
Tye S. Farrow, FRAIC, B.Arch., M.Arch.U.D., LEEDAP, OAA, MAIBC – Senior Partner of Farrow Partners Inc, Architects - Toronto, Canada.
Presentation: Constructing Health: The Elements of Enriched Environments.
April 6, 2021
Kim L. Nguyen-Finn, PhD, LPC-S – Professor of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: The Expressive Arts and Neuroscience: The Healing Power of Creativity.
March 2021
March 30, 2021
Russell Poldrack, PhD – Professor of the Department of Psychology and member of Stanford Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University.
Presentation: Decoding Cognitive Functions.
March 23, 2021
Veronica Barcelona, PhD, MSN, RN, PHNA-BC – Assistant Professor of the School of Nursing at Columbia University.
Presentation: A Lifecourse Approach to Reducing Disparities in Adverse Birth Outcomes.
March 16, 2021
Robert Condia, FAIA; Rebecca Milne, MS, MA; Hanna Negami, PhD; Katherine Gluckselig, MS – Members of Perkin’s Eastman and Affiliates.
Presentation: Cognitive Decline and the Built Environment, II Round Table Discussion.
March 10, 2021
David X. Marquez, PhD, FACSM, FGSA, FSBM – Professor of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois. Visiting Associate Professor at Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center.
Presentation: Physical Activity in Older Latinos: Cultural and Circumstantial Considerations (Alzheimer’s Talk).
March 2, 2021
Robert Condia, FAIA; Rebecca Milne, MS, MA; Hanna Negami, PhD; Katherine Gluckselig, MS – Members of Perkin’s Eastman and Affiliates.
Presentation: Cognitive Decline and the Built Environment, I Round Table Discussion.
February 2021
February 23, 2021
Karen Adolph, MA, PhD – Julius Silver Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Professor of Applied Psychology at New York University.
Presentation: Learning to Move, Moving to Learn.
February 9, 2021
Tabassum Majid, PhD – Adjunct Faculty of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) & Executive Director of the Intergrace Institute at Copper Ridge.
Presentation: Research Updates in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (Alzheimer’s Talk).
February 2, 2021
Srikanta Mishra, PhD, CCC-A – Professor of the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Health Professionals at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presentation: Human Auditory Efferent System and its Functional Relevance in Hearing Development.
January 2021
January 26, 2021
John Gero, BE, MS, PhD – Research Professor in Computer Science and Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Presentation: Recent Studies in the Neurocognition of Designing.
January 19, 2021
Brittany Dugger, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine at the University of California Davis.
Presentation: The Many Faces of Dementia and Why they Matter (Alzheimer’s Talk).
January 12, 2021
Ross Murray, PhD Candidate – Department of Marketing at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Gazepoint GP3 Eye Tracker Review.
December 2020
December 15, 2020
Sarah Lenz Lock, JD – Senior Vice President for Policy - Brain Health at AARP.
Presentation: Brain Health and the Older Adult.
December 8, 2020
Eugenia Curet, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Prevention of Suicide Among College and School Students: A SAMHSA Grant-Funded Program.
December 1, 2020
Ihsan Salloum, MD, MOH, DFAPA – Founding Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine; Director of the Institute of Neuroscience.
Presentation: Comorbidity of Major Depression and Alcoholism: Diagnostic and Treatment Implications.
November 2020
November 17, 2020
Sara J. Czaja, MS, PhD – Professor of Gerontology, Director of the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York.
Presentation: Technology, Cognition and Older Adults.
November 10, 2020
Aaron J. Colverson, MM – PhD Student of Ethnomusicology at the University of Florida.
Presentation: Determining Effects of Rhythm Learning and Performance Upon Cognitive Function in Healthy Aging Adults.
November 3, 2020
Bruce V. Lewenstein, PhD – Professor of Science Communication, Chair of the Department of Science and Technology at Cornell University, New York.
Presentation: Science Communication and Science Policy.
October 2020
October 20, 2020
Jill Goldstein, PhD – Executive Director of the Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Presentation: Sex Differences in the Brain: Impact on Memory Circuitry and Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimer’s Talk).
