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 Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET | 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 Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET | GROUP 2: Mouth pipetting clinic |
| 11AM | Linda Rice, Jazz Pharma | Writing Clinic part 1 |
| 1PM | Elizabeth Snyder, Rutgers University | Dry Lab: Testes histology |
| 4PM | Bianka Seres, Conception Bio | From stems cells to gametes |
| 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 Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET | GROUP 1: Mouth pipetting clinic |
| 11AM | Laurinda Jaffe, UConn Health Center | GROUP 1: Marine animal fertilization |
| 11AM | Shuo Xiao, Rutgers University Lisa Mehlmann, UConn Health Center | 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 Lisa Mehlmann, UConn Health Center | GROUP 1: Follicular culture and follicle injection |
| 6PM | Mariano Buffone, IBYME, CONICET Shuo Xiao, Rutgers University | 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 Margaret Petroff, Michigan State 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 | ||