Sunday
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm
Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff / Welcome from the GRC Chair
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm
Keynote Session: Latest Updates in Skin Biology
Discussion Leaders: Shigeto Shimmura (Keio University School of Medicine, Japan) and Julie Daniels (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, United Kingdom)
7:40 pm - 7:45 pm
Opening Remarks
7:45 pm - 7:50 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:50 pm - 8:20 pm
Fiona Watt (King's College London, United Kingdom)
"Exploring the Transition from Stem Cell to Differentiated Cell in Human Epidermis"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pm
Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:05 pm
Emi Nishimura (Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan)
"Stem Cell-Centric Mechanisms of Hair Follicle Aging"
9:05 pm - 9:20 pm
Discussion
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
General Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Ocular Surface and Lacrimal Gland
Discussion Leader: Darlene Dartt (Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, USA)
9:00 am - 9:05 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:05 am - 9:25 am
Kazuo Tsubota (Keio University School of Medicine, Japan)
"Science of Tearing"
9:25 am - 9:35 am
Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am
Stefan Schrader (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany)
"Development of Causative Treatment Strategies for Lacrimal Gland Insufficiency by Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy"
9:55 am - 10:05 am
Discussion
10:05 am - 10:15 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Sunwoong Kim (University of California, Irvine, USA)
"PPAR Signaling Regulates Meibocyte Differentiation of Cultured Human Meibomian Gland Epithelial Cells (hMGEC)"
10:15 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Ulrike Hampel (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany)
"Effect of Intermittent Shear Stress on Corneal Epithelial Cells Using an In Vitro Flow Culture Model"
10:30 am - 10:35 am
Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am
Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am
Sarah Knox (University of California, San Francisco, USA)
"Neuronal Control of Lacrimal Gland Development and Regeneration"
11:25 am - 11:35 am
Discussion
11:35 am - 11:55 am
Pablo Argueso (Harvard Medical School, USA)
"Glycosylation Pathways in Ocular Surface Disease"
11:55 am - 12:05 pm
Discussion
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Xin Zhang (Columbia University, USA)
"Pea3 Transcription Factors Determine the Lacrimal Gland Cell Fate"
12:15 pm - 12:20 pm
Discussion
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
General Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Power Hour
The GRC Power Hour is an optional informal gathering open to all meeting participants. It is designed to help address the challenges women face in science and support the professional growth of women in our communities by providing an open forum for discussion and mentoring.
Organizer: Shukti Chakravarti (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Discussion Leader: Suzanne Fleiszig (University of California, Berkeley, USA)
7:30 pm - 7:35 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:35 pm - 7:55 pm
Nicole Carnt (UNSW Sydney, Australia)
"The Host Immune Response to Corneal Infection: The Battle Between the Bug and the Body"
7:55 pm - 8:05 pm
Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:25 pm
Michael Gilmore (Harvard Medical School, USA)
"The Continuing Challenge of Antibiotic Resistance in Corneal Infection"
8:25 pm - 8:35 pm
Discussion
8:35 pm - 8:55 pm
Linda Hazlett (Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA)
"Pseudomonas : Pathogenesis, Proteomics and Licorice"
8:55 pm - 9:05 pm
Discussion
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Pushpa Rao (Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA)
"Development of Hypoxia and Prevalence of Glycolytic Metabolism in Herpes Stromal Keratitis Lesions"
9:15 pm - 9:20 pm
Discussion
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
General Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Stromal Development, Disease and Therapy
Discussion Leader: Peter Lwigale (Rice University, USA)
9:00 am - 9:05 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:05 am - 9:25 am
Andrew Quantock (Cardiff University, United Kingdom)
"Developmental Dynamics of the Corneal Extracellular Matrix"
9:25 am - 9:35 am
Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am
Rajiv Mohan (University of Missouri, USA)
"Combination Gene Therapy for Treating Corneal Scarring and Angiogenesis"
9:55 am - 10:05 am
Discussion
10:05 am - 10:15 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Anna Babushkina (Rice University, USA)
"Periocular Neural Crest Differentiation into Corneal Cells Is Dependent on Cues from the Ocular Environment"
10:15 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Paola Bargagna-Mohan (University of Connecticut Health Center, USA)
"Corneal Myofibroblasts: Evidence of Differentiation from Adult Schwann Cells"
10:30 am - 10:35 am
Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am
Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am
Shukti Chakravarti (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
"Small Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteoglycans of the ECM Regulate Innate and Adaptive Immunity"
11:25 am - 11:35 am
Discussion
11:35 am - 11:55 am
Sayan Basu (L V Prasad Eye Institute, India)
"Limbal Mesenchymal/Stromal Stem Cells: Role in Corneal Wound Healing and Regeneration"
11:55 am - 12:05 pm
Discussion
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Luciana Lassance Dibbin (Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, USA)
"Fibrocytes Migrate to the Cornea and Differentiate into Myofibroblasts During the Wound Healing Response to Injury"
12:15 pm - 12:20 pm
Discussion
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
General Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Translational Research: In Search of New Therapies
Discussion Leader: Natalie Afshari (University of California, San Diego, USA)
7:30 pm - 7:35 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:35 pm - 7:55 pm
Graziella Pellegrini (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy)
"Corneal Stem Cells Mimicking In Vitro Niches"
7:55 pm - 8:05 pm
Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:25 pm
Shigeru Kinoshita (Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan)
"Translational Research on Corneal Endothelial Regeneration"
8:25 pm - 8:35 pm
Discussion
8:35 pm - 8:55 pm