October 13, 2020
Darren Gitelman, MD, FAAN, FANA – Director of Cognitive Disorders at Advocate Medical Group, Senior Medical Director at Advocate Memory Center.
Presentation: Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Can We Make a Difference? (Alzheimer’s Talk).
October 6, 2020
Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, MD, PhD – Professor of Neurology, Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinical Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
Presentation: Endophenotypes of Traumatic Brain Injury: What We Need to Know for the Next Generation of Clinical Trials.
September 2020
September 29, 2020
Debra L. Cherry, PhD – Executive Vice President of Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
Presentation: Creating Dementia Capable Healthcare Systems (Alzheimer’s Talk).
September 22, 2020
Robert Espinoza, MPA – Vice President of Policy of PHI, Bronx, NY.
Presentation: Building Aging Support and Strengthening the Workforce Diverse Older Adults.
September 15, 2020
Grant Benham, PhD – Professor of the Department of Psychological Science, Director of Stress, Sleep, and Health Lab at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Exploring the Mind-Body Connection: Stress, Sleep, and Health.
September 8, 2020
Nate Bergman, DO, MBA – Chief Scientific Wellness Officer of Kemper Cognitive Wellness – Brain Wellness Center at Rocky River, OH.
Presentation: Memory Loss May Be Preventable – Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late.
September 1, 2020
Beiyu Lin, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Population-Level Behavior Analysis Based on Smart Environment Sensor Data.
August 2020
August 25, 2020
Ameer E. Hassan, DO, FAHA, FSVIN – Head of the Neuroscience Department, Director of Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology, Director of Clinical Neuroscience Research at Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, TX. Associate Professor of Neurology and Radiology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Presentation: Evolution of Stroke Treatment and the Rise of Artificial Intelligence.
August 11, 2020
Gagan S. Wig, PhD – Associate Professor of the Center for Vital Longevity at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas.
Presentation: Brain Network Aging.
August 4, 2020
Stuart Libman, MD – Medical Director of PLEA Agency, ACBS Peer Review ACT Trainer.
Presentation: ACT’ing in Medicine Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) with Individuals, Families, & Organizations.
July 2020
July 28, 2020
Colleen A. McClung, PhD – Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Presentation: Circadian Genes, Rhythms and the Biology of Psychiatric Disorders.
July 21, 2020
Monica Rosenberg, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago.
Presentation: Characterizing Attention with Connectome-Based Predictive Models.
July 14, 2020
Bess Frost, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of Texas Health San Antonio.
Presentation: Jump Around, Jump Around: Transposable Element Activation in Neurodegenerative Tauopathy.
July 7, 2020
Carlos Barrero, MD – Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Temple University School of Pharmacy and member of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research.
Presentation: Applying Multi-Omics Technologies and Approaches in Neurodegenerative Diseases Research.
June 2020
June 30, 2020
Wendy Aldridge, PhD – Curator of Behavior Research at The Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, TX.
Presentation: A Psychologist at the Zoo.
June 23, 2020
Amber Harris Bozer, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Tarleton State University, Member of the Texas A&M System.
Presentation: Pain: A Multidimensional Enigma.
June 16, 2020
Silvia H. Barcellos, PhD – Assistant Professor of Research at the Economics Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California.
Presentation: The Great Equalizer? The Effects of Compulsory Schooling on the Relationship Between at-Birth Disadvantages and Later-Life SES.
June 9, 2020
Neela K. Patel, MD, MPH, CMD – Associate Professor & Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care in the Dept. of Family and Community Medicine at University of Texas Health San Antonio.
Presentation: CARINO En Su Casa: Geriatric Model of Care for Patients at Home.
June 2, 2020
Ismael Perez – PhD Student of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychological Science, College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Neurodevelopment of the Brain in the Monodelphis Domestica Animal Model.
May 2020
May 26, 2020
Jeffrey Kaye, MD – Professor of Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Engineering. Director, Oregon Center for Aging & Technology, Director, Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease, Center at Oregon Health & Science University.
Presentation: Digital Technologies Advancing Assessment and Interventions for Aging & Dementia (Alzheimer’s Talk).
