General Information

From Mechanisms to Medicine: Rethinking the Discovery-to-Care Continuum in Multi-System Disorders will be held on September 23-24, 2026 at the Neuroscience Center Conference Space at 6001 Executive Blvd in North Bethesda, MD.

This workshop brings together leading researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience (PWLEs) to advance our collective understanding of complex multi-system disorders. Discussions will span a range of interconnected themes, including chronic overlapping pain conditions, infection-associated conditions, neuroimmune dysfunction, sex differences in disease presentation, genetic contributions, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Attendees will examine conditions that exemplify the complexity and convergence of these disorders, fostering dialogue that bridges scientific insight and patient experience.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Co-Chairs: 

Dr. Elise Courtois (Jackson Laboratory, endoRISE)

Dr. Daniel Clauw (University of Michigan) 

NINDS Organizing Committee

Dr. Alexander Denker (Division of Translational Research)

Dr. Rebecca Hommer (Division of Clinical Research)

Dr. Vicky Whittemore (Division of Neuroscience)

Dr. Sarah Woller (Division of Translational Research) 

 

After registering, you can join the meeting virtually via the NIH Videocast Links below:

Day 1: September 23, 2026 NIH Videocast  

Day 2: September 24, 2026 NIH Videocast  

 

svg Meeting Contacts

svg Sponsored By

  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
  • The NIH HEAL Initiative
  • NIH Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR-ORWH)
  • endoRISE

Sessions/Agenda

From Mechanisms to Medicine: Rethinking the Discovery-to-Care Continuum in Multi-System Disorders - Hybrid Session
Wednesday, September 23, 2026-Thursday, September 24, 2026
09:00 AM-05:00 PM(EST)
Neuroscience Center Building
6001 Executive Blvd,
North Bethesda, MD - 20852
Max. In-Person Capacity: 275 In-Person Participants: 205 Max. Virtual Capacity: Unlimited Virtual Participants: 255
Agenda:

Day 1 

9:00 - 9:30 AM | Welcome & Workshop Overview 

Alexander Denker, Ph.D.; Amy Adams, Ph.D.; Elise Courtois, Ph.D.; and Daniel Clauw, M.D. 

9:30 - 10:00 AM | Keynote Address 

Christin (Chris) Veasley, Co-Founder and Director Chronic Pain Research Alliance 

10:00 - 11:00 AM | Bridging Medicine & Lived Experience

Moderated by Laura Wandner, Ph.D., Associate Professor Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System and Christin (Chris) Veasley, Co-Founder and Director Chronic Pain Research Alliance 

         Panelists: Aryn Lee, Benjamin Bouvier, Dr. Kathryn Min, and Heather Guidone

11:00 - 11:15 AM | Break 

11:15 AM - 12:45 PM | Where Pain Conditions Converge: Understanding Chronic Overlapping Pain

         Moderated by Daniel Clauw, M.D.

         Daniel Clauw, M.D., Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan 

Laura Payne, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School 

Sawsan (Suzie) As-Sanie, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan 

Andrea Chadwick, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center 

Tor Wager, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth 

12:45 - 2:00 PM | Lunch (seating available in 1255/1265)

2:00 - 3:30 PM | Illuminating the Invisible: Infection-Associated Conditions

Moderated by Joseph J. Breen, Ph.D., Chief, Immunoregulation Section, Basic Immunology Branch, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Nancy Klimas, M.D., Director, Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University Florida 

Judith James, MD., Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Michal (Mikki) Caspi Tal, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Department of Biological Engineering, MIT 

Alba Azola, M.D., Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

3:30 - 3:45 PM | Break 

3:45 - 5:15 PM | Neuroimmune Dynamics of Chronic Illness

Moderated by Victoria (Vicki) Shanmugam, M.B.B.S., M.R.C.P., F.A.C.R., C.C.D., Director, Office of Autoimmune Disease Research, Office of Research on Women's Health, NIH  

Robert (Rob) Sorge, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Brimingham 

