2026 FIR Schedule
| Time | Faculty | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, April 26 | ||
| 6PM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Introduction to FIR |
| Djurdjica Coss, UC Riverside FIRbees | Introduction to Section 1 FIRbee introductions | |
| Monday, April 27 | ||
| 9AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lecture: Overview of the HPG axis |
| 11AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lab: Transcription |
| 7PM | Djurdjica Coss, UC Riverside | Lecture: Signal transduction in the HPG axis |
| Tuesday, April 28 | ||
| 9AM | Ursula Kaiser, BWH | Lecture: GnRH and kisspeptin neurons |
| 11AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lab: Transcription |
| 7PM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lecture: GnRH action in gonadotrope cells |
| Wednesday, April 29 | ||
| 9AM | Richard Piet, Kent State | Lecture: GnRH / Kisspeptin neuron optogenetics and electrophysiology |
| 11AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lab: Transcription |
| 7PM | FIRbees | 4 practice talks |
| Thursday, April 30 | ||
| 9AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lecture: Activins and Inhibins |
| 11AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lab: Transcription |
| 7PM | Debbie Kurrasch, University of Calgary | Hypothalamus development |
| Friday, May 1 | ||
| 9AM | Dan Dumesic, UCLA | Lecture: PCOS |
| 11AM | Dan Bernard, McGill University | Lab: Transcription |
| 7PM | FIRbees | Lab wrap-up: Preparation |
| Saturday, May 2 | ||
| 9AM | FIRbees | Lab wrap-up: Presentations for week 1 labs |
| Sunday, May 3 | ||
| Free day | ||
| Monday, May 4 | ||
| 9AM | Carolyn Cummins, University of Toronto | Lecture: Nuclear receptor signaling and epigenetics |
| 11AM | Djurdjica Coss, UC Riverside | Lab: Pituitary primary cell cultures and ELISA |
| 7PM | Djurdjica Coss, UC Riverside | Lecture: Metabolic control of reproduction |
| Tuesday, May 5 | ||
| 9AM | Ravi Balasubramanian, Mass General | Lecture: Genetics of human puberty |
| 11AM | Djurdjica Coss, UC Riverside | Lab: Pituitary primary cell cultures and ELISA |
| 7PM | Stephanie Pangas, Baylor | Lecture: Follicle Development |
| Wednesday, May 6 | ||
| 9AM | Stephanie Page, U of Washington | Lecture: FSH, Sertoli cells, and male contraception |
| 11AM | Djurdjica Coss, UC Riverside | Lab: Pituitary primary cell cultures and ELISA |
| 3PM | Stephanie Pangas, Baylor | Lab: Granulosa cells cultures, western blot, RNAscope |
| 7PM | Steve Hammes, U Rochester | Lecture: Steroidogenesis |
| Thursday, May 7 | ||
| 9AM | Steve Hammes, U Rochester | Lecture: Androgen action in the ovary |
| 11AM | Stephanie Pangas, Baylor | Lab: (may continue after 9 PM) Granulosa cells cultures, western blot, RNAscope |
| 7PM | Raj Kumar, University of Colorado | Lecture: Gonadotropin action in the male using mouse models |
| Friday, May 8 | ||
| 9AM | Stephanie Pangas, Baylor FIRbees | 4 practice talks |
| 11AM | Stephanie Pangas, Baylor | Lab: Lab: Granulosa cells cultures, western blot, RNAscope |
| 7PM | FIRbees | Lab wrap-up preparation |
| Saturday, May 9 | ||
| 9AM | FIRbees | Lab wrap-up: Presentations for week 2 Labs |
|
Time |
Faculty |
Activity |
|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, May 10 |
||
|
6:30PM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
Intro to Section 2 |
|
7PM |
Brian Hermann, UT, San Antonio |
Lecture: Stem cells, spermatogenesis and male fertility |
|
Monday, May 11 |
||
|
9AM |
Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET |
Lecture: Sperm Capacitation: Signaling pathways that lead to sperm-egg fusion |
|
11AM |
Brian Hermann, University of Texas, San Antonio |
GROUP 1: Testes - scRNA sequencing |
|
11AM |
Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET |
GROUP 2: Sperm capacitation & cryopreservation |
