Thursday, April 20th, 2023 (8:00 am–6:10 pm CT)

8:00 am Breakfast and Registration check-in

9:00 am Opening Remarks by Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar

SESSION 1: Vagal Nerve Neuromodulation

9:15 am                    Session Chair - Dr. Ziad Nahas, University of Minnesota

9:20 am       Speaker 1:1 - Dr. Vaughan Macefield, Monash University

     "VNS: What Can We Learn from Microelectrode Recordings from the Human Vagus Nerve?"

9:50 am               Speaker 1:2 - Dr. Michael Kilgard, University of Texas at Dallas

     "Vagus Nerve Stimulation During Therapy Promotes Synaptic Plasticity and Enhances Recovery from Psychiatric

 and Neurological Disorders"

10:20 am       Speaker 1:3 - Dr. Sangeeta Chavan, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research

      "Hacking Neural Circuits to Treat Inflammation”

SESSION 2: Ensuring Equity in Access to Neuromodulation Therapies

10:55 am     Session Chair - Dr. Saydra Wilson, University of Minnesota

11:00 am               Speaker 2:1 - Dr. Saydra Wilson, University of Minnesota

    "Equity in Neuromodulation"

11:30 am     Speaker 2:2 - Dr. Laura Cabrera, Penn State University

   "Lessons Learnt from other Neuromodulation Interventions to Understand the Landscape of Barriers and Facilitators 

     for VNS"

12:00 pm     Discussion - What are the Solutions?

12:30 pm               Lunch & Vendors Session

    G-Tec Workshop - Think Room 4

    "Brain Stimulation & Neuromodulation Applications"

SESSION 3: Interoception and Bidirectional Interaction Between the Peripheral and Central Nervous Systems

1:30 pm                Session Chair - Dr. Manda Keller-Ross, University of Minnesota

1:35 pm   Speaker 3:1 - Dr. David Darrow, University of Minnesota

  "Spinal Cord Stimulation to Restore Autonomic Function after Spinal Cord Injury"

2:05 pm   Speaker 3:2 - Dr. Melanie Maya Kaelberer, Duke University

  "A Gut Sense"

2:35 pm   Speaker 3:3 - Dr. Jeanie Park, Emory University

  "Leveraging Interoceptive Pathways to Improve Sympathetic Regulation in Chronic Disease"

3:05 pm   Break

3:35 pm   Voice of the Patient Community

  Moderated by Dr. Saydra Wilson, University of Minnesota

4:35 pm Adjourn

4:35 pm Networking Event

6:10 pm End of day

Friday, April 21, 2023 (8:00 am–4:45 pm CT)

8:00 am            Breakfast

SESSION 4: Neurotechnologies: New Opportunities and Accessibility

8:30 am      Session Chair - Dr. Sarah Swisher, University of Minnesota

8:35 am       Speaker 4:1 - Dr. Florian Solzbacher, University of Utah

"Next Generation Neural Interface Platforms for Central, Peripheral, and Autonomic Nervous System Applications: Are

We Reaching an Inflection Point for Clinical Use?"

9:05 am Speaker 4:2 - Dr. Todd Coleman, Stanford University

"Advancing Methods and Neurotechnologies to Monitor and Modulate Couplings Between the Brain and Viscera"

9:35 am Speaker 4:3 - Dr. Hubert Lim, University of Minnesota 

"Emerging Ultrasound Approaches to Noninvasively Modulate the Nervous System and End-Organs"

10:05 am   Poster Session Part 1

11:05 am  Poster Session Part 2

12:05 pm Lunch & Vendor Session 

12:55 pm       Industry Innovations

Session Chair - Dr. Hubert Lim, University of Minnesota

Featuring: Abbott, Inspire Medical, Medtronic, and Platt & Associates, Inc.

  Dr. MingMing Zhang, Abbott

  "Academia-Industry Partnership to Serve Our Patient Population Sooner"

  Dave Dieken, Inspire Medical

        "Closed-Loop Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Technology for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Beyond"

  Abbey Becker, Medtronic

  "Biosensing: The Foundation of Our Next-Generation Neuromodulation Therapies"

Jo Jo Platt, Platt & Associates, Inc.

"Ingredients for Innovation"

1:55 pm Funding Opportunities

Session Chair - Dr. Ziad Nahas, University of Minnesota

  Dr. Tyler Best (NIH)

  "The NIH Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) Program"

      Dr. Wen Chen (NIH/NCCIH)

      "NIH Programs Beyond the SPARC Initiative"

      Dr. Brooks Gross (NINDS)

"NINDS and Trans-NIH Funding Opportunities for Neurotechnology Development and Translation"

Dr. Steven Zehnder (NSF)

"NSF Funding Opportunities"

2:40 pm Break

SESSION 5: Neuromodulation Targeting of End Organ Function

3:00 pm   Session Chair - Dr. Alena Talkachova, University of Minnesota

3:05 pm Speaker 5:1 - Dr. John Osborn, University of Minnesota

"Neuromodulation of the Kidney as a Treatment for Hypertension and other Cardiometabolic Diseases"

3:30 pm Speaker 5:2 - Dr. Paul Yoo, University of Toronto

"Advances in Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Therapies for Modulating Urinary Function"

4:00 pm Speaker 5:3 - Dr. Marat Fudim, Duke University School of Medicine

“Splanchnic Nerve Modulation for Cardiovascular Disease"

4:30 pm Closing Remarks by Dr. Shashank Priya, VP of Research, University of Minnesota

4:40 pm Poster Awards Announced by Dr. Tay Netoff, University of Minnesota

4:45 pm Event Adjourned