Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day - Friday, Nov. 5, 2021
2021 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day will take place Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, beginning at 11:30 a.m. This year's event will take place online, with hopes that next year's event will return to in-person. 2021 Science Day festivities will include a guest speaker keynote, a Data Blitz, and adapted research presentation opportunities for researchers. All poster presentations were pre-recorded and are available for viewing ahead of the live events of Nov. 5 by visiting https://scienceday.vkcsites.org/.
Registration is required to receive the Zoom connection link. This includes presenters and general participants. Registration will close on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
2021 VKC Science Day Keynote Lecture: Improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research
The VKC is happy to welcome Brian Boyd, Ph.D., director of the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project and professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas, as our 2021 Science Day keynote speaker.
The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism have served as stark reminders of longstanding inequities in our society. These pandemics have exacerbated disparities for more vulnerable and marginalized groups, including those occupying the intersection of race and disability. This is also true for the ongoing disparities in autism that we must reckon with and that have contributed to differential access to a timely diagnosis, experiences with services, and ultimately worse outcomes for children and families who are racially and linguistically diverse. This presentation will address how structural racism and implicit bias have likely contributed to these disparities as well as pose potential solutions and next steps for the field to address these vexing issues.
Poster Sessions:
Abstract proposals for presentation will be accepted fromundergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research faculty, and research staff conducting research in labs or research programs of VKC members and investigators. Prizes will be awarded to an undergraduate student, graduate student, and postdoctoral fellow* for best research poster in each of the following research themes:
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Clinical, Behavioral, and Intervention Research
- Systems Neuroscience
In addition, all poster presenters (first authors) become VKC Affiliates and are eligible to compete for VKC awards to present at a scientific or professional conference in the next two years (extended a year due to COVID-19). Research presented at other scientific or professional meetings within the last year are eligible for submission.
2021 VKC Science Day Data Blitz:
The 2021 Science Day Committee reviewed all the competing graduate and postdoctoral abstracts submitted and selected two of the best abstracts from each of the three research themes to present as part of this year's Science Day Data Blitz. Each selected presenter will have 3-5 minutes to share their research, with time for Q/A from audience members in the chat box.
Congratulations go to this year's 2021 VKC Sciece Day Data Blitz presenters:
- Mary Chalkey: Non-canonical functions of TSC2 protein in Mitotic Division (presenter link)
- Qian Yang: Activity-dependent clustering of L-type calcium channel complexes with Shank3 and CaMKII (presenter link)
- HyeonSeung (Hanson) Lee: Abnormal Bodily Self Experiences in Schizophrenia; a comparative study of South Korea and USA (presenter link)
- Saramati Narasimhan: Differences Between Left and Right Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Using Resting-State Network fMRI and SEEG Connectivity (presenter link)
- Gabrielle Reimann: Atypical Functional Network Topology Emerges During Rest and Task Performance in Children with ADHD Symptoms (presenter link)
- Hernan Gonzalez: Relationships of Neurocognition & Abnormal Functional MRI Connectivity Between Subcortical Arousal Structures & Intrinsic Connectivity Networks in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (presenter link)
2021 VKC Science Day Research Presentations
All poster presentations were pre-recorded and are available for viewing ahead of the live events of Nov. 5 by visiting https://scienceday.vkcsites.org/.
The Call for Abstracts will open on MONDAY, JUNE 28, and close on TUESDAY, AUG. 31. UPDATE: The Call for Posters is closed.
Register to attend
Registration will open on MONDAY, JUNE 28 Please register by clicking the button at the top left of this page. Advance registration is required to receive the Zoom link for Science Day. The deadline to register to attend is WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3. Thank you.
2021 VKC Science Day Agenda:
11:30-11:45 a.m.: Log into Zoom link, check connections
11:45 a.m.: Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Tiffany Woynaroski, Ph.D., Science Day Chair
- Jeff Neul, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Director
12:00 p.m.: Keynote Address: Improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research
- Brian Boyd, Ph.D., Director, Juniper Gardens Children’s Project; Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas
Break until top of hour
1:00 p.m.: Data Blitz presentations with Q/A:
- Mary Chalkey: Non-canonical functions of TSC2 protein in Mitotic Division (presenter link)
- Qian Yang: Activity-dependent clustering of L-type calcium channel complexes with Shank3 and CaMKII (presenter link)
- HyeonSeung (Hanson) Lee: Abnormal Bodily Self Experiences in Schizophrenia; a comparative study of South Korea and USA (presenter link)
- Samarati Narasimhan: Differences Between Left and Right Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Using Resting-State Network fMRI and SEEG Connectivity (presenter link)
- Gabrielle Reimann: Atypical Functional Network Topology Emerges During Rest and Task Performance in Children with ADHD Symptoms (presenter link)
- Hernan Gonzalez: Relationships of Neurocognition & Abnormal Functional MRI Connectivity Between Subcortical Arousal Structures & Intrinsic Connectivity Networks in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (presenter link)
Break until top of hour
2:00 p.m.: Presentation Breakout Rooms: Presenters will be assigned a 30-minute session time to discuss their research round-robin style with fellow presenters with similar research interests as well as with other guests who join the rooms. Presenters are asked to familiarize themselves with their fellow presenter's work ahead of Science Day:
- Session 1: 2:00-2:30 p.m.
- Session 2: 2:30-3:00 p.m.
- Session 3: 3:00-3:30 p.m.
- Session 4: 3:30-4:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.: Notification of Award Winners and Closing Remarks
A Tradition With Innovation:
The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center supports basic/molecular, applied, and clinical research and training. The VKC has over 300 faculty researchers, staff, and affiliate members working together across disciplines to create basic and clinical scientific discoveries, to translate research into best practices, and to train the next generation of researchers and practitioners. The ultimate goal is to make positive differences in the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.