Inflammatory Brain Disorders
Conference 2024
Hosted by Neuroimmune Institute in partnership with Neuroimmune Foundation and accredited in collaboration with The Wisconsin Medical Society
June 22 – 23, 2024
Sheraton, Palo Alto, California
A live, in-person CME event at the Sheraton, Palo Alto
9:00 am – 5:00 pm PT each day (Breakfast at 8:00 am, reception to follow Saturday evening)
Space is very limited!
Join us for a two day live conference in Palo Alto, California.
Registration covers attendance at the live event, breakfast and lunch each day, and a networking event/reception on Saturday evening with wine, beverages, and light canapés.
Based on feedback from CME evaluations, the 2024 conference will be more clinically focused than prior conferences while still highlighting research advances.
The Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference features nationally and internationally renowned experts skilled in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches who will present a diverse range of emerging clinical and research challenges, insights, and advances in the field of inflammatory brain disorders. Presentations are carefully selected to familiarize attendees with rapidly developing research and to educate clinicians on the latest understanding of treatment options.
Both generalists as well as specialists in pediatric and adult medicine will find the conference valuable to their practices. The intended audience is pediatricians, family physicians, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, immunologists, neurologists, and infectious disease physicians. Though the conference is designed for physicians, all are welcome to attend.
The 2024 Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference has been planned by the same individuals as prior Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conferences. Physician comments from our prior conferences can be found below. Greater than 90% of physicians in attendance rated the overall quality of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 conferences as 5/5.
No refunds will be granted for any reason. While this meeting is geared towards physicians and researchers; parents, patients, and community members are welcome to attend the conference. Space is limited.
Sponsorship opportunities are available! Please email conference@neuroimmuneinstitute.org for details.
Thank you to our Stanford and UCSF collaborators and hosts/moderators, Dr. Jenny Frankovich, Dr. Larry Steinman, Dr. Betsy Mellins, and Dr. Sam Pleasure.
Stanford University
UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences
2024 Moderators/Hosts
Lawrence Steinman, MD
Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine
Elizabeth Mellins, MD
Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatologist and Molecular Immunologist, Stanford University School of Medicine
Sam Pleasure, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Neurology, UCSF; Co-Director, Center for Encephalitis and Meningitis, UCSF
Anna Conkey
Director and Founder, Neuroimmune Foundation and Neuroimmune Institute
Confirmed 2024 Speakers
Evidence for PANS as an Inflammatory Disorder
Stanford PANS Clinic 2024 Clinical and Research Update
Led by Dr. Jenny Frankovich, Dr. PJ Utz, and Dr. Betsy Mellins with lightning talks by multiple researchers
Jennifer Frankovich, MD, MS
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Director, Stanford PANS Research Program
PJ Utz, MD
Professor of Medicine, Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine
Elizabeth Mellins, MD
Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatologist and Molecular Immunologist, Stanford University School of Medicine
Tyler Prestwood, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Utz Lab
Stanford University School of Medicine
GPCRS Autoantibodies and Psychiatric Deteriorations
Ayan Mondal, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics Human Gene Therapy (Mellins Lab), Stanford University School of Medicine
PANS Plasma Effects on the Blood Brain Barrier
Allison Vreeland, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Stanford University School of Medicine
Imaging in PANS
Claudia Macaubas, PhD
Research Scientist, Mellins Lab, Stanford University School of Medicine
PANS and NK cells
Noor Hussein, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics Human Gene Therapy (Mellins Lab), Stanford University School of Medicine
Treg Cells in PANS
Professor Russell Dale
Professor of Paediatric Neurology and Paediatric Neurology Research; Head, Kids Neuroscience Centre, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Academic Leader (Research), Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
Novel Biomarker Approaches in Neuroinflammation – The ‘Omic Era’
Belinda Lennox, DM, FRCPsych
Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Immunotherapy in Autoimmune Psychiatric Illness
Golam Khandaker, MBBS, MPhil, PhD, FRCPsych
Professor of Psychiatry, MRC Investigator, and Wellcome Trust Fellow; Head, Immunopsychiatry Programme, MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit; Co-Lead, NIHR Bristol BRC Mental Health Theme, University of Bristol
Inflammation and Immunity in Depression: From Mechanism Toward New Therapeutics
Marion Leboyer, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Addictology, University Paris-Est Créteil; Director, Translational Neuropsychiatry Lab; CEO, Fondation FondaMental
Immuno-Genetic Risk in Major Psychiatric Disorders
Professor Dominique Endres
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Freiburg/Germany
Immunopsychiatry from a Clinical Perspective
Ming Lim, MD, PhD
HOS Children’s Neuroscience, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Children’s Neuroscience Centre, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, King’s Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre, Adjunct Reader in Paediatric Neurology, King’s College London
Optimizing Treatment in Pediatric Neuroinflammation: How Quickly and How Much
Jeffrey M. Gelfand, MD, MAS, FAAN
Associate Professor of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology; Division of Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, MS and Neuroinflammation Center, University of California, San Francisco
Practical Approaches to Using Immunosuppressive Treatment Beyond Steroids and IVIg
Christopher Bartley, MD, PhD
Chief of the Translational Immunopsychiatry Unit, NIMH, NIH*
*Dr. Bartley is presenting in his personal capacity. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the US Government.
PANDAS Autoantibody Profiles Before and After Treatment with IVIg
Laura Pace, MD, PhD
CEO and Co-founder of Metrodora Institute, Chief Medical Officer
[TBA]
Richard P. Morse, MD
Chief, Child Neurology, Dartmouth Children’s Health; Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology, Geisel School of Medicine
PANS/PANDAS Cases: A Neurologist’s Perspective
Mark Pasternack, MD
Chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard
Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome from the Perspective of an Infectious Disease Physician
Robert Yolken, MD
Professor of Neurovirology in Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Infections and Inflammation in Neuropsychiatric Illness
Thomas Pollak PhD, MRCPsych
Clinical Lecturer | Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
Infections and Psychosis
Sasha Gupta, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, School of Medicine
Novel Approaches to Treating Neuroimmune Disorders Using Engineered T Cells
Antonios Kolios, MD, PD
Senior Attending Physician, Head Immunodermatology Unit, University Hospital Zurich, Department of Dermatology
IL-2 and Tregs in the Therapy of Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases
Learning and Outcome Objectives
- Describe how to accurately diagnose inflammatory brain conditions.
- Explain how to effectively treat inflammatory brain conditions.
- Recognize that neuropsychiatric sequelae can result from infections, autoimmune, and inflammatory conditions.
- List several immune and inflammatory markers that can be present in patients with inflammatory brain disorders.
- Report the cognitive and psychiatric effects that can occur post-infection.
- Describe appropriate treatments for patients with inflammatory brain disorders.
Accreditation / Credit Designation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Wisconsin Medical Society and Neuroimmune Institute. The Wisconsin Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Wisconsin Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Accommodations
Neuroimmune Institute subscribes to the articles of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Should you or anyone accompanying you require special assistance, please notify us by contacting conference@neuroimmuneinstitute.org or 608-381-0367. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.
Comments from Prior Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conferences
The Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference 2023 was (again) the most educational and effective conference I have ever attended in my 43 years as a physician! International experts presented 16 lectures over the course of two days, delivering major gems every hour to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of tough psychiatric and neurologic neuroinflammatory conditions. A cumulative tsunami paradigm shift for psychiatry is in the works; inflammatory brain disorders will be the rule, rather than the exception. My accolades to all the panel of experts who shared their latest research and efforts. Thank you!
