Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

The Brain Evolution and Mental Health Conference aims to bring together scientists and clinicians interested in exploring the brain at a cellular level across the Tree of Life, uncovering evolutionarily conserved and species-specific mechanisms of social behavior, and understanding mechanisms of human mental disorders.

June 17th, 2026
Public Lecture
4:00pm
Alice Campbell Alumni Center
601 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana
Click here to RSVP

June 17th & 18th, 2026 
Conference Sessions 
9:00am 
612 IGB Conference Center
1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana
Click here to RSVP

June 17th Public Lecture

4:00 PM  Nalbandov Keynote Lecture

John Constantino Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine and the Liz and Frank Blake Chair of Children’s Behavioral and Mental Health and inaugural System Chief of Behavioral and Mental Health (BMH) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

5:00 PM Question and Answer Session

5:30 PM Reception

June 17th Conference Program

Session I: Brain Single Cell Genomics and Mental Health

8:00 AM                      Doors Open

9:00 - 9:40 AM           Dr.Gene Robinson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

Genomic Pillars of the Social Brain: Lessons from the Honey Bee

9:40 - 9:45 AM           Q&A  

9:45 - 10:25 AM          Dr.Daniel Geschwind, University of California, Los Angeles Human Cognitive Variation

Genomics and Evolution: Is Autism Really a Disease?

10:25 - 10:30 AM       Q&A  

10:30 - 10:50 AM       Coffee Break

10:50 - 11:20 AM       Dr.Dmitry Velmeshev, Duke University 

Cell Type-Specific Dissection and Modulation of Neural Circuit Architecture  and Function

11:20 - 11:25 AM        Q&A

11:25 - 1:00 PM          Lunch On Own

1:00 - 1:40 PM            Panel Discussion   

1:40 - 2:00 PM           Coffee Break

2:00 - 2:30 PM           Dr.Alvaro Hernandez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

Multiomics and Beyond: Advanced NGS Methods for High-Resolution Biology

2:30 – 4:00 PM          Free time and travel for Public Lecture (on own)  

                                    Alice Campbell Alumni Center  
                                    601 S. Lincoln Avenue 
                                    Urbana, IL 61801 

June 18th Conference Program

Session II: Development of New Computational and Experimental Methods for Single Cell Genomics

8:00 am                      Doors open

9:00 - 9:40 AM           Dr.Hongkui Zeng, Allen Institute for Brain Science 
Mammalian Brain Cell Type Diversity and Dynamics in Behavior and Disease

9:40 - 9:45 AM           Q&A  

9:45 - 10:25 AM         Dr.Dave Zhao, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  
New Analytical Frameworks for Single-Cell and Spatial Neurobiology

10:25 - 10:30 AM       Q&A  

10:30 - 10:45 AM       Coffee Break

10:45 - 11:25 AM       Dr.Yichun He, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard 
Predicting Brain Organization and Perturbation Effects with Foundational, Causal and Agentic Models

11:25 - 11:30 AM          Q&A  

11:30 am - 12:10 pm   Panel Discussion   

12:10 - 1:30 PM           Lunch On Own

 

Session III: Brain Social Behavior Circuits

1:30 - 2:10 PM           Dr.David Anderson, California Institute of Technology 
Encoding of hypothalamic affective internal states by neural population dynamics

2:10 - 2:15 PM           Q&A  

2:15 - 2:55 PM           Dr.Erin Hecht, Harvard University  
The Architecture of Canine Socioemotional Behavior: Interactions Between Evolution, Experience, and Neurobiology

2:55 - 3:00 PM           Q&A  

3:00 - 3:40 PM           Dr.Zach Johnson, Emory University     
Bridging Genes, Molecules, Cells, and Circuits to Understand the Social Brain

3:40 - 3:45 PM           Q&A

3:45 - 4:25 PM            Panel Discussion 3

4:25 - 5:30 PM            Poster Session and Reception
 

Organizers

The conference is organized by the IGB's Gene Networks in Neural and Developmental Plasticity research theme, in collaboration with the Kellner Center for Neurogenomics, Behavior, and Society.

Support for this event is provided by 

Olga G. Nalbandov Lecture Fund at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

School of Social Work

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Grainger College of Engineering

Beckman Institute

Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Department of Bioengineering

Department of Comparative Biosciences

Department of Animal Sciences

Center for Social and Behavioral Science

School of Integrative Biology

Neuroscience Program

IGB Accommodations

For all IGB events, gender-neutral bathrooms are available on floors 1 and 2 of the IGB gatehouse, open from 8 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm. A private lactation room for IGB-affiliated members is available by request; see the IGB reception desk for access. Baby changing stations are available in the restrooms on the concourse level. For specific needs, please contact facilities@igb.illinois.edu