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
Meeting Contacts
- NINDS, Contact: multisystem@ninds.nih.gov
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
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
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
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.
