Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Symposium*
Date: September 15, 2025
Time: 1:15 pm to 3:30 pm
Room: Grand Ballrooms 5 - 6 (Third Floor Level)
Track: Plenary
Session Description
The Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Symposium is an opportunity for researchers to share groundbreaking research in the field of Neurology and Neuroscience. This symposium will feature presentations from the 2025 Derek Denny-Brown awardees and the ANA-Persyst Professional Development Awardee will also be recognized during the symposium.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this symposium, attendees should be able to:
- Recognize the significance of research contributions in the basic and clinical sciences by early and mid-career investigators in neurology and neuroscience.
Speakers
- (Speaker) Brandon Holmes, MD, PhD
- (Speaker) Ethan Goldberg, MD, PhD
- (Speaker) Divyanshu Dubey, MD, FANA
- (Speaker) Kathryn C. Fitzgerald, ScD
- (Speaker) Nicole Rosendale, MD
- (Speaker) Michael Coleman, PhD
- (Speaker) Matthew R. Brier, MD, PhD
- (Speaker) Sharon Chiang, MD, PhD
β-Amyloid Induces Microglial Expression of GPC4 and APOE Leading to Increased Neuronal Tau Pathology and Toxicity (ANA2025 Rising Star Award Recipient)
Description
This presentation investigates how microglial Glypican 4 (GPC4) contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.
Epilepsy Neurogenetics: From Mechanisms Towards Targeted Therapy (ANA2025 Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award: Physician-Scientist – Basic Science Recipient)
Description
This presentation will explore the genetic basis of epilepsy, focusing on Dravet syndrome, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by SCN1A mutations.
From Discovery to Diagnosis: A Translational Journey in Autoimmune Neurology (ANA2025 Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award: Physician-Scientist – Clinical Recipient)
Description
This presentation will explore the rapid advancements in autoimmune neurology, focusing on novel neural-specific autoantibodies like KLHL11-IgG, LUZP4-IgG, and Cavin-4-IgG.
Using Genetic Risk Scores to Guide Disease Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis: A Genomics Approach in the Context of Cardiometabolic Comorbidity in MS (ANA2025 Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award: Physician-Scientist – Neuroscientist Recipient)
Description
This presentation will focus on identifying genes with shared causal variants for BMI and gene expression in CNS and peripheral tissues and using a novel gene expression risk scoring approach that assess their relevance to MS progression using cell-type specific risk scores.
The Impact of Social Determinants on Brain Health for All (ANA2025 Audrey S. Penn Lectureship Award Recipient)
Description
This presentation will explore how social and structural factors impact neurological health.
Programmed Axon Death and Human Disease (ANA2025 Wolfe Research Prize for Identifying New Causes or Novel Treatment of Neuropathy and Related Disorders Award Recipient)
Description
This presentation will discuss programmed axon death, a preventable mechanism in injury and disease driven by the activation of SARM1 NADase and the loss of NMNAT2.
Unexpected Allies: How MS May Inform Alzheimer’s Prevention (ANA2025 Grass Foundation - ANA Award in Neuroscience Recipient)
Description
This presentation will explore the relationship between multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in aging patients.
Remarks
