Baltimore Brain Series

Overview

The Baltimore Brain Series (BBS) is a multi-institutional talk series coordinated between the National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institute on Aging, the University of Maryland-Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University, in which outstanding postdoctoral fellows and graduate students are competitively selected to present their ongoing research in neuroscience at one of the partnering institutions.

We aim to provide a collegial setting for extraordinary early career researchers to showcase their work and receive constructive feedback, as well as to foster inter-institutional collaborations within the Greater Baltimore Area neuroscience community. Participation not only allows for practice and honing of presentation skills, but it also opens up career opportunities. For example, a post-doctoral fellow who gave a talk with BBS was invited back to the institution for a faculty interview and chalk talk.

Application Submission CLOSED

Applications for Spring 2026 are now closed

Next talks - Spring 2026

Tehmeena Akhter (UMB)

Host: National Institute on Drug Abuse

April 10th

11:15AM-12:15 PM

KLHL13 dysfunction causes a neurodevelopmental disorder with therapeutic relevance

Tehmeena Akhter is a PhD graduate student in Dr. Saima Riazuddin’s Lab in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her doctoral research focuses on defining how KLHL13 dysfunction contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders using complementary zebrafish, mouse, and human iPSC-derived neuronal models. with the goal of translating mechanistic insights into therapeutic strategies.

Pathik Parekh, PhD (NIA)

Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore

April 21st

12:00PM-1:00 PM

3-Monothiopomalidomide (3-MP) Across Mouse and Human-Relevant Models of Neuroinflammation: Glial Modulation and Neuroprotection

Pathik is a post-doctoral fellow at National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH in the Drug Design and Development Section (DDDS) of the Translational Gerontology Branch (TGB). His research focuses on developing and evaluating novel immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) as potential anti-inflammatory treatments for age-associated neurodegenerative disorders. Utilizing a variety of complementary cellular and in vivo models, his work aims to provide translational insights relevant to human health.

Neha Skandan (NIDA)

Host: Johns Hopkins University

March 24th

3:00PM-4:30PM

Glucocorticoid receptor blockade reverses heroin and alcohol withdrawal induced hyperalgesia in rats

Neha is a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins University, earning a B.S. in Molecular & Cellular Biology and B.A. in Public Health Studies. She is currently a Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow at NIDA, working with Dr. Leandro Vendruscolo and Dr. George Koob. She is applying to MD-PhD programs with a focus on specializing in the neurobiology of pain and addiction.

Jessica McInerney (UMB)

Host: National Institute on Drug Abuse

April 10th

11:15AM-12:15 PM

The Impact of Perinatal Fentanyl on Dopamine Neuron Circuitry and Behavior

Jessica McInerney is a Ph.D. graduate student in the lab of Dr. Mary Kay Lobo. Her research focuses on understanding the enduring transcriptional and behavioral consequences of perinatal fentanyl exposure, with a particular emphasis on the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Using molecular and behavioral approaches, her work aims to elucidate how early-life opioid exposure shapes neural circuitry and contributes to long-term neurobiological and behavioral outcomes.

Subhadeep Dutta Gupta, PhD (NIA)

Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore

April 21st

12:00-1:00 PM

Aging Shifts Social Choice: Mosaic Brain Vulnerability in a Long-Evans Rat Model of Aging

Subhadeep is a postdoctoral fellow at the Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH. Her research focuses on understanding how normal aging alters social cognition and its underlying mechanisms using a rat model. By leveraging translational behavioral approaches, her work aims to identify key determinants of brain aging, cognitive reserve, and resilience across the lifespan, with relevance to human health.

Spencer Skylar Chan (UMB)

Host: Johns Hopkins University

March 24th

3:00PM-4:30PM

Making New Connections: Quantum Computing for Functional Neural Network Analysis

Skylar is a first-year MD/PhD student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research focuses on developing quantum computing algorithms for applications in biomedical informatics, with an emphasis on computational neuroscience and oncology. Using interdisciplinary computational approaches, his work aims to advance data-driven insights and improve modeling of complex biological systems.

Fangchen Zhu (JHU)

Host: National Institute on Drug Abuse

May 8th

11:15AM-12:15 PM

Dynamics of task representation in mouse prefrontal cortex during serial reversal learning

Fangchen is a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Kishore Kuchibhotla at Johns Hopkins University. His research uses chronic two-photon imaging of mice prefrontal cortex to study how neural representations are formed and reused to support flexible cognition.

Celia Hallinan (JHU)

Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore

May 12th

12:00-1:00 PM

The Role of Sympathetic Neuron Signaling in Breast Cancer Metastasis and Therapeutic Response

Celia is a 3rd-year PhD candidate in the lab of Mikala Egeblad. Her thesis research focuses on how chronic stress and sympathetic neuron activity influences breast cancer progression, therapeutic response, and metastatic spread, with an emphasis on neural regulation of the tumor immune compartment.

Amna Aurang Zaib (UMB)

Host: Johns Hopkins University

April 21st

3:00PM-4:30PM

LLGL2 protein participate in the brain development and cognitive function, likely through regulation of glutamate neurotransmission

Amna Aurang Zaib is a final-year graduate student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her research work integrates cerebral organoid, zebrafish and mouse models to study the impact of gene dysfunction on the developing brain. She is currently leveraging this background to transition into the field of neurodegeneration through the development of iPSC-based system.

Andrea Santi, PhD (JHU)

Host: National Institute on Drug Abuse

May 8th

11:15AM-12:15 PM

Revealing hidden knowledge in amnestic mice

Andrea is as an Alzheimer’s Association Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, where she uses longitudinal neural recordings and behavior analyses to understand selective vulnerabilities of different cell types and neuronal circuits involved in sensorimotor learning and context-dependent memory retrieval in Alzheimer's disease.

Sunil Jamuna Tripathi, PhD (JHU)

Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore

May 12th

12:00-1:00 PM

Treatment with an Aminopropyl Carbazole Compound Reduces Mutant Huntingtin Aggregation and Mitigates Disease Phenotypes in Huntington’s Disease Models

Sunil is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Paul Lab at Johns Hopkins University. His work focuses on screening novel small molecules to identify disease-modifying targets for neurodegenerative disorders. He earned his Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from NIMHANS, India (2018), where he identified an amygdala-prefrontal circuit involved in stress-related brain and behavioral changes.

Aketzali Garcia, PhD (NIDA)

Host: Johns Hopkins University

April 21st

3:00PM-4:30PM

The role of lateral hypothalamic GABAergic neurons in feeding during opioid administration

Aketzali Garcia is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program. She studies how GABAergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus modulate food intake and body weight during opioid dependence, and how these neurons encode neural responses to acute and chronic morphine exposure.

Contact

To obtain the Zoom link for virtual talks, or for any queries regarding the selection process, abstract submission or any other information on the BBS, please email our co-directors or any member of the organizing committee. We are happy to answer any questions!

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