Program

DAY FOUR
SATURDAY, 5 September 2026

ROOM 1

09.00 – 11.00
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)

The effects of exercise training on blood pressure, microglia activation and BBB function
Paula Gomes

Microglia and autonomic dysfunction in an ovine model of heart failure and cardiopulmonary by pass
Lindsea Booth

IL-1b mediated increases in blood pressure in the area postrema via direct projections to the rostral ventrolateral medulla
Song Yao

Neuroimmune Crosstalk in Hypertension: RORγt as a Mediator of Angiotensin II-Induced Microglial Activation and BBB Breakdown
Shunguang Wei

ROOM 2

09.00 – 11.00
Vagus nerve stimulation in epilepsy
Chairs: Vaughan Macefield (Monash University Melbourne, Australia); Ayse Dereli (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium)

Electrophysiological biomarkers for VNS in patients with refractory epilepsy
Riem El Tahry

Neurophysiological Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Humans: Vagal Microelectrode Recordings and Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Mikaela Patros

Vagus nerve activity modulations during absence seizures, NREM sleep, wake, and hypercapnia in epilepsy rat models
Elise Collard

Hypercapnic cardiorespiratory responses in epileptic rat models
Ayse Dereli

ROOM 3

09.00 – 11.00
Autonomic regulation in cardiovascular disorders: mechanisms and interventions
Chairs: Satish R. Raj (University of Calgary, Canada); Kalyanam Shivkumar (UCLA, USA)

Interactions between Stroke Volume and Cerebral Blood Flow Dynamics
Martin Miranda-Hurtado

Autonomic Dysfunction in Atrial Fibrillation Does Targeting the ANS Alter Outcomes
Varun Malik

Stellate Ganglionectomy for Ventricular Arrhythmias
Peter Hanna

Carbon Dioxide as a Treatment for Orthostatic Hypotension
Jacquie Baker

ROOM 4

09.00 – 11.00
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)

Anatomy of Circadian System
Eduardo Benarroch

Circadian disorders and the Autonomic Nervous System
Federica Provini

Resetting the Circadian Clock: Emerging Approaches
Ambra Stefani

ROOM 1

11.00 – 12.00
Morning refreshment followed by
Keynote lecture ISAN
Immunoregulation by sympathetic nerves: can neutrophils be selectively targeted?
Alexander A. Steiner, University of Sao Paulo

12.00 – 13.00 — Closing ceremony