May 19, 2020
Veronica Umeasiegbu, PhD., CRC, LPC-I – Assistant Professor of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Principal Investigator of Community Outreach RGV.
Presentation: Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and Social Determinants of Health: Results of Need Assessment Study in RGV.
May 12, 2020
Keenan Walker, PhD – Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Presentation: Understanding the Role of Systemic Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimer’s Talk).
May 5, 2020
Terence Garrett, PhD. – Professor of the Department of Political Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Simulacra in Dark Times: COVID-19, Zero Tolerance Policy, Migrant Protection Protocols, Asylum Cooperative Agreements, and Border Security Apparatuses in the Trump Era.
April 2020
April 28, 2020
Jason Resendez, BA – Chief of Staff, USAgainstAlzheimer’s & Executive Director, LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Coalition.
Presentation: The Economic Impact of Alzheimer’s on Latinos: An Overview & Call for Brain Health Equity (Alzheimer’s Talk).
April 7, 2020
Abdoulaye Diallo, PhD, MA, MAR, CRC – Associate Professor of the School of Rehabilitation Services
and Counseling at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: CBT and Reducing/Eliminating Substance Use/Abuse: Neurobiological Variable and Family Systems Resources as Mediator/Moderator.
March 2020
March 31, 2020
Bartek Macieja, MSPhys – Chess Coach and Chess Grandmaster at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Do Chess Grandmasters Think Differently?
March 24, 2020
William S. Kreman, PhD – Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Twin Research Laboratory at the University of California, Co-Director of the UCSD Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging.
Presentation: The Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine System and Early Identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Evidence from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. (Alzheimer’s Talk)
March 17, 2020
Oanh Le Meyer, PhD, MAS. – Assistant Adjunct Professor of the Department of Neurology, Research Education Component Leader in the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of California Davis School of Medicine.
Presentation: Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Caregiving in Culturally Diverse Populations (Alzheimer’s Talk).
March 10, 2020
Devaleena Pradhan, PhD – Assistant Professor of Integrative Physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University.
Presentation: Dynamic Properties of Estrogen Synthesis and Action in the Songbird Brain.
February 2020
February 19, 2020
Luis Ignacio Brusco, MD, PhD. – Chair and Professor of the Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, School of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Presentation: Alzheimer en la Argentina, una experiencia de integración entre la Universidad de Buenos Aires, entidades intermedias y la comunidad (Alzheimer’s Talk).
February 11, 2020
Eric Rivas, PhD – Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology, Exercise & Thermal Integrative Physiology Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas Tech University.
Presentation: Sex Differences in Thermal Perception, Thermoregulatory, and Cerebral Blood Flow During Exercise Hyperthermia.
January 2020
January 28, 2020
Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, MD – Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago.
Presentation: GWAS Results from a Deep Phenotyping Study: BSNIP.
December 2019
December 10, 2019
Adela Valdez, MD, MBA – Clinical Professor of the Department of Family Medicine, Associate Dean of Special Programs at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Cultural Competence South Texas Style.
November 2019
November 26, 2019
Anna Prado, BA – Graduate Student in the Department of Psychological Science, College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Mental Health Status of Older Hispanic/Latino Adults in the United States: A Secondary Data Analysis.
November 12, 2019
Laryssa Mykyta, PhD – Chief of the Health and Disability Statistics Branch in the Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division at the U.S. Census Bureau.
Presentation: Mental Health Disparities and the Hispanic Mental Health Paradox: Evidence from the Texas- Mexico Border.
November 5, 2019
Genaro Ramirez Correa, PhD – Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Potential Clinical Application of Quantitative Proteomics in Pediatric Cardiology: An Ongoing Story About Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
October 2019
October 15, 2019
Cerise Elliott, PhD – Program Director for the Dementias of Aging Branch of the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging.
Presentation: Finding Support from the National Institute on Aging.
October 8, 2019
Stephanie Sokolosky, EdD, LBA, LSSP, LPA – Founder of S&S Behavioral Consultants in the Rio Grande Valley, Member of the National Autism Leadership Coalition and the Arc of Texas Project Advisory Committee.
