Program

DAY FOUR
SATURDAY, 5 September 2026

ROOM G

08:30 – 10:15 — Symposium 21: Inflamed Circuits: Brain Immune Cells Shaping Cardiovascular Outcomes

Chairs: Vagner R. Antunes (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil) – Song T. Yao (The University of Melbourne, Australia)

08:30 – 08:50 The effects of exercise training on blood pressure, microglia activation and BBB function
Paula Gomes (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)

08:50 – 09:10 Inflammation in the area postrema after cardiopulmonary bypass in sheep
Lindsea Booth (The Florey Institute, Australia)

09:10 – 09:30 IL-1b mediated increases in blood pressure in the area postrema via direct projections to the rostral ventrolateral medulla
Song Yao (The University of Melbourne, Australia)

09:30 – 09:50 Neuroimmune Crosstalk in Hypertension: RORγt as a Mediator of Angiotensin II-Induced Microglial Activation and BBB Breakdown
Shunguang Wei (University of Iowa, USA)

Selected Abstracts

09:50 – 10:05 Which Antibodies are we still missing? 15 years later and still – when in doubt – glucocorticoids to the rescue! A case of seronegative autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy
Pavelic Antun Rudolf (University Hospital Tulln, Austria)

10:05 – 10:15 Discussion

ROOM C

08:30 – 10:15 — Symposium 14: Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Epilepsy

Chairs: Vaughan Macefield (Monash University Melbourne, Australia) – Ayse Dereli (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium)

08:30 – 08:50 Electrophysiological biomarkers for VNS in patients with refractory epilepsy
Riem El Tahry (Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Belgium)

08:50 – 09:10 Neurophysiological Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Humans: Vagal Microelectrode Recordings and Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Mikaela Patros (Monash University, Australia)

09:10 – 09:30 Vagus nerve activity modulations during absence seizures, NREM sleep, wake, and hypercapnia in epilepsy rat models
Elise Collard (Institute of Neuroscience, Belgium)

09:30 – 09:50 Hypercapnic cardiorespiratory responses in epileptic rat models
Ayse Dereli (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium)

Selected Abstracts

09:50 – 10:05 Convulsive Seizures Alter Autonomic Balance, Increase Cardiac Output and Arterial Pressure and Induce Arrhythmias in Non-Anaesthetized Sheep
Clive May (Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Australia)

10:05 – 10:15 Discussion

ROOM B

08:30 – 10:30 — Symposium 23: Autonomic Regulation in Cardiovascular Disorders: Mechanisms and Interventions

Chairs: Satish R. Raj (University of Calgary, Canada) – Peter Hanna (University of California, Los Angeles, USA)

08:30 – 08:50 Interactions between Stroke Volume and Cerebral Blood Flow Dynamics
Martin Miranda-Hurtado (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile)

08:50 – 09:10 Autonomic Dysfunction in Atrial Fibrillation – Does Targeting the ANS Alter Outcomes
Varun Malik (University of Adelaide, Australia)

09:10 – 09:30 Stellate Ganglionectomy for Ventricular Arrhythmias
Peter Hanna (University of California, Los Angeles, USA)

09:30 – 09:50 Carbon Dioxide as a Treatment for Orthostatic Hypotension
Satish Raj (University of Calgary, Canada)

Selected Abstracts

09:50 – 10:05 Autonomic Adaptation in Pregnancy: Preserved Responsiveness with Reduced Modulation Across Gestation
Federica Piani (Medical University of Graz, Austria)

10:05 – 10:20 Blunted sympathetic vascular transduction in treated compared to untreated hypertensive adults
Giorgio Manferdelli (The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA)

10:20 – 10:30 Discussion

ROOM A

09:00 – 10:30 — Symposium 24: Circadian System and Autonomic Regulation

Chairs: Pietro Cortelli (University of Bologna, Italy) – Max Hilz (Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany & Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA)

09:00 – 09:30 Anatomy of Circadian System
Eduardo Benarroch (Mayo Clinic, USA)

09:30 – 10:00 Circadian disorders and the Autonomic Nervous System
Federica Provini (University of Bologna, Italy)

10:00 – 10:30 Resetting the Circadian Clock: Emerging Approaches
Ambra Stefani (Innsbruck Medical University, Austria)

10:30 – 11:00 Morning refreshment

ROOM B

11:00 – 12:00 — Keynote Lecture
Alexander A. Steiner (University of Sao Paulo, Brasil)
Immunoregulation by sympathetic nerves: can neutrophils be selectively targeted?

12:00 – 13:00 — Closing Ceremony