BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260319T040756EDT-4295uUNWCF@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20260319T080756Z DESCRIPTION:\nThe Neuro Epilepsy Day 2026: Epilepsy Across Multiple Scales  \n\nThe Neuro Epilepsy Day will be a full-day program\, exploring epilepsy research and treatment across all scales: molecular\, cellular\, circuit\ , and connectome.\n\n\nRegister Now\n\nTo watch online\, click here\n\n\nC all for Abstracts\n\nWe invite undergraduate\, graduate\, and postdoctoral trainees to submit abstracts for poster presentations at The Neuro Epilep sy Day 2026. \n\nWe encourage abstracts at any stage of a project’s develo pment—from literature reviews and research questions to pilot data and ong oing studies.\n\nSubmission deadline: March 23\, 2026\n\nSubmit Your Abstr act Here\n\nSelected abstracts will be featured in the poster session\, an d five outstanding posters will be invited to give a short oral presentati on during the program.\n\n\n\n \n Programme\n Speakers\n The Pierre Gloor Lect ure\n Location\n Sponsors\n Scientific Committee\n \n\n \n Thursday\, May 28\, 2 026\n\n Preliminary Program \n\n \n \n \n 9:15\n \n Arrival & Registration\n \n \n \n 9:30\n \n Lab Tours\n\n Neuroimaging\, EEG/FMRI\, MEG\,\n \n \n \n 10:45\n \n Wel come and Introduction\n\n Boris Bernhardt\, PhD\n Associate Professor of Neu rology and Neurosurgery\n Epilepsy Group Leader (Research)\, The Neuro\n \n \n \n 11:00\n \n Keynote Lectures\n\n Improving Epilepsy Surgery Planning Using MR Fingerprinting\n\n Irene Wang\, PhD\n Research Director and Staff Scient ist\n Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center\n\n Networks\n\n Seok-Jun Hong\, PhD\n Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Department\, SKKU\n Sungkyunk wan University - VRƵ\n\n Surgical Approaches and Innovations in FCD\n\n Roy William Dudley\, FRCSC\n Assistant Professor\, Department of Pediatric Surgery\, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery\n Montreal Child ren's Hospital\n\n Alexander G. Weil\, FRCSC\, FACS\n Associate Professor\, Neurosurgeon\, Researcher\, Director\n University of Montreal - Sainte-Just ine Hospital Research Centre\n\n Jeffery Allan Hall\, FRCSC\n Assistant Prof essor of Neurology and Neurosurgery\n Epilepsy Programme\, Neurosurgery Cli nic\, Brain Tumour Clinic\n\n Sami Obaid\, MD\, PhD\, FRCSC Clinical Assist ant Professor\, Neurosurgeon Department of Surgery\, Faculty of Medicine C entre hospitaliser de l'Université de Montréal\n \n \n \n 1:00\n \n Lunch and Po ster Session\n \n \n \n 2:00\n \n Oral Presentations\n \n \n \n 3:00\n \n Coffee Break \n \n \n \n 3:15\n \n Pierre Gloor Lecture\n\n Brain Mosaicism in Epilepsies and Cortical Malformations\n Stéphanie Baulac\, PhD\n Research director and Grou p Leader\n Inserm and Paris Brain Institute (ICM)\n \n \n \n 4:15\n \n Discussion Panel\n\n Samantha Audrain\, PhD \n\n Alexander Barnett\, PhD \n\n Stéphanie  Baulac\, PhD \n\n Andrea Bernasconi\, MD  \n\n Boris Bernhardt\, PhD \n\n Ne da Ladbon-Bernasconi\, PhD  \n\n Sara Lariviere\, PhD  \n\n Raluca Pana\, MD \, FRCP\, CSCN \n\n Myriam Srour\, MDCM\, PhD \n \n \n \n 5:00\n \n Cocktail Rece ption (onsite)\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n Speakers\n\n Keynotes:\n\n Irene Wang | Improv ing Epilepsy Surgery Planning Using MR Fingerprinting\n\n Dr. Irene Wang is the Research Director and Full Staff at the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Cen ter and an Associate Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Her research advances surgical treatments for MRI-ne gative epilepsy patients through innovative imaging and neurophysiology te chniques. As a trained biomedical engineer with a strong foundation in cli nical neurophysiology and neuroimaging\, Dr. Wang has pioneered the integr ation of advanced imaging into clinical practice to enhance patient care. She has authored over 120 peer-reviewed papers and serves as Associate Edi tor for Epilepsia. Dr. Wang has received continuous support from the Natio nal Institute of Health and serves as a charter member of the NIH Imaging Technology for Neuroscience study section. Dr. Wang also chairs the MRI Da ta Task Force of the ILAE Big Data Commission and serves on the Imaging Ta sk Force of the ILAE Diagnostic Methods Commission.