Presentation: 2019 RGV Community Projects for Children with Disabilities.
October 1, 2019
Holly Jones, PhD, RN, CFNP – Assistant Professor for the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati.
Presentation: Leveraging Stress Reduction to Decrease CVD Risk in Midlife Black Women.
September 2019
September 24, 2019
Silvia Lazo, PhD – Assistant Professor of Musicology and Ethnomusicology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Music.
Presentation: Fulfilling Psychological Appetencies Through Tango’s Dance, Sonic Aesthetics, and Visual Drama- An Alternative Approach to Interpreting.
September 17, 2019
George Yanev, PhD – Professor of the School of Mathematical and Statistical Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: From the Garden of Branching Stochastic Processes.
September 10, 2019
Selma Yznaga, PhD, LPC – Associate Professor of the Department of Counseling and Guidance at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Vicarious Trauma and Resilience in Immigration Relief Workers.
September 3, 2019
Jaime Requena, ScD – Fellow Chair of The Academia De Ciencias Físicas, Matemáticas y Naturales, Caracas, Venezuela.
Presentation: Rise and Fall of Science in Venezuela.
August 2019
August 27, 2019
Cecilia Maldonado, PhD – Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Science at Universidad de la Republica (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay.
Presentation: Chronopharmacology in the Elderly.
August 20, 2019
Carole L. White, PhD, RN – Professor and Nancy Smith Hurd Chair in Geriatric Nursing and Aging Studies for the School of Nursing and the University of Texas Health San Antonio.
Presentation: Caring for the Caregiver: A Community-Engaged Model of Support.
August 6, 2019
Michael Dobbs, MD, MHCM – Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology, and System Chief Medical Officer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Welcome to The Valley! Initial Impressions of Building Neurology Services for the Region.
July 2019
July 30, 2019
Dean Kyne, PhD – Director of the Disaster Studies Program and Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Nuclear Power-Induced Disasters and Environmental Justice Issues: Visualizing Invisible Urban Risks US.
July 16, 2019
Cem Akkus, PhD, MS – Research Assistant of the School of Public Health Epidemiology Biostatistics, and Environmental Health (EBE) Division at the University of Memphis, MPH Candidate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Presentation: A Geospatial Analysis of Historical Lead (Pb) Exposure and Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in Shelby County, Tennessee.
July 9, 2019
Rev. David E. Stine, MDiv, AAMFT, BCC – Retired Colonel of the US Airforce.
Presentation: The Significance of Loss.
July 2, 2019
Jose Antonio Garcia-Hernandez – Research Associate at the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: A Coordinate System to Create, Classify, and Retrieve Electrophysiological Phenotypes: Applications to Online Neuroscience Databases and Validation of Computational Models of the Brian.
June 2019
June 25, 2019
David Knopman, MD – Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Associate Director of the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
Presentation: How Imaging Biomarkers Have Informed a New Understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimer’s Talk).
June 11, 2019
Christopher Carmona, PhD – Assistant Professor in the Creative Writing Program and Mexican American Studies, College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Author, Poet, and Storyteller.
Presentation: I Know it in My Bones: Writing El Rinche And the Telling of the Unrecorded History of La Matanza 1910-1920.
June 4, 2019
Kelsey Baker, PhD – Assistant Professor of Molecular Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Harnessing the Power of Neuroimaging and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation to Improve Rehabilitative Outcomes in Spinal Cord Injury.
May 2019
May 28, 2019
Deepu George, PhD, LMFT – Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Director of Integrated Behavioral Health at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Integrated Behavioral Health: Reducing Stigma, Increasing Access, and Shifting Perspectives.
May 21, 2019
Marsha Griffin, MD – Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Division of Child and Family Health and the Community for Children Program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Stories from the Immigration Frontlines: Why It Should Matter.
May 14, 2019
Annelyn Torres-Reveron, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Environmental Enrichment Strategies to Improve Quality of Life for Hispanic Caretakers (Alzheimer’s Talk)
May 7, 2019
Mathew Johnson, PhD – Associate Professor and Biomedical Research Scientist at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute (STDOI).
