Schedule
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time | |
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3:00PM | Registration Opens |
4:00PM | Room Check-In |
5:00PM | Reception & Opening Remarks Dr. Antoine Dufour - Chair Dr. Cheryl Barnabe - Institute Director |
6:00PM | Dinner |
7:00PM | Keynote Lecture: Dr. Matthew Bogyo Chemical probes to target proteases involved in inflammation This presentation will cover the development of covalent probes that target proteases such as the lysosomal cysteine cathepsins and their application in imaging sites of inflammation. The presentation will also cover the development of probes with high specificity for target tissues using AND-gate logic in which the activity of multiple proteases is required to produce a signal. |
8:00PM | Trainee Poster Session |
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Time | |
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8:00AM | Breakfast |
8:30AM | Invited Talk: Dr. Olivier Julien Defining the role of proteolysis in living & dying cells Proteases regulate key biological processes, such as apoptosis, cell differentiation and viral infections. The dysregulation of caspases, for example, underlies several human diseases including cancer and immunity. Proteomic results identifying apoptotic and non-apoptotic caspase substrates will be presented. |
9:00AM | Keynote Lecture: Dr. Gillian Hawker The osteoarthritis pain experience How people with OA experience joint pain is influenced by a multitude of biomedical and psychosocial factors. Beyond assessment of OA burden, elucidating patterns of OA pain may help us to understand underlying disease mechanisms, assess structural progression and, ultimately, identify therapeutic targets. |
10:00AM | Break |
10:30AM | Trainee Talks |
11:30AM | Invited Talk: Dr. Kelsey Collins Osteoarthritis as a systemic disease of interorgan crosstalk |
12:00PM | Lunch |
1:00PM | Group Activity |
5:00PM | Invited Talk: Dr. Holly Sparks |
5:30PM | Invited Talk: Dr. Mohit Kapoor Endo-phenotyping osteoarthritis using multi-omic approach This talk will describe the utility of high throughput omic approaches to understand the complex joint destructive mechanisms and endo-phenotypes of osteoarthritis. |
6:00PM | Dinner |
7:00PM | Keynote Lecture: Dr. Tom Appleton The evolution of osteoarthritis: from cartilage wear to synovial joint organ failure Our understanding of osteoarthritis has shifted from a disease of cartilage degeneration to one of whole synovial joint organ failure. This keynote will trace that evolution, highlighting how clinical features, synovial tissue damage, and innate immune responses both protect and drive joint failure. These insights open the door to more precise strategies for diagnosis and disease modification. |
Friday, March 13, 2026
Time | |
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8:00AM | Breakfast |
8:30AM | Invited Talk: Dr. Roman Krawetz The role of proteoglycan 4 in maintaining joint homeostasis Understand the Cellular Role of Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) in Joint Homeostasis: Explore how PRG4 regulates cellular signaling and cellular phenotype within synovial and cartilage tissue. Examine the Impact of PRG4 on Stem and Progenitor Cell Function in the joint: Discuss how PRG4 influences the maintenance, differentiation, and regenerative potential of stem and progenitor cells in synovial, cartilage and bone tissue. Investigate the Consequences of PRG4 Dysregulation on Cellular Dysfunction and Disease: Evaluate Prg4’s potential as a therapeutic target for joint-related disorders. |
9:00AM | Keynote Lecture: Dr. Nidhi Bhutani |
10:00AM | Break |
10:30AM | Trainee Talks |
11:30AM | Invited Talk: Dr. Sarah Manske Multi-modal imaging to impact osteoarthritis Advances in imaging enable investigations into OA pathogenesis. In particular, multi-modal techniques facilitate imaging of bone and soft tissues to understand how tissues interact. This talk will include a focus on recent updates in CT imaging for application in OA. |
12:00PM | Closing Remarks & Trainee Awards Dr. Antoine Dufour - Chair |