\n \n Improving Epilepsy Surgery Planning Using MR Fingerprinting\n\n This talk will focus on MR Fin gerprinting (MRF)\, a novel quantitative MRI technique that enables simult aneous acquisition of multiple tissue parameters within a single\, time-ef ficient acquisition\, providing a comprehensive multiparametric characteri zation of brain tissue properties. The talk will include clinical examples and studies demonstrating the added value of MRF for detection and subtyp e characterization of focal cortical dysplasia\, including cases with subt le or nonlesional findings on conventional MRI. The talk will further expl ore the potential of MRF-derived tissue metrics to inform in vivo epilepto genicity in more complex malformations of cortical development\, such as p eriventricular nodular heterotopia and polymicrogyria. Together\, these ex amples illustrate how MRF can enhance presurgical localization\, optimize SEEG implantation\, and improve prognostication for epilepsy surgery candi dates.\n\n  \n\n Stéphanie Baulac | Pierre Gloor Lecture\n\n Stéphanie Baulac is a Research Director at Inserm and Group Leader at the Paris Brain Inst itute (ICM) of the MOSAIC Team « Genetic Mosaicism in Epilepsy and Neurode velopmental Disorders » Her team implements a comprehensive translational approach spanning from the identification and characterization of somatic mutations in brain tissues obtained from patients undergoing epilepsy surg ery to in-depth functional analysis\, combining functional testing on pati ent-derived brain organoids\, and mouse models. \n \n Brain Mosaicism in Epi lepsies and Cortical Malformations\n Focal cortical dysplasia type II (FCDI I) is a cortical malformation causing refractory epilepsy\, resulting from developmental somatic mutations in mTOR pathway genes. To understand how these mutations create a mosaic pattern of affected cells and lead to cort ical dyslamination\, we performed comprehensive single-nucleus analyses of surgical samples from genetically-characterized FCDII patients. By combin ing genotyping and transcriptomics at single-cell resolution\, we revealed that mutations predominantly affect glutamatergic neurons and astrocytes\ , creating distinct transcriptional programs in both mutated and non-mutat ed cells. This mosaicism drives cell-type-specific dysregulation of synapt ic and neurodevelopmental pathways that likely contribute to epileptogenes is. Notably\, our analysis of cytomegalic cells uncovered pronounced alter ations in mitochondrial metabolism pathways and cellular senescence. We un cover a signature associated with cellular senescence in abnormal FCDII ce lls and further provide evidence in preclinical FCDII mouse models that se nolytic agents could offer a novel therapeutic strategy for this disorder. \n\n  \n\n Seok-Jun Hong\n\n - Seok-Jun Hong\, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering\, and Brain Science and Engin eering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and also affiliated with the Cent er for Neuroscience Imaging Research\, IBS in S. Korea. Before joining to SKKU\, he was a postdoctoral research fellow in Child Mind Institute at Ne w York\, working with Drs. Michael Milham and Adriana Di Martino\, and bef ore that\, in MNI with Dr. Boris Bernhardt. Dr. Hong’s previous research h as focused on advanced in-vivo multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of ty pical and atypical brain development (epilepsy and autism)\, especially ta rgeting a large-scale brain network organization. Building upon expertise in computer science\, statistics and neuroinformatics\, he has developed o riginal approaches to quantitatively describe connectome principles and it s developmental process in the human brain. These days\, his interest is h ow to inform biological inductive biases learned from the human brain to b uild up large-scale biophysical neural network models.