Scientific Program

1:00-7:30

Registration (Pitt Global Hub)

(pick up your badge, program book, Warhol tickets, and tote bag)

2:00

Welcome: Brad Taylor

2:15-4:00

Session 1. Gastrointestinal Function and PYY (Chair: Helen Cox)

2:15

Plenary Lecture: Eugene Chang (University of Chicago)

Peptide YY: a Paneth cell antimicrobial peptide that maintains Candida gut commensalism

2:50

Symposium: Maya Kaelberer (Duke University)

The life of a neuropod cell

3:15

Symposium: Helen Cox (King’s College London)

Nutrient-sensing in enteroendocrine cells

3:40

Symposium: Aitak Farzi

PYY in colitis

4:05-4:30

BREAK

4:30-5:45

Session 2. Neurobiology 1 (Chair: William Colmers)

4:30

Plenary Lecture: J. Nicholas Betley (University of Pennsylvania)

A parabrachial hub for the prioritization of survival behaviors by NPY

5:00

Symposium: Henning Fenselau (Max Planck)

Synaptic plasticity in AgRP/NPY neuron hunger circuits

5:25

Symposium: Melissa Chee (Carleton University, Canada)

Neurological effects of fructose intake at arcuate NPY cells

5:45-7:30

WELCOME RECEPTION (Posvar Hall)

8:30-10:00

Session 3: Pain (Chair: Brad Taylor)

8:30

Chair Introduction

8:35

Plenary Lecture: Tyler Nelson (NYU)

Spinal Y1 and neuropathic pain

9:00

Symposium: Nitsan Goldstein (MIT)

AgRP inputs to PBN Y1 neurons

9:20

Symposium: Heather Allen (NYU)

Parabrachial Y1 and neuropathic pain

9:40

Selected from Abstracts: Myung-chul (Sam) Noh (University of Pittsburgh)

NPY1R Spinal Interneurons in Diabetic Polyneuropathy Induced Mechanical Allodynia

10:00-10:30

COFFEE BREAK

10:30-12:00

Session 4. Aging, Cutaneous Inflammation, Pain, and Itch (Chair: Brad Taylor)

10:30

Plenary Lecture: Claudia Cavadas (University of Coimbra)

Neuropeptide Y: a strategy to delay aging & aging-related diseases

11:00

Symposium: Melissa Harris (University of Alabama, Birmingham)

The effects of chronic stress on the skin and hair; a role for NPY

11:20

Symposium: Paramita Basu (University of Pittsburgh)

Spinal Y2: acute pain, postoperative pain, neuropathic pain, and itch

11:40

Speaker: Kelly Smith (University of Pittsburgh)

NPY and opioid receptors in spinal itch circuits

12:00

Speaker: Eugene Dmitrov (Rosalind Franklin University)

Effects of NPY signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex on inflammatory pain-like behavior in mice

12:20-1:35

BUFFET LUNCH (provided)

1:35-3:00

Session 5: Psychiatry (Chairs: Jan Urban and Lynn Dobrunz)

1:35

Plenary Lecture: Lynn Dobrunz (University of Alabama, Birmingham)

Regulation of NPY and NPY interneurons by traumatic stress

2:05

Symposium: Ramon Tasan (Medical University Innsbruck)

Role of NPY and neuropeptide-expressing neurons in the integration of fear/anxiety and hunger

2:30

Symposium: Stephanie Padilla (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

Integral inputs of social behavior

2:45

Selected from Abstracts: Patric Perez (UAB)

Amygdala NPY+ Interneurons are Activated during Stressful Events

3:00-3:30

BREAK

3:30-5:40

Session 6: Neurobiology 3: Substance Use Disorders, Amygdala (Chair: Jan Urban)

3:30

Plenary Lecture: Todd Thiele (University of North Carolina)

NPY brain circuits and alcohol use disorder

4:00

Symposium: Subhash Pandey (University of Illinois, Chicago)

Cross talk between CB1 and NPY via epigenetic mechanism in alcohol drinking behavior

4:25

Symposium: Brad Grueter (Vanderbilt University)

NPY modulates nucleus accumbens synapses and behavior

4:50

Symposium: Jan Urban (Rosalind Franklin University)

NPY and the amygdala: neural circuits for resilience

5:15

Symposium: William Colmers (University of Edmonton)

Structural plasticity of PNs in BLA

5:45

Selected from Abstracts: Quentin Denis (Medical University Innsbruck)

A Characterization of Somatostatin / Neuropeptide Y expressing neurons in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis

5:55-6:10

Special Virtual Presentation: Yan Shi (Garvan Institute, Sydney)

A key role of Y4 receptor signaling in controlling insulin secretion and glucose metabolism

6:10-7:40

POSTER VIEWING (odd numbers)

evening refreshments / drinks

8:30 - 10:00          

Session 7: Evolution (Chair: Dan Larhammar)

8:30

Plenary Lecture: Leonid Moroz (University of Florida)

Origins of Neural Systems and Neuropeptide Signaling

9:00

Symposium: Dan Larhammar (Uppsala University)

How did the NPY system of peptides and receptors get so complicated?

9:20

Symposium: Laura Duvall (Columbia University)

NPY-like signaling regulates mosquito feeding and mating behaviors

9:40

Speaker: Liz Greene (University of Arkansas)

The Chicken NPY System

10:00-10:30

COFFEE BREAK

10:30-12:00

Session 8: Obesity and Metabolism I (Chair: Herbert Herzog)

10:30

Plenary Lecture: Xu Cao (Johns Hopkins University)

Hypothalamic NPY Regulated by Skeletal Interoception Balances Bone and Fat Metabolism

11:05

Symposium: Yingqun Huang (Yale University)

Targeting TET3 in AgRP/NPY neurons for treatment of anorexia and mood disorders

11:30

Symposium: Lei Zhang (Garvan Institute, Sydney)

Targeted stimulation of brainstem Npff neurons induces a torpor-like state and worsens glucose tolerance in mice

11:50

Selected from Abstracts: Hannah Lentschat (Leipzig University)

Neuropeptide FF receptor 1 signaling is negatively modulated by the small molecule hederagenin

12:00-1:30

LUNCH (on your own)

1:30-3:00

Session 9: Obesity and Metabolism 2 (Chair: Nick Betley)

1:30

Plenary Lecture: Herbert Herzog (Garvan Institute, Sydney)

Distinct arcuate NPY neuronal population control feeding depending on energy status

2:00

Symposium: Amelia Douglass (Harvard University)

The neural basis for fasting activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis<

2:30

Symposium: Kevin Williams (University of Texas, Southwestern)

Effects of metabolic state on the regulation of arcuate NPY neurons

3:00-3:30

BREAK

3:30-4:30

Session 10: Therapeutics I (Chair: Brad Taylor)

3:30

Symposium: Esther Sabban (New York Medical College)

Intranasal NPY to treat traumatic stress-triggered impairments

3:55

Symposium: Abigail Hellman (University of Pittsburgh)

Y1-expressing neurons as an analgesic target for intranasal NPY

4:15

Speaker: Eric Grouzmann (University of Lausane)      

Multiplexed assay to quantify NPY, PYY, PP, and their DPP4-cleaved fragments in human plasma and pancreatic islets using microflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

4:30-5:10

Session 11: Receptor Structure (Chairs: Dan Larhammar / Annette Beck-Sickinger)

4:30

Plenary Lecture: Beili Wu (Chin. Acad. Sci. Shanghai)

Structural basis of ligand recognition and signal transduction of NPY receptors

5:00

Speaker: Qiang Zhao (Chin. Acad. Sci. Shanghai) 

Drug discovery based on YR structures

5:15-5:35

Special Virtual Presentation: Kenny Ip (Garvan Institute, Sydney)

