http://www.thinkingahead2019.co.uk

3 sessions; ~15min talks with open discussion/questions after each

08:30 – 09:00: Registration

09:00 – 09:15: Intro, thank sponsor(s), housekeeping etc

Section 1 – Basic science of astrocytes in vitro/preclinical

09:15 – 10:45 x4 Speakers

Luc Pellerin - Lausanne University, Switzerland - Astrocytes as activity-dependent lactate suppliers for neurons: Key role for MCT4

Anne-Karine Bouzier-Sore - Centre RMSB, France - Importance of astrocytic lactate in brain metabolism: from functional brain imaging to neuroprotection

Sarah Jolly - Alzheimer's Research UK - University College London Drug Discovery Institute - Targeting astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases: from basic science to drug discovery

Eduardo R. Zimmer - UFRGS, Brazil - Astrocyte glutamate transport drives [18F]FDG-PET signal

10:45 – 11:15 Coffee break

Section 2 – Radiochemistry/design, translation, preclinical and human

11:15 – 12:15 x3 Speakers

Salvatore Bongarzone - King’s College London, UK – What we need to know to design a CNS PET radiotracer

Diana Cash - King’s College London, UK - Preclinical imaging and neuroinflammatory biomarkers

Igor Fontana - UFRGS, Brazil/King’s College London, UK - Development of an [11C] PET Pro-Radiotracer for Imaging the Astroglial Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter

12:15– 13:15 Lunch – Buffet provided

Section 3 – In vivo astrocyte biomarkers

13:15 – 14:45 x4 Speakers

Nick Ashton - Gothenburg University, Sweden – The current status of fluid biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Elena Rodriguez Vieitez - Karolinska Institute, Sweden - PET imaging of astrocytosis using [11C]-deuterium-L-deprenyl in translational and multimodal studies

Christine Parker - GSK/Imperial College London, UK - Development of a PET Ligand Targeting the Imidazoline-I2 Binding site – a potential astrocytic marker?

Paul Edison - Imperial College London, UK - Evaluation of astroglial activation using novel [11C]-BU99008 PET

14:45 – 15:15 Tea

15:15 – 16:30 “Open Mic” &/or group discussions to promote collaboration

This is your chance to shine! If you have some exciting astrocyte data or insights you'd like to share we'd really like to hear about them. If you want to get involved please prepare a short presentation (~5 min max) and you will have the chance to present it in our Open Mic session.

16:30 – 17:00 Wrap-up/final discussion