\n \n Advanced Brain I maging in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Semantic Mapping\, Multimodal DBS Modeling\, and MRI Lesion Synthesis\n The recent integration of advanced co mputational neuroimaging with AI and biophysical modeling is catalyzing a paradigmatic shift in the clinical management of children with neurodevelo pmental disorders. This evolution spans the entire translational continuum —from early diagnosis and mechanistic understanding to personalized therap eutic interventions. In this talk\, I will discuss three distinct yet inte rconnected proof-of-concept cases that illustrate the power of these appro aches. First\, to uncover the neurobiological principles underlying clinic al behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)\, I will discuss our recent findings using naturalistic movie-viewing fMRI to construct high-dimensio nal semantic maps. I will demonstrate how these maps reveal age-dependent distortions in ASD\, their correlation with symptom severity\, and their u tility in parsing phenotypic heterogeneity into distinct neurobiological s ubtypes. Second\, I will present ongoing research regarding Deep Brain Sti mulation (DBS) in epilepsy. We demonstrate how multimodal MRI can be lever aged to predict DBS efficacy by modeling the structural and functional pat hways associated with the seizure focus. Notably\, we investigate the spec ific network mechanisms that dictate the success or failure of these neuro modulatory interventions\, providing a framework for optimized surgical ta rgeting. Third\, I will explore the emerging role of Generative AI in medi cal imaging\, specifically through the lens of MRI lesion synthesis. This section highlights how synthetic data can augment epilepsy research and im prove diagnostic inference\, particularly in clinical scenarios where high -quality data is sparse. Finally\, I will conclude by outlining how these advanced computational frameworks are accelerating the realization of prec ision medicine in neurodevelopmental conditions and offer my outlook on th e future landscape of the field.\n\n  \n\n Sami Obaïd | Surgical approaches and innovations in FCD\n\n - Dr. Sami Obaïd\, M.D.\, Ph.D.\, is a neurosur geon specializing in epilepsy at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of S urgery at the Université de Montréal. He is also a principal investigator at the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM)\, where he leads the ONSET lab. His s urgical practice is dedicated to epilepsy surgery\, and in 2024\, he was a warded the prestigious FRQS Junior 1 Researcher status. He underwent speci alized training\, including a fellowship in epilepsy surgery at Yale Unive rsity and a Ph.D. in structural neuroimaging applied to focal epilepsy. Dr . Obaïd focuses his clinical and scientific activities on the identificati on\, selection\, presurgical evaluation\, operative and postoperative mana gement of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy through innovative neuroim aging techniques. Recognized early for his contributions to research\, an asteroid was named in his honor: the minor planet Obaïd (21712). He has al so been named a Distinguished Citizen of Canada for his scientific achieve ments\, listed among the “Top 20 Under 20”\, and one of his articles was a warded Discovery of the Year 2022 at the CRCHUS. He recently had the honor of serving as a guest co-speaker alongside astronaut Chris Hadfield\, ref lecting the reach of his work and his commitment to science communication. A few months ago\, he also signed the Golden Book of the King of Morocco in recognition of his academic and scientific accomplishments. At the ONSE T laboratory\, Dr. Obaïd currently supervises 22 graduate students and two research assistants\, actively contributing to the training of the next g eneration of neuroscientists.