|
7PM |
4 FIRbees |
Symposium Practice Talks |
|
Tuesday, May 12 |
||
|
9AM |
Elizabeth Snyder, Rutgers University |
Lecture: Spermiogenesis |
|
11AM |
Brian Hermann, University of Texas, San Antonio |
GROUP 2: Testes- scRNA sequencing |
|
11AM |
Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET |
GROUP 1: Sperm capacitation & cryopreservation |
|
7PM |
Brian Hermann, University of Texas, San Antonio |
Dry Lab: scRNA sequencing analysis |
|
Wednesday, May 13 |
||
|
9AM |
Aubrey Converse, Northwestern University |
GROUP 1: Zebrafish IVF |
|
9AM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
GROUP 2: Mouth pipetting clinic |
|
11AM |
Linda Rice, Jazz Pharma |
Writing Clinic part 1 |
|
1PM |
Elizabeth Snyder, Rutgers University |
Dry Lab: Testes histology |
|
4PM |
Linda Rice, Jazz Pharma |
Writing Clinic part 2 |
|
7PM |
Aubrey Converse, Northwestern University |
Lecture: Ovarian Aging |
|
Thursday, May 14 |
||
|
9AM |
Aubrey Converse, Northwestern University |
GROUP 2: Zebrafish IVF |
|
9AM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
GROUP 1: Mouth pipetting clinic |
|
11AM |
Laurinda Jaffe, UConn Health Center |
GROUP 1: Marine animal fertilization |
|
11AM |
Shuo Xiao, Rutgers University |
GORUP 2: Follicular culture and follicle injection |
|
7PM |
Shuo Xiao, Rutgers University |
Lecture: Folliculogenesis and ovarian toxicology |
|
Friday, May 15 |
||
|
9AM |
Laurinda Jaffe, UConn Health Center |
Lecture: Regulation of meiotic arrest and meiosis resumption by the ovarian follicle |
|
11AM |
Laurinda Jaffe, UConn Health Center |
GROUP 2: Marine animal fertilization |
|
11AM |
Shuo Xiao, Rutgers University |
GROUP 1: Follicular culture and follicle injection |
|
6PM |
Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET |
Approaches and advances in non-hormonal contraceptive discovery |
|
Saturday, May 16 |
||
|
Free Day |
||
|
Sunday, May 17 |
||
|
7PM |
Francesca Cole, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Lecture: Prophase I and meiotic recombination |
|
Monday, May 18 |
||
|
9AM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
Lecture: Oocyte maturation and aneuploidy |
|
11AM |
Francesca Cole, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
GROUP 1: Vertebrate meiotic prophase |
|
11AM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
GROUP 2: Vertebrate oocyte maturation |
|
7PM |
Jeffrey Lee, University of Toronto |
Lecture: Sperm-egg interactions |
|
Tuesday, May 19 |
||
|
9AM |
Rafael Fissore, UMass Amherst |
Lecture: Ca2+ homeostasis and its role in fertilization and egg activation |
|
11AM |
Francesca Cole, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
GROUP 2: Vertebrate meiotic prophase |
|
11AM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
GROUP 1: Vertebrate oocyte maturation |
|
7PM |
Paula Stein, NIEHS |
Lecture: Maternal to zygotic transition in mammals |
|
Wednesday, May 20 |
||
|
9AM |
Greg FitzHarris, University of Montreal |
Lecture: Imaging and preimplantation embryogenesis |
|
11AM |
Jacobo Alba, Embryotech Laboratories |
Egg vitrification and warming |
|
11AM |
Greg FitzHarris, University of Montreal |
Live oocyte imaging - pilot |
|
7PM |
Ed Grow, UT Southwestern |
Epigenetics of Gametes and Early Embryos |
|
Thursday, May 21 |
||
|
9AM |
Paulo Rinaudo, UCSF |
Lecture: Female infertility/Assisted reproductive technologies |
|
11AM |
Paula Stein, NIEHS |
GROUP 1: ICSI |
|
11AM |
Ed Grow, UT Southwestern |
GROUP 2: Mouse IVF |
|
7PM |
Amy Ralston, Michigan State Univ. |
Lecture: Preimplantation embryo development and CRISPR |
|
Friday, May 22 |
||
|
9AM |
Karen Schindler, Rutgers University |
Bioethics |
|
11AM |
Paula Stein, NIEHS |
Group 2: ICSI |
|
11AM |
Ed Grow, UT Southwestern |
GROUP 1: Mouse IVF |
|
7PM |
Sunset Celebration |
|
|
Saturday, May 23 |
||
|
