March 7, 2025: Furman University in Greenville, SC

The SCAND symposium is a free research conference that provides an opportunity for researchers across the state to learn about science targeting autism and neurodevelopmental disorders within South Carolina. Our annual meeting often includes:
  • Regional speakers
  • Invited speakers
  • Poster session targeted for trainees (undergraduate and graduate students, staff, post-docs, etc.)
  • Opportunities to network/socialize with researchers

Registration 

Registration will closed on 2/24/25. 
Please note: there will be a separate link to upload poster abstracts 

Keynote Speaker - Ben Philpot, Ph.D.

Talk title: "Translational opportunities for Angelman Syndrome"
Biography: Dr. Ben Philpot is the Kenan Distinguished Professor and Associate Director of the UNC Neuroscience Center
UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Google Scholar Page 
Lab webpage

Symposium Topics

Session 1: Progress in Fragile X and Fragile X premutation
 Session #2: Frontiers in Neurodevelopmental Disorders ​

Research Posters - details coming

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Abstract submissions will be closed on February 15, 2025.
Abstracts should consist of a brief (1-2 sentences) background, objective, method, results, and conclusion.  
Any SCAND researcher and/or lab member (e.g., student, postdoc, staff) may submit an abstract.
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Awards will be granted to the top posters, as judged by SCAND faculty during the presentation. 

Agenda

Unless noted, events will take place in Hartness Pavilion.
  • 8:00 am: Symposium Registration, Poster Set-up, and Continental Breakfast
  • 8:30 am: Welcoming and Opening Remarks (Linnea Freeman, Rich Steet)
  • 8:35 am: Updates from across the state (GGC, Clemson, MUSC, USC)
  • 9:05 am: Symposia Session #1: Translation of the FMR1 Premutation Phenotypes Across the Lifespan:  A USC and MUSC Collaboration
    • Speakers: Faye Kuperman, Dr. Jane Roberts, D. Abby Hogan, Dr.  Jessica Klusek
  • 10:00 am: Networking coffee break (Kohrt Commons)
  • 10:20 am: Symposia Session #2: Frontiers in Neurodevelopmental Disorders 
    • Dr. Arjun Bharioki: Embryonic development of active cortical circuits perturbed by autism-related genes
    • Dr. Yuki Ogawa: The axon initial segment in neural function and disease
    • Dr. Jiaxing Li: How do neuron-OPC interactions shape the nervous system?
    • Dr. Tara Doucet-O'Hare: The role of transposable elements in central nervous system developmental tumors
    • Dr. Gavin Arno: The potential clinical utility of nanopore long-read sequencing for rare-disease diagnosis
  • 12:00 pm: Lunch and networking (Kohrt Commons)
  • 1:00 pm: Poster session (Science Library)
  • 2:15 pm: Trainee talks 
  • 3:00 pm: Keynote Speaker - Dr. Ben Philpot: Translational opportunities for Angelman syndrome​
  • 4:00 pm: Networking Happy Hour 
  • 4:45 pm: Concluding Remarks/Poster Awards 

Directions 

The SCAND Symposium will take place in Hartness Pavilion (part of the Daniel Dining Hall - left side of the dining hall with many windows - #26 on the map, below). Please park in the lot with a yellow star, paying attention to visitor parking vs. faculty and staff parking (the first two rows of the lot are for faculty and staff). When you get to the main entrance of Furman University via the Paladin Parkway, you will come to a roundabout with the McAlister Auditorium on your right, travel 3⁄4 of the way around the roundabout to enter the Furman Mall (wide, one-way road). You will pass the library and fountains on your right and the chapel on your left. Turn left into the parking lot (yellow star on the map) and then walk across the street, through the Milford Mall, behind the library, and you will see the Daniel Dining Hall (#26 on the map). Lunch and the poster session will be in Plyler Hall/Townes Science Center (#29 on the map) - in Kohrt Commons and the Science Library. 
PDF Versions:
Photo of Daniel Dining Hall
Daniel Dining Hall
Photo of Hartness Pavilion
Hartness Pavilion
General directions: Furman University is located at 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville SC 29613
From Columbia, SC
  • Take I-26 to I-385 N toward downtown Greenville.
  • Travel I-385 approximately 43 miles into downtown Greenville.
  • Go past the Bi-Lo Center on the right. This road becomes Beattie Place, then College Street.
  • Follow this road until bearing right onto US 276 West toward Travelers Rest.
  • Continue five miles to the Furman entrance.
Through Downtown Greenville
  • Take I-26 to I-385 N toward downtown Greenville.
  • I-385 will bring you straight into downtown Greenville.
  • Continue straight past the Bi-Lo Center on the Rt. This road becomes Beattie Place, then College St.
  • Follow this road until bearing right onto Rutherford Road/US 276 West toward Travelers Rest and Furman University.
  • Continue five miles to the Furman exit. (After about 2 miles this road becomes Poinsett Highway)
From Travelers Rest/Highway 25/Highway 276
  • Highway 25 and Highway 276 will intersect at a point. Veer to the LEFT to stay on Highway 276. (If you go to the right on 25, you will not enter
  • Furman through the main gate)

Details about Greenville

Staying in Greenville? See our "Guide to Greenville" and list of hotels! 
PDF Guides
Updated October 2024. This website is managed by rotating managers across the SCAND Consortium.