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