agenda
Monday, September 28th
8:00AM - 8:45AM
RIG Leaders Meeting
ECI Committee Member Meeting
9:00AM - 9:10AM
Welcome Remarks
9:10am - 9:55am
Keynote Presentation
KJ Patel, University of Oxford and Cancer Research, UK
Plenary Session 1: Infection & Immunity
9:55AM - 10:15AM
Invited Speaker Talk: Gut-Brain Signalling in Zebrafish | Caroline Wee, Singapore
10:15AM - 10:27AM
Macrophage adaptation to hypoxia in the tuberculous granuloma potentiates mycobacterium-induced mitochondrial damage and granuloma necrosis | Michal Eisenberg-Bord, UK
10:27AM - 10:39AM
Granuloma macrophage focal adhesions at the necrotic core are essential to host-defense against mycobacteria in humans and zebrafish | Charlie Pyle, USA
10:39AM - 10:51PM
Guanylate-binding proteins differentially regulate macrophage and neutrophil inflammatory functions during mycobacterial infection | Mayra Alejandra, Netherlands
10:51PM - 11:03PM
Macrophage v-ATPase function restrains Aspergillus fumigatus germination and hyphal growth In Vivo | Aqib Magray, India
11:03PM - 11:10PM
Flash Talks
Immuno-protective effects of stress: Acute stress-induced macrophage redistribution increases barrier immunity in zebrafish | Erin Faught, Netherlands
An RNA Switch for Inflammation: ELAVL1 Links Tanshinones to Neutrophil Control | Catherine Loyne, UK
Live Imaging the Wound Inflammatory Response and the Consequences of Disrupted Circadian Clocks on Angiogenesis and Collagen Deposition | Mark Naven, UK
11:10am-11:30AM
Coffee Break
PLENARY SESSION 2: Cancer I
11:30AM - 11:50AM
Invited Speaker Talk: Gene Regulation | Ferenc Mueller, UK
11:50AM - 12:02PM
Oncogenic competence in fusion-driven rhabdomyosarcoma | Genevieve Kendall, USA
12:02PM - 12:14PM
Development of CAR T therapy for Ewing sarcoma using zebrafish in vivo models | Yongfeng Luo, USA
12:14PM - 12:26PM
A Novel Zebrafish Model of Multifocal Primary Disease and Spontaneous Tumor Regression in Neuroblastoma | Nicole Anderson, USA
12:26PM - 12:37PM
Chromatin compartment reorganization drives a MITF-decoupled therapeutically vulnerable resistant state in melanoma | Maggie Chasse, USA
12:37PM - 12:45PM
Flash Talks
Targeting lipid transfer from macrophages to recurrent glioblastoma cells for novel therapies | Gabriel Forn-Cuni, Netherlands
Temporal control of zebrafish Kmt2a-AF9 reveals stage-specific leukemogenic outcomes. | Amber Ide, USA
Trajectory-based transcriptomic analysis identifies NFIL3 as a key regulator of neutrophil reprogramming in the preneoplastic niche | Gabriela Marinescu, UK
12:45pm-2:00pm
Lunch
1:00PM - 2:00PM: concurrent RIG Meet Ups
AGING RIG: Presentations by:
SkinMap: A spatial atlas of zebrafish skin across anatomic space | Johana Itzel Ramos-Galguera
Senescence-mediated recruitment of macrophages in a pre-cancer model of liver cancer | Charlene Chen
CANCER RIG: Presentations by:
HDAC6/HDAC8 combined targeting as a novel therapeutic strategy for Glioblastoma Multiforme: an integrative in vitro and in vivo study | Gaia Galassi
Targeting vasculogenic mimicry to treat relapsed and metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma | Joseph Wragg
Fatty Acids Promote Inter-cellular Transfer of Chromatin Factors in Melanoma Tumour Microenvironment | Sinan Xiong
Early Metastatic Dissemination in High-Risk Neuroblastoma Facilitates Divergent Genetic Evolution | Kyle Woodward
DRUG DISCOVERY RIG: Presentations by:
Identification of bioactive compounds from fungi using zebrafish embryos | Jeroen den Hartog
Neuroprotective effects of grape-derived polyphenol treatment: risk: benefit illustrated in two zebrafish larval models of neuronal loss | Kelly Ross
Assessment of K21 Drug Candidate Activity in Zebrafish NF-κB Signaling and LPS-Induced Inflammation | Timothy Pham
Uncovering the Neuro-Immune Axis and CD24 as Parallel Drivers of Innate Immune Evasion in Colorectal Cancer | Rita Fior
GI & METABOLISM RIG: Presentations by:
Lipidomic signatures of CLN8 deficiency: stage-dependent remodeling and Ceramide Sulfatide imbalance in zebrafish brain | Sara Bernardi
NAD+ metabolism in heart regeneration | Konstantinos Lekkos
Dual protective roles of hepatic macrophages in cholesterol recycling and immune surveillance in the liver | Celia Shiau