Andrew Schrepf, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School 

Michael Rogers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School 

Michelle James, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Stanford Medicine  

5:15 - 5:30 PM | Day 1 Summary  

Daniel Clauw, M.D., Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan 

Day 2 

8:00 - 8:50 AM Trainee and Early Stage Investigator Networking Breakfast hosted by endoRISE (rm 1255/1265)

9:00 - 9:20 AM Introduction to Day 2 

Elise Courtois, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, The Jackson Laboratory; Co-Director, endoRISE 

9:20 - 9:50 AM | Keynote Address Day 2 

Stacey Missmer, Sc.D., Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan

9:50 - 11:20 AM | Who Gets Chronic Pain? Genomic Risk, Hormonal Axes, & Neuroinflammation  

Moderated by Elise Courtois, Ph.D.

Elise Courtois, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, The Jackson Laboratory; Co-Director, endoRISE

Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Washington University in St. Louis

Kanako Hayashi, Ph.D., Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University 

Renato Polimanti, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine 

11:20 - 11:30 AM | Break 

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Untangling the Genetics of Complex Disease

Moderated by Steve Gardner, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder, Precision Life 

Michael Wainberg, Ph.D., Investigator, Prosserman Centre for Population Health Research, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto 

Hanna Ollila, Ph.D., Group Leader, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki 

         Kristina Allen-Brady, Ph.D., MSPH, MPT, Research Associate Professor, Division of Genetic Epidemiology, University of Utah School of Medicine

12:30 - 1:30 PM | Lunch (seating available in 1255/1265)

1:30 - 3:00 PM | The Brain Body Connection: The Autonomic Nervous System's Role in Disease 

Moderated by David Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., Scientist Emeritus, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Lucinda (Cindy) Bateman, M.D., Founder and Medical Director, Bateman Horne Center  

Bridget Mueller, M.D., Ph.D., Research Director, David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Center for Headache Treatment and Translational Research, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai 

Susan Eshleman, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 

Kevin Tracey, M.D., President and CEO, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health 

3:00 - 3:15 PM | Break 

3:15 - 4:45 PM | Future Directions: Advancing Clinical Research, Translational Advancement & Therapeutic Discovery 

Moderated by Alexander Denker, Ph.D., Chief of Staff, Division of Translational Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 

Steve Gardner, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder, Precision Life 

Jan Kubanek, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, WashU Medicine 

Michael Vanelzakker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School 

 Danielle Luciano, M.D. Professor and Chair of OBGYN at UConn Health, Co-Director, endoRISE

Amy Rochlin, CEO, Complex Disorders Alliance

4:45 - 5:00 PM | Conclusion

Logistics

Visitor Information

The conference will be held in the Neurosciences Center at 6001 Exeuctive Blvd, North Bethesda, MD.

Directions

The Neurosciences Center is located in North Bethesda, MD. Conference facilities are on the ground floor.

If arriving by rideshare or taxi, ask to be dropped off at 6001 Executive Blvd. 

Public Transportation

The closest Washington D.C. Metrorail system station is the North Bethesda Station. Upon exiting the station, it is about a 15 minute walk to the Neuroscience Center. Metrorail service is available from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and from Union Station (access to Amtrak and other commuter trains). Take Metro's Red Line to the North Bethesda station.

The Montgomery County Ride On #26 and #5 buses stop in front of the center entrance.  

Parking

There is no charge for parking at the facility. 

Lodging

Lodging

Please contact hotels directly to make your own reservations. The following hotels are located near the conference center.

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center

(near North Bethesda metro station)
5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda, MD 20852
301-822-9200
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasbn-bethesda-north-marriott-hotel-and-conference-center/

Canopy by Hilton Washington DC Bethesda North

940 Rose Avenue, North Bethesda, MD 20852 

301-882-9400

https://www.canopybethesda.com/

PLEASE NOTE: NIH has no affiliation or preference for any hotel listed, and this is not an exhaustive list.