George Cotsarelis (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
"The Hair Follicle at the Center of Skin Regeneration"
8:55 pm - 9:05 pm
Discussion
9:05 pm - 9:20 pm
Ryuhei Hayashi (Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Japan)
"Co-Ordinated Generation of Multiple Ocular-Like Cell Lineages and Fabrication of Functional Corneal Epithelial Cell Sheets from Human iPS Cells"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Innate and Acquired Immunity in Corneal Pathophysiology
Discussion Leader: Pedram Hamrah (Tufts University School of Medicine, USA)
9:00 am - 9:05 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:05 am - 9:25 am
Reza Dana (Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, USA)
"Loss and Restoration of Immune Regulatory Function in Corneal Inflammation"
9:25 am - 9:35 am
Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am
Thomas Ritter (National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland)
"Stem Cell Therapies for Efficient Treatment of Immune-Mediated Diseases of the Eye"
9:55 am - 10:05 am
Discussion
10:05 am - 10:15 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Shivalingappa Swamynathan (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
"SLURP1 Stabilizes HUVEC Barrier Function, Suppressing dHL-60 Neutrophil Binding, Transmigration and Chemotaxis"
10:15 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Mayumi Ueta (Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan)
"Regulation of CD11c Positive Cells by TLR3 in the Cornea"
10:30 am - 10:35 am
Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am
Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am
Sunil Chauhan (Harvard Medical School, USA)
"Contribution of Mast Cells in Non-Allergic Corneal Inflammation"
11:25 am - 11:35 am
Discussion
11:35 am - 11:55 am
Virginia Calder (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, United Kingdom)
"The Role(s) for CD4+T Cell Subsets in Conjunctival Inflammation"
11:55 am - 12:05 pm
Discussion
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: David Evans (Touro University California, USA)
"Virulence Determinants and Host Response During Pseudomonas aeruginosa Interaction with the Ocular Surface In Vitro and In Vivo "
12:15 pm - 12:20 pm
Discussion
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
General Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Disease Models for Therapeutic Interventional Studies
Discussion Leader: James Jester (University of California, Irvine, USA)
7:30 pm - 7:35 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:35 pm - 8:05 pm
Hideyuki Okano (Keio University School of Medicine, Japan)
"Modeling Human Diseases with iPS Cells and Genetically Modified Non-Human Primates"
8:05 pm - 8:15 pm
Discussion
8:15 pm - 8:35 pm
Winston Kao (University of Cincinnati, USA)
"Strategies of Gene and Cell Therapy of Corneal Diseases Using Mouse Model"
8:35 pm - 8:45 pm
Discussion
8:45 pm - 9:05 pm
Cintia de Paiva (Baylor College of Medicine, USA)
"Role of the Microbiome in the Pathogenesis of Sjogren Syndrome"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm
Discussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Daniel Aberdam (INSERM U976, France)
"In Vitro Modeling of Aniridia-Related Pax6 Haploinsufficiency by the Use of CRISPR/Cas9 on Limbal Epithelial Cells"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pm
Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Business Meeting
Nominations for the Next Vice Chair; Fill in Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Site and Scheduling Preferences; Election of the Next Vice Chair
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Tissue Homeostasis and Wound Healing
Discussion Leader: Robert Lavker (Northwestern University, USA)
9:00 am - 9:05 am
Introduction by Discussion Leader
9:05 am - 9:25 am
Ula Jurkunas (Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass. Eye and Ear, USA)
"DNA Damage in the Pathogenesis of Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy"
9:25 am - 9:35 am
Discussion
9:35 am - 9:55 am
Mary Ann Stepp (George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, USA)
"Attenuating Age-Related Intraepithelial Corneal Nerve Loss"
9:55 am - 10:05 am
Discussion
10:05 am - 10:15 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Anil Tiwari (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
"Kruppel-Like Factor 4 (KLF4) Regulates Corneal Epithelial Stratification by Controlling Cell Polarity and Plane of Cell Division"
10:15 am - 10:20 am
Discussion
10:20 am - 10:30 am
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Yuka Okada (Wakayama Medical University, Japan)
"Shp2 Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Regulates Corneal Epithelial Stratification and Innervation"
10:30 am - 10:35 am
Discussion
10:35 am - 11:05 am
Coffee Break
11:05 am - 11:25 am
Ursula Schloetzer-Schrehardt (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany)
"Dissecting the Functional Role of Melanocytes in the Human Limbal Niche"
11:25 am - 11:35 am
Discussion
11:35 am - 11:55 am
Sophie Deng (Jules Stein Eye Institute, USA)
"Molecular Regulation of Limbal Stem Cells"
11:55 am - 12:05 pm
Discussion
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Tsutomu Kume (Northwestern University School of Medicine, USA)
"Inhibition of Traumatic and Genetic Models of Corneal Vascularization with Overexpression of FOXC1"
12:15 pm - 12:20 pm
Discussion
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm
General Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Genetic and Hormonal Regulation of Corneal Disease
Discussion Leader: Friedrich Kruse (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany)
7:30 pm - 7:35 pm
Introduction by Discussion Leader
7:35 pm - 7:55 pm
Anthony Aldave (Stein Eye Institute, USA)
"Elucidating the Molecular Basis of Posterior Polymorphous Corneal Dystrophy: Effects of Decreased ZEB1 Expression on Corneal Endothelial Cell Transcriptome and Function"
7:55 pm - 8:05 pm
Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:25 pm
Alison Hardcastle (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, United Kingdom)
"Advances in the Genetic Classification of Corneal Dystrophies"
8:25 pm - 8:35 pm
Discussion
8:35 pm - 8:55 pm
Dimitrios Karamichos (Dean McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA)
"Current Status of the Role of Hormones in Keratoconus"
8:55 pm - 9:05 pm
Discussion
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm
Selected from Poster Abstracts: Peipei Pan (University of California, San Francisco, USA)
"Aberrant DNA Methylation of miRNAs in Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy"
9:15 pm - 9:20 pm
Discussion
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm
General Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
Departure