Free Day |
||
|
Time |
Faculty |
Activity |
|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, May 24 |
||
|
7PM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Introduction to Section 3 |
|
Monday, May 25 |
||
|
9AM |
Miranda Bernhardt, Washington State University |
Lecture: Genetic Engineering Approaches in Reproductive Biology |
|
1PM |
Miranda Bernhardt, Washington State University |
Lab: Embryo Transfer and Gene Editing |
|
7PM |
Diana Monsivais, Baylor College of Medicine |
Lecture: Implantation/Decidualization |
|
Tuesday, May 26 |
||
|
9AM |
Joan Jorgensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Lecture: Sex Determination and the Battle of the Sexes: Gonadal Cells “Duke it Out” |
|
1:30PM |
Joan Jorgensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Lab: Isolation and Identification of Germ Cells from Embryonic Mouse Gonads – 1 |
|
4:30PM |
Miranda Bernhardt, Washington State University |
Lab Wrap-up: Gene editing |
|
7PM |
FIRbees |
Practice talks |
|
Wednesday, May 27 |
||
|
9AM |
Richard Behringer, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Reproductive Tract Devleopment |
|
1PM |
Joan Jorgensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Lab: Isolation and Identification of Germ Cells from Embryonic Mouse Gonads – 2 |
|
3PM |
Joan Jorgensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Workshop: Storytelling to communicate your science (Group A) |
| 4PM | Joan Jorgensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison | Workshop: Storytelling to communicate your science (Group B) |
|
7PM |
FIRbees |
Practice Talks |
|
Thursday, May 28 |
||
|
9AM |
Martin Cohn, University of Florida |
Lecture: Development of external genitalia |
|
1PM |
Martin Cohn, University of Florida |
Lab: Sexual differentiation of external genitalia |
|
7PM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Lecture: Reproductive Immunology |
|
Friday, May 29 |
||
|
9AM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Lecture: Autoimmune disease and infertility in males and females |
|
1PM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Lab: Flow Cytometry |
|
7PM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Workshop: Flow Cytometry Analysis |
|
Saturday, May 30 |
||
|
9AM |
Hanne Hoffmann, Michigan State University |
Lab: Set up for Circadian rhythms/Vibratome |
|
Free afternoon and evening |
||
|
Sunday, May 31 |
||
|
Free Morning and Afternoon |
||
|
7PM |
Linda Harris, University of Nebraska |
Lecture: Human Placenta and Pregnancy Complications |
|
Monday, June 1 |
||
|
9AM |
Xiaoqiu Wang, North Carolina State University |
Lecture: Comparative Anatomy and Physiology of Placentation |
|
1PM |
Lisa Vrooman, Oregon Health & Science University |
Lab: Mouse Placenta Dissection, Staining, and Culture; Embryo Analysis |
|
7PM |
Lisa Vrooman, Oregon Health & Science University |
Lecture: Developmental Origins of Health and Disease |
|
Tuesday, June 2 |
||
|
9AM |
Mariana Wolfner, Cornell University |
Lecture: Gametogenesis in Drosophila |
|
1PM |
Mariana Wolfner, Cornell University |
Lab: Fly Reproduction |
|
7PM |
Erika Matunis, Johns Hopkins University |
Lecture: Stem Cells in Drosophila Testis |
|
Wednesday, June 3 |
||
|
9AM |
Hanne Hoffmann, Michigan State University |
Lecture: Circadian Rhythms |
|
1PM |
Hanne Hoffmann, Michigan State University |
Lab: Circadian Rhythms Analysis |
|
4:30PM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Lab Wrap-up: Placenta analysis |
|
7PM |
Sam Mesiano, Case Western Reserve University |
Lecture: Parturition |
|
Thursday, June 4 |
||
|
9AM |
FIRBees |
Preparation time for lab wrap-up |
|
1PM |
Margaret Petroff, Michigan State University |
Section 3 wrap-up |
|
6PM |
Luigi Mastroianna Memorial Lecture |
|
|
Friday, June 5 |
||
|
FIR Symposium |
||
|
Saturday, June 6 |
||
|
FIR Symposium |
||