HEMATOLOGY RIG: Presentations by:
Origins of primitive erythropoiesis in zebrafish | Ondrej Svoboda
The mTOR/Eif4e1c axis controls oncogene silencing and defines a therapeutic target in myeloid leukemia | Alba Jimenez-Blaya
Effects of GATA2 missense mutations on HSPC generation in zebrafish | Iris Peters
Human MYC Overexpression in Zebrafish Lymphoblasts Triggers Diverse Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Subtypes | Jose Juan Macias
INFECTION & INFLAMMATION RIG: Presentations by:
Programmed Cell Death Pathways Coordinate Neutrophil and Macrophage Clearance in Zebrafish and Are Differentially Exploited by Salmonella Typhimurium | Sylwia Tyrkalska
Development of a Zebrafish Larvae Corneal Injury Platform to Investigate Immune Cell Dynamics in Microbial Keratitis | Kelvin Cheng
Beyond the Gut: Human Norovirus Replicates in Hepatocytes and Other Liver Cells in Zebrafish Larvae | Lorane Molineaux
Expansion of proNeu drives hematopoietic bias-engaged trained immunity in zebrafish | Dahai Yang
SKELETAL SYSTEM DISEASE RIG: Presentations by:
Elemental and Molecular Mapping of the Skeletal Joint Cells | Tatjana Haitina
Exploring the Role of Mohawk Homeobox A in the Musculoskeletal System | Tatjana Haitina
Patient-specific zebrafish models reveal a complex phenotypic spectrum in NBAS-associated Atypical Osteogenesis Imperfecta | Sookyung Seo
Zebrafish type V collagen can act as a surrogate for human type III collagen for Vascular EhlersDanlos Syndrome disease modelling for improving VUS reclassification | Daniel Baird
Combination therapy targeting HDAC8 and SIRT1 improves muscle integrity in a dmd zebrafish model | Sabrina Carbone
plenary session 3:organ development and physiology I
2:00PM - 2:20PM
Invited Speaker Talk: Morphogenesis Mystery: How to Build a Beating Heart | Rashmi Priya, UK
2:20PM - 2:34PM
Dietary protein absorption in the ileum is regulated by regional metabolism of circulating lipoproteins | John Rawls, USA
2:34PM - 2:46PM
Gene regulatory programs in zebrafish enteric nervous system development and disease | Julia Ganz, USA
2:46PM - 2:58PM
Regional intestinal wounding during early life leads to imperfect regeneration and deployment of a metaplastic regional program | Peyton Moore , USA
2:58PM - 3:10PM
Defining Dietary Conditions Driving MASLD-to-MASH Transition in Early Zebrafish Larvae | Gulcin Cakan Akdogan, Turkey
3:10PM - 3:30PM
Flash Talks
UHRF1 Overexpression Generates Distinct Senescent States That Promote Cancer Evolution | Kirsten C. Sadler, UAE
Distinct transcriptional programs in acinar-derived and ductal-derived pancreatic tumours revealed by single cell RNA sequencing | Elisa Déom, Belgium
3:20PM-3:40PM
COFFeE BREAK
Plenary SESSION 4: Regeneration & Stem Cell Biology
3:40PM - 4:00PM
Invited Speaker Talk: CRISPR-Cas RNA-targeting optimizations and screenings in vivo | Miguel Moreno Mateos, Spain
4:00PM - 4:12PM
Phagocytic macrophages and B cells drive sequential immune mechanisms required for cardiac regeneration in the Mexican cavefish | Esra Sengul, UK
4:12PM - 4:24PM
Musashi1 couples Notch repression to mTOR signalling to promote Müller glial reprogramming | Vincent Tropepe, Canada
4:24PM - 4:36PM
A tissue-specific Calreticulin code mediates macrophage interactions in regeneration of multiple organ systems | Damien Laouteouet, USA
4:36PM - 4:48PM
Macrophage-derived signals synergize neutrophil-mediated regeneration of the olfactory epithelium in the adult zebrafish | Valerie Wittamer, Belgium
5:00PM - 6:00PM
Fish & Chips - "Train to Debate: The Future of Animal Research"
Organized by the Advocacy & Early Career Investigators Committees
A debate can do something that standard scientific talks often fail to do expose hidden assumptions, sharpen arguments, and train researchers to effectively communicate with policymakers, funders, journalists, and the public. Join us for a high-energy, friendly debate designed to help zebrafish researchers understand the strengths and weaknesses of our favorite model organism and master the art of advocacy at a time when in vivo funding and legislation face unprecedented external pressure.
6:00PM - 7:30PM
Welcome Reception and Poster Session 1
Optional - ECI Social Event