\n\n  \n\n Roy Dudley | Associate Professor\, M cGill University Health Centre\n\n - Roy Dudley MD\, PhD is a an Associate Professor at VRƵ and a Pediatric Neurosurgeon at the Montre al Children's Hospital and the Montreal Neurological Hospital. He did his undergraduate studies in Biology and Mathematics at Memorial University of Newfoundland\, and his PhD in Experimental Medicine at VRƵ and the MNI with the late George Karpati. He returned to Newfoundland for Medical Sch ool and came back to the MNI for Neurosurgery residency under the epilepsy surgery tutelage of Jeffery Hall and Andre Olivier. He then did his Pedia tric Neurosurgery Fellowship at the University of Colorado in Denver. Dr. Dudley specializes in epilepsy surgery and is an FRSQ-sponsored clinical i nvestigator with research program focused on optimizing the presurgical ev aluation of focal epilepsy patients using advanced neuroimaging and electr ophysiology\, improving the intraoperative localization of malformations o f cortical development\, such as focal cortical dysplasia\, and overcoming the limitation of spatial coverage with SEEG.\n\n Novel Methods in SEEG to Optimize Epileptogenic Zone Localization and Functional Mapping: Overcomi ng the Limitation of Spatial Coverage\n\n Surgical treatment of refractory focal epilepsy can be curative and should be considered as early as possib le\, particularly in children. In challenging (usually MRI-negative) cases \, an intracerebral investigation via stereo-EEG (SEEG) is often necessary to localize the epileptogenic zone (EZ). Despite advanced neuroimaging/el ectrophysiology techniques and robotic technology\, the outcome of SEEG ha s improved little in 70 years\, the main drawbacks being the often-ill-inf ormed pre-implantation hypotheses and the sparse coverage of the brain\, r esulting in under-sampling or completely missing the EZ and/or its borders \, and suboptimal stimulation for functional mapping. Our ongoing research aims to overcome these drawbacks of SEEG by (1) improving the pre-implant ation hypothesis using novel methods in magnetoencephalography (MEG)\, suc h as virtual electrodes\, (2) optimizing SEEG signal analysis via simultan eous MEG/SEEG\, and (3) refining SEEG-based functional mapping via novel a nalysis (i.e.\, video/SEEG correlates) of spontaneous movements and optimi zing the stimulation parameters used to illicit ictal versus normal respon ses.\n\n  \n\n Jeffery Allan Hall | Epilepsy Neurosurgeon MNI-H\, Associate Professor VRƵ\n\n - Dr. Hall completed undergraduate and graduate degre es in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience before medical training. His Neurosurgical Residency and Fellowship in the Surgery of Epilepsy were completed at VRƵ/MNI-H. He has been an Attending on the Epilepsy Servi ce at the MNI-H for more than 20 years. Dr. Hall is fascinated by the intr oduction of new technology to foster novel treatment options. Over the pas t decade\, he has become interested in the strengths and limitations of Ra dio-Frequency Thermo-Coagulation via implanted electrodes (SEEG) as a pote ntial therapeutic intervention.\n\n Radio-Frequency Thermo-Coagulation via Stereoelectroencephalography\n\n This presentation will briefly review the history of Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) as initially proposed and t he relevant advances with new materials and techniques. For more than two decades\, commercial electrodes have been used to create lesions via Radio -Frequency Thermo-Coagulation (RF-TC). Lesion generation will be demonstra ted ex vivo. Factors which influence lesion size and geometry will be disc ussed. Patient cases will be shown with the view that some pathologies und erlying intractable epilepsy may be more amenable to RF-TC.\n\n \n \n\n \n The Pierre Gloor Lecture\n\n The Pierre Gloor Lecture celebrates the life and legacy of Pierre Gloor (1923–2003)\, who joined The Neuro (Montreal Neurol ogical Institute-Hospital) in 1952 as a fellow in electroencephalography a nd neurophysiology. He trained under Wilder Penfield and Herbert Jasper an d earned his PhD from VRƵ in 1957. Gloor collaborated closel y with clinical and research teams at The Neuro in advancing the understan ding and treatment of epilepsy\, gaining international recognition for his contributions to the field.