2026 ISNR Meeting Schedule

The ISNR Program is excited to feature dynamic speakers in the field of spinal cord injury and rehabilitation.

We believe you will come away with new knowledge, moving questions to motivate research and practice, as well as being refreshed in spirit from the spectacular location and time with colleagues/friends and family!

Conference DRAFT Schedule - NOT FINAL!

SUNDAY, JULY 19

TBD – Mid-Day Arrivals

from Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)

6:00pm – Welcome Remarks

Ona Bloom, PhD, ISNR Conference Chair
Patty Duncan, Executive Director of The American Spinal Injury Association

6:30pm-7:30pm – Opening Keynote Session 1

Neural Control of Locomotion After SCI: Lessons from Turtles to Humans
Dr. Edelle Field-Foté, PT, PhD, FAPTA, FASIA
Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA and Professor, Emory University

7:30pm-8:30pm – Dinner(Provided)

8:30pm-9:00pm – Networking Meet and Greet

MONDAY, JULY 20

7:30am-8:30am – Breakfast Provided

8:30am-10:00am – Thematic Session 2

Immune Changes after CNS and PNS Injury
Veronica Tom, PhD
Brad Kerr, BPhD
Dylan McCreedy, PhD
Ashley Kalinski, PhD
David Loane, PhD

10:30am-11:00am Break

11:00am-12:00pm – Featured Speaker

Phil Horner, PhD
Director, Center for Neuroregeneration,
Houston Methodist

12:00pm-1:00pm – Lunch (Provided)

1:00pm-2:30pm – Thematic Session 3

Axon Regeneration and Plasticity
Rosalind Segal, MD, PhD
Katheryn Moss, PhD
Alexandra Byrne, PhD

2:30pm-3:00pm – Break

3:00pm-4:00pm – Featured Speaker

Victoria Abraira PhD
Associate Professor, Rutgers University

4:00pm-6:00pm – Trainee Networking / PLEX Panels

6:00pm-7:30pm – Young Investigator & Trainee Data Blitz

7:30pm-8:30pm – Dinner (Provided)

8:30pm-9:30pm –Trainee Poster Session 1

TUESDAY, JULY 21

7:30am-8:30am – Breakfast Provided

8:30am-10:00am – Thematic Session 4

Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms of Neuroplasticity
Murray Blackmore, PhD
Suzanne Tharin, MD, PhD
Keith Fenrich, PhD
Mayssa Mokalled, PhD
Mariajose Metcalfe, PhD

10:30am-11:00am – Break

11:00am-12:00pm – Featured Speaker

Rethinking Intrinsic and Extrinsic Determinants of Endogenous Repair in SCI
Binhai Zheng, PhD
University of California at San Diego, CA

12:00pm-1:00pm – Lunch (Provided)

1:00pm-2:30pm– Thematic Session 5

Non-Mammalian Model Systems of CNS & PNS Injury
Ted Price, PhD
Sampurna Chakrabarti, PhD
William Renthal, MD, PhD

2:30pm-3:00pm – Break

3:00pm-4:00pm– Featured Speaker

Barry Munroe, BA, LLB
The North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium (NASCIC)

4:00pm-6:00pm – Free Time / Collaboration Stimulation

6:00pm-7:30pm – Young Investigator & Trainee Data Blitz

7:30pm-8:30pm – Dinner(Provided)

8:30pm-9:30pm – Trainee Poster Session2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

7:30am-8:30am – Breakfast Provided

8:30am-10:00am – Thematic Session 6

Whole Body Impacts of SCI: Blood Pressure, Bowel, & Bladder
Sabhya Rana, PhD
Kristine Cowley, PhD
Rahul Sachdeva, PhD
Dennis Bourbeau, PhD

10:30am-11:00am – Break

11:00am-12:00pm – Featured Speaker

12:00pm-1:00pm – Lunch (Provided) 

1:00pm-2:30pm – Thematic Session 7

Advances in Neuromodulation
Abdel El Manira, PhD
Elvira Pirodoni, PhD
D. Leonardo Garcia Ramírez, PhD

2:30pm-3:00pm – Break

3:00pm-4:00pm – Featured Speaker

4:00pm-6:00pm – Trainee Networking / PLEX Panels

6:00pm-7:30pm – Closing Keynote Session 8

Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Rehabilitation to Promote Recovery in Chronic SCI
Robert L. Rennaker II, PhD and Seth Hays, PhD
University of Texas at Dallas, Texas

7:30pm-8:30pm – Dinner (Provided)

8:30pm-9:30pm – Trainee Poster Award Presentations

THURSDAY, JULY 23

AM Departure for Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)