Spatial Cognition and Navigation in Aging and AD/ADRD Workshop
- Roybal Coordinating Center
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
September 1-2, 2026 | 11:00AM – 5:00PM ET
Purpose and Background
Spatial cognition and navigational abilities diminish with age, affecting wayfinding, safe driving, cognitive performance, and personal safety. Spatial navigation is one of the earliest cognitive abilities to decline in Alzheimer’s disease, making it a possible predictor of risk and marker of disease progression. This workshop will bring together experts from multiple disciplines to advance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying age-related change in spatial cognition and navigation, and accelerate progress in early detection, neuroprotection, and interventions for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD–related dementias (ADRD).
Agenda
A draft agenda is shown below. Please note, all times are listed in Eastern Time.
Day 1 | September 1, 2026
11:00 a.m. Introductions and Welcome Address, NIA Leadership
Session 1: Vulnerability of Spatial Cognition and Navigation in Aging and Disease | Session Chair - Scott Moffatt
11: 30 a.m. Scott Moffat, Georgia Institute of Technology
11:50 a.m. Denise Head, Washington University in St. Louis
12:10 p.m. Joe Verghese, Stony Brook Medicine
12:30 p.m. Sayeh Bayat, University of Calgary
12:50 p.m. Break
1:00 p.m. Session 1 Discussion
1:30 p.m. Lunch
Session 2: Reference Frames and the Brain-Body Interactions Underpinning Spatial Navigation | Session Chair - Thackery Brown
2:10 p.m. Thackery Brown, Georgia Institute of Technology
2:30 p.m. Jonathan Dingwell, Pennsylvania State University
2:50 p.m. Nanthia Suthana, Duke University
3:10 p.m. Liz Chrastil, University of California, Irvine
3:30 p.m. Aaron Wilber, Florida State University
3:50 p.m. Break
4:00 p.m. Session 2 Discussion
5:00 p.m. Adjourn Day 1
Day 2 | September 2, 2026
11:00 a.m. Welcome Remarks, NIA Branch Chiefs
Session 3: Computational Mechanisms and Neural Circuits Underlying Spatial Cognition and Navigation | Session Chair - Carol Barnes
11:10 a.m. Carol Barnes, University of Arizona
11:30 a.m. Laura Colgin, University of Texas at Austin
11:50 a.m. Lisa Giacomo, Stanford University
12:10 p.m. Omar Ahmed, University of Michigan
12:30 p.m. Laure Rondi-Reig, Sorbonne Universite
12:50 p.m. Break
1:00 p.m. Session 3 Discussion
1:30 p.m. Lunch
Session 4: Theoretical Frameworks, Experimental Paradigms, and Emerging Technologies | Session Chair - Arne Ekstrom
2:10 p.m. Arne Ekstrom, University of Arizona
2:30 p.m. Annabelle Singer, Georgia Institute of Technology
2:50 p.m. Mayank Mehta, University of California, Los Angeles
3:10 p.m. Jorge Palop, University of California, San Francisco
3:30 p.m. Walter Boot, Weill Cornel Medicine
3:50 p.m. Break
4:00 p.m. Session 4 Discussion
5:00 p.m. Closing Remarks
Contact Information
Please contact Dr. Cibu P. Thomas (cibu.thomas@nih.gov) with any questions about the workshop.