\n\n Brain Mosaicism in Epilepsies and Cortical Malformations\n\n Speaker: Stéphanie Baulac\, PhD\n Research director and G roup Leader\n Inserm and Paris Brain Institute (ICM)\n\n Focal cortical dysp lasia type II (FCDII) is a cortical malformation causing refractory epilep sy\, resulting from developmental somatic mutations in mTOR pathway genes. To understand how these mutations create a mosaic pattern of affected cel ls and lead to cortical dyslamination\, we performed comprehensive single- nucleus analyses of surgical samples from genetically-characterized FCDII patients. By combining genotyping and transcriptomics at single-cell resol ution\, we revealed that mutations predominantly affect glutamatergic neur ons and astrocytes\, creating distinct transcriptional programs in both mu tated and non-mutated cells. This mosaicism drives cell-type-specific dysr egulation of synaptic and neurodevelopmental pathways that likely contribu te to epileptogenesis. Notably\, our analysis of cytomegalic cells uncover ed pronounced alterations in mitochondrial metabolism pathways and cellula r senescence. We uncover a signature associated with cellular senescence i n abnormal FCDII cells and further provide evidence in preclinical FCDII m ouse models that senolytic agents could offer a novel therapeutic strategy for this disorder.\n\n  \n\n \n \n\n \n Location\n\n The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital is at 3801 University Street\, north of Pine Avenue West\, on the VRƵ campus opposite the former Royal Victoria Hospital.\n\n Montreal is served by highway Routes 10\, 15\, 20 and 40\, a nd by Greyhound Bus\, Via Rail and the P-E-Trudeau airport. In the city\, bus and metro service is provided by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).\n\n Wheelchair access\n\n A wheelchair accessible entrance is on Univ ersity Street north of the main entrance. Another wheelchair accessible en trance is in the loading area behind the building: to enter the loading ar ea\, turn into the driveway south of the main entrance. Please note\, ther e is no parking in the loading area.\n\n Parking\n\n Parking near the MNI is sometimes difficult. There are parking meters on University Street and a parking lot north of the main entrance. To enter the lot\, turn right into the driveway toward Molson Stadium.\n\n Information about parking fees\n\n Taxi Stand\n\n There is a taxi stand on University Street across from the m ain entrance. You may call a cab from the free taxi phone in the main lobb y near the Security Desk.\n\n Access by Public Transportation (STM website) \n\n Bus\n\n There are four bus stops within walking distance:\n\n \n Bus 144 stops at Pine Avenue and University Street\n Bus 356 stops at Sherbrooke St reet and University Street (Nightbus)\n Bus 107 stops at Pine Avenue and Do cteur Penfield\n Bus 24 stops at Sherbrooke Street and University Street\n \n\n Metro\n\n Take the Metro Green Line to the VRƵ station. Walk north o n University Street and cross Pine Avenue. The main entrance is on the rig ht\, past the flags.\n\n Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre\n\n \n Enter the main lo bby\, turn left\, and go down the hallway to the end.\n Turn right and go d own the second hallway until you see another hallway on the left.\n This ha llway leads to the Jeanne Timmins Foyer.\n On your right are the Jeanne Tim mins Amphitheatre entrance doors.\n \n \n\n \n Sponsors \n\n \n \n\n \n Scientific Committee\n\n Sam Audrain\n\n Alexander Barnett\n\n Boris Bernhardt\n\n Sara Larivière\n\n Raluca Pana\n\n Debbie Rashcovsky\n\n Myriam Srour\n\n  \n\n \n \n \n DTSTART:20260528T131500Z DTEND:20260528T210000Z LOCATION:Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre\, The Neuro SUMMARY:The Neuro Epilepsy Day 2026: Epilepsy Across Multiple Scales URL:/spot/channels/event/neuro-epilepsy-day-2026-epile psy-across-multiple-scales-368975 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR