division research administration David J. Tweardy, MD Marie-Claude Hofmann, PhD Division Head Chair, Division Research Committee Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, MD, ScD, PhD (Hon) Cielito Reyes-Gibby, DrPH Deputy Division Head for Research Deputy Chair, Division Research Committee Bill Atkinson, FACHE Judy Overton, MLA Division Administrator Program Manager, Research Support program committee Marie-Claude Hofmann, PhD Cielito Reyes-Gibby, DrPH - Chair - Deputy Chair Jun-ichi Abe, MD, PhD Juan Lopez-Mattei, MD Ala Abudayyeh, MD Joanna Manzano, MD Robert Bresalier, MD Xiao Ni, MD, PhD Roberto Casal, MD Edwin Ostrin, PhD, MD Gil Cote, PhD Judy Overton, MLA Ramona Dadu, MD Andrew Rhim, MD Robert Dantzer, DVM, PhD Terry Rice, MD Richard de la Garza, PhD Prema Robinson, PhD Madeleine Duvic, MD Quiling Shi, PhD Eric Gagneaux (Planner) Michael Tuvim, PhD Ray Hachem, MD Sang Taek Kim, MD Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, MD, ScD, PhD (Hon) Noted brain immunologist TO DELIVER RETREAT KEYNOTE ADDRESS Jonathan Kipnis, PhD Harrison Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience Director, Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG) University of Virginia School of Medicine Dr. Jonathan (Jony) Kipnis’ is what brought the team awarded by the Israeli research group focuses on to a breakthrough discovery Parliament, The Knesset. the complex interactions of lymphatic vessels that between the immune drain the CNS into the Dr. Kipnes joined the system and the central peripheral lymph nodes, University of Virginia nervous system (CNS). and thus serve as a physical faculty in 2007. He is the The goal is to elucidate connection between the Harrison Distinguished the cellular and molecular brain and the immune Professor and Chair of the mechanisms underlying the system. The implications Neuroscience Department. beneficial effects of immune of this work are broad In addition, since 2015, system in brain function and range from Autism Dr. Kipnes is a Gutenberg in neurodegenerative, to Alzheimer’s disease Research College Fellow at neurodevelopmental, and through neuroinflammatory the Johannes Gutenberg mental disorders as well as conditions, such as Multiple University Mainz Medical in healthy aging. Sclerosis. Center, Germany. Earlier this year he received Dr. Kipnis’ research team Dr. Kipnis graduated from a prestigious National showed that the brain the Weizmann Institute of Institutes of Health function is dependent, in Science in Israel, where Director’s Pioneer Award to part, on the function and he was a Sir Charles Clore explore in more depth the integrity of the immune scholar and a recipient neuro-immune interactions system. The fascination of distinguished prize for in the healthy and the with immunity and its role in scientific achievements diseased brain. healthy and diseased brain .