Martin T. Jensen, MD
Adult, Adolescent, & Child Psychiatry, Laguna Niguel, CA
Wonderful conference! First time I attended this conference. Neuroinflammatory diseases are not a large part of my practice as a pediatric rheumatologist – at least I thought so before the conference. Given the expanding scope of diseases related to neuroinflammation, my preconceived notions have been challenged – in a good way! Each presentation was given by an obvious thought leader and the results presented were all cutting edge. Cannot wait until next year.
Daniel Lovell, MD, MPH
Pediatric Rheumatologist, Cincinnati, OH
Rigorous, wide-ranging, two-day conference by international faculty providing cutting edge genetic and clinical insights furthering the rapidly increasing knowledge about auto-immune mediated syndromes. Crisp presentations, excellent slides, and clinical movie clips combined with meticulous attention to the duration of the presentations. Information was presented on the autoimmune manifestations of Long Covid-19, PANS, PANDAS, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), psychoses, seizure disorders and tick-borne illnesses alongside presentations on the Gut Microbiome and porosity of the blood brain barrier. Commercial-free. Well worth the tuition. My first Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference. Planning on next year.
John Esterhai, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon, Spring House, PA
When I go to a conference, I feel that I have gotten my money’s worth if at least 10% of what I learn is new. In this course, the new information was at least 60% and what I did know was expanded significantly. This has increased my understanding and sensitivity to the possibility of an immune disorder in patients I have seen over the years. There are several patients in my current practice who will be re-evaluated for the possibility of something I did not know to look for before.
Lee Solomon, MD
Psychiatry, Chattanooga, TN
This was a conference with fantastic collaborators and speakers. As a physician I felt that it was clinically oriented and cutting edge. It was incredibly useful to gain knowledge in a field like neuroimmunology where so little is known.
Anuja Vyas, MD, FACOG
Texas
This is the most comprehensive, well-organized, and current information on all topics I have encountered in such a long time. I plan to attend every conference moving forward. Thank you for such well-presented information. Armed with several screenshots of slides, I have already contacted several patients to complete a more thorough history for a more complete treatment plan. So grateful.
Maria Del Sol, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Florida
As a clinical psychiatrist, it is crucial that I understand the potential origins of psychiatric symptoms. This conference gave insight into infectious and immune mechanisms for Neuropsychiatric symptoms that I found truly valuable. The speakers were of top quality.
Matthew Bernstein, MD
Psychiatrist, Massachusetts
I was astounded by the amount of scientifically based data presented on encephalopathy, COVID and PANS/PANDAS at this conference. I thought all of the presenters at this conference did an excellent job explaining the pathophysiology involved in the various conditions that were highlighted in this conference.
Urszula Kotlow, MD
Pediatric Psychiatrist, CPAE Clinic, Banner Desert Medical Center, Arizona
I feel more confident as THE consultant on many of these cases due to expanded knowledge I have acquired via this resource. Excellent presentations with fantastic evidence-based information. I hope to be involved in more conferences. Thanks to all!
Sandra Lawrence, MD, FACR
Pediatric Rheumatology, Florida
The neuroimmune conference transformed my thinking about the relationship between infection, neurobiology and psychiatric disorders. I learned so much.
Melissa Aguirre, MD
Pediatrician, California
This conference had the highest scientific quality and rigor, and all the presenters and discussants were outstanding. The contribution of the foundation for children with neuroimmune disorders to society is incommensurable.
Rosa Aurora Chavez, MD, PhD, FABP
Washington, DC
2024 Registration and Payment – Space is Limited!
- For a limited time, early bird registration is $599 and includes breakfast and lunch at the Sheraton both Saturday and Sunday as well as a reception on Saturday evening with wine, beverages, and light canapés.
- Registration price will increase to $899.
- Please note 2024 registration is to the live in person event held at the Sheraton in Palo Alto, California, across the street from Stanford.
- A limited number of discounted hotel rooms ($259 per night) are blocked and can be reserved by visiting the Sheraton website.
Registration is non-refundable.
Sponsors
If you are interested in sponsoring an educational grant, please email us at conference@neuroimmuneinstitute.org.