Presentation: Minority Populations Offer Additional Insight into Our Understanding of Glaucoma, An Optic Neuropathy.
April 2019
April 30, 2019
Anja Soldan, MA, PhD and Corinne Pettigrew, PhD – Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Presentation: Cognitive Reserve and Resilience in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimer’s Talk).
April 16, 2019
Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, PhD – Assistant Professor of the Department of Health and Biomedical Science, College of Health Professions at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Glial Cells in Brain Function and Disease: Oligodendrocyte Contribution to RA Sopathies.
April 9, 2019
Cecilia Montiel-Nava, MS, PhD – Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Age of Diagnosis of ASD in Latino Children.
April 2, 2019
Chun Xu, MD, MSc, PhD – Associate Professor of the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Professions at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Drug-Gene Alerts: An Initial- and Pilot Pharmacogenetic Study.
March 2019
March 26, 2019
Dr. Gina Lovasi, PhD, MPH – Urban Health Collaborative Co-Director and Dornsife Associate Professor of Urban Health at Drexel University.
Presentation: Place-Based Investigations of Urban Pollution & Health: Trees, Traffic, and Trash.
February 2019
February 19, 2019
Marucela Uscamayta, MSc – Research Associate of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: The Concept of Mania in Traditional Andean Culture.
February 5, 2019
Jean-Marie Fors, PhD – Instructor in the Department of Biology at Texas Southmost College.
Presentation: The Importance of Sensory Information During Locomotion.
January 2019
January 22, 2019
Jacob Bor, ScD, SM – Assistant Professor and Peter T. Paul Career Development Professor in the Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.
Presentation: Regression Discontinuity Designs in Public Health Research.
January 15, 2019
Juan Toranzo, MSc – Research Associate of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Differences in White Matter Connectivity Surrounding DBS Contacts in Parkinson Disease.
January 8, 2019
Evan Mayo-Wilson, PhD – Associate Scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Presentation: Multiple Outcomes in Clinical Trials and Systematic Reviews.
December 2018
December 11, 2018
Gabriel de Erausquin, MD, PhD – Professor of the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Molecular Pathology of Dementias: An Introduction (Alzheimer’s Talk).
December 4, 2018
Arthur Cantos, PhD – Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychological Science, College of Liberal Arts, at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Intimate Partner Violence/Domestic Violence.
November 2018
November 27, 2018
Angela Mar, BA – Graduate Student of the SOM Neuroscience Lab at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Assessing the Grey Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica) as a Potential Animal Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
November 20, 2018
Christine Gerin, PhD. – Assistant Professor in Department of Neuroscience at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Neural Degeneration and Functional Recovery: The Involvement of Monoamines.
October 2018
October 30, 2018
Angelika Potempa, PhD. – Assistant Professor of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Mistakes and Social Injustice.
October 23, 2018
Mario Gil, PhD. – Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychological Science and SOM Department of Neurosciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Presentation: Research Ethics.
October 9, 2018
Amie Bostic, PhD. – Assistant Professor of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies Program
Gladys Maestre, MD, PhD. – Professor of the Departments of Neurosciences and Human Genetics
Maria Castaneda, MD, PhD. – Lecturer II of the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presentation: A Lab of one’s own: a Discussion on Women in Neuroscience and other Research-Focused Disciplines
October 5, 2018
Gregory Quirk, PhD. – Professor at the Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.
Presentation: Memories of Fear and Avoidance (Alzheimer’s Talk).
October 2, 2018
Dongjun Rew. – PhD Candidate in Marketing, Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presentation: Mapping Consumer Cognition and Emotions: An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Approach.
September 2018
September 27, 2018
Gabriel de Erausquin, MD, PhD. – Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation: Neurobiology and Genetics of Schizophrenia.
September 11, 2018
Alfredo Ramirez, MD, PhD. – Professor of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Bonn, Germany.
Presentation: Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics: Update and Future Directions (Alzheimer’s Talk).
September 4, 2018
Oscar Maldonado, MSc. – Research Associate II, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
Presentation title: Neurodevelopment and Mental Health.