Critical Role of Lateral Habenula Circuits in the Control of Stress-Induced Palatable Food Consumption

5:35-7:15

POSTER VIEWING (even numbers)

evening refreshments / drinks

8:30-10:00                          

Session 12: Receptor /Signaling Structure

(Chairs: Dan Larhammar / Annette Beck-Sickinger)

8:30

Plenary Lecture: Annette Beck-Sickinger (Leipzig University)

Subtype specific internalization of NPY receptors by distinct arrestin interactions: mechanisms and application

8:55

Symposium:  Jens Meiler (Vanderbilt Univ., Leipzig University)

Applying Artificial Intelligence to Modeling and Screening of NPY-PYY-PP Receptors

9:20

Selected from Abstracts: Corinna Schϋss (Leipzig University)

Characterizing Orthosteric and Allosteric Binding Pockets at the Neuropeptide Y4 Receptor

9:30

Selected from Abstracts: Varsha Gupta (Leipzig University)

Structural insights into different mode of arrestin-3 finger loop binding at Y1 and Y2 receptor

9:40

Selected from Abstracts: Fabian Liessmann (Leipzig University)

Ultra-Large Library Screening with “REvoLd” as a Comprehensive Drug Discovery Pipeline for Novel NPY-Receptor Modulators

9:50

Selected from Abstracts: Alexander Mohr (Leipzig University)

Exploring Interaction Sites of Arrestin and Y1R/Y2R by a Combinatorial Genetic Code Expansion Approach

10:00-10:30

COFFEE BREAK

10:30-12:00

Session 13: Therapeutics II (Chair: Annette Beck-Sickinger)

10:30

Plenary Lecture: Dan Briere (Lilly Research Laboratories)

LY3457263, a novel NPY2 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes and obesity

11:15

Speaker: Phil Thompson (Monash Univ. Melbourne)

Development of Y1R-targeting conjugates for theranostic applications

11:35

Selected from Abstracts: Lisa Peuker (Leipzig University)

Modification and Characterization of Y5 Receptor Agonists for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications

11:55-1:00

LUNCH (on your own)

1:00-3:00

Session 14: Oncology and Technology (Chair: Joanna Kitlinska)

1:00

Plenary Lecture: Gustavo Ayala (UTHSC, Houston)

NPY nerve paracrine regulation of prostate cancer

Speaker: Eric Grouzmann (University of Lausanne)

Proneuropeptide Y (proNPY), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its fragments as new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer

1:45

Symposium: Joanna Kitlinska (Georgetown University)

NPY as a metastatic factor

2:05

Speaker: Jason Tilan (Georgetown University)

Stress-induced cancer progression - the role of the NPY system

2:25

Symposium: Lisandro Cunci (University of of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras)

Development and validation of NPY sensitive microelectrodes

2:45

Speaker: N. Scott Mason (University of Pittsburgh)

Development of NPY receptor PET imaging agents

3:00-3:20

BREAK

3:20-4:10

Keynote Lecture (Introduction: Brad Taylor)

3:25

Tomas Hokfelt Karolinska Institute, Stockholm)

A 50-year Odyssey through neuropeptide country

4:10-4:15

Closing Remarks and Appreciations: Brad Taylor

6:00-9:00

Social Event at the Andy Warhol Museum

6:00

Drinks and Hors D ‘Oeuvres (museum lobby)

7:00

Dinner (museum lobby, see menu on our Events page)

8:00

AWARDS PRESENTATION (museum theater)

Poster and Oral Presentation awards to Trainees

Young Investigator Awards (Presented by Session Chairs) 

generously provided by the Pitt Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research - Pitt Department of Neurobiology, Elsevier-Neuropeptides, Nikon Instruments, Advanced Targeting Systems, and the Pitt Department of Neuroscience

8:15

Closing Ceremony presented by the NPY2023 organizing committee