2016 Combined Degree Retreat

Thursday, August 4, 2016 (full day)
Villanova University, Villanova, PA

Featuring keynote speaker:

Dr. Tom Insel

His Work
Dr. Tom Insel is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist who joined Verily Life Sciences (formerly Google Life Sciences) in December, 2015. Prior to Verily, Dr. Insel was Director of the National Institute of Mental Health at the NIH from 2002 - 2015. At NIMH he brought the power of genomics and neuroscience to the study of serious mental illness, he launched the Research Domain Criteria project to transform diagnostics and he led an overhaul of the clinical trials program to focus on targets and mechanisms. During his tenure at NIH, he also served as Chair of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, co-Chair of the NIH Neuroscience Blueprint, and co-Chair of the NIH BRAIN Initiative. From 2011-2012 he also served as Interim Director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Science. Prior to his NIH service, Dr. Insel was the founding Director of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience at Emory University (1999-2002), Director of the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center (1994-1999), and professor in the Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (1994-2002). His research interests have spanned clinical studies of obsessive compulsive disorder (1979-1985), neurobiological studies of the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in complex social behaviors (1983- 2002), and global mental health (2005 - 2015). He received his BA and MD degrees from the Boston University Combined 6 Year Medical Program (1974) and completed his residency in psychiatry at UCSF (1979). Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous honors including an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh (2014).

The Combined Degree Retreat is required for all MD-PhD students.

Faculty and Staff interested in attending should RSVP anytime between now and Friday, July 22.

As is our tradition: dress code casual

Click here for the Agenda.

Many thanks to this years planning committee:

Bailey Baumann
Leela Chakravarti
Leilani Chirino
Rafael Fernandez
Natania Field
Jeffrey Lin
Jessica Liu
Ben Philipson
Sara Rendell
Sabine Schneider
Ethan Solomon
Leo Wang
Christina Wright
Salina Yuan

Below is the transportation information to Villanova’s campus. The retreat will take place in the Connelly Center (#9 on the Campus Map)

By Car:
Please click on the following link to access directions and a map to Villanova’s campus

Parking:
Attendees are to park in the Main Lot (the one on Lancaster Ave, enter off S. Ithan Ave) and use the Guest Parking permit for access.

Public transportation:
Take SEPTA’s Regional Rail Paoli/Thorndale Line to Villanova Station – directly on campus.

Directions to Connelly Center after exiting the train:
The Connelly Center is about a 5 minute walk from the train. When exiting the train you’ll need to go to the other side of the tracks via the pedestrian tunnel at the station. You will then see a building straight ahead, Mendel Science Center #36, which has an archway. Walk under the archway, then turn left onto the first road, proceed to the first road on the right and turn right. Follow that road which bends around to the left and brings you to pavement. Dead ahead is a large, black and white (3-disc) sculpture, "The Oreo". The Connelly Center is the building directly behind the Oreo, and the entrance to the upper level is another 40 yds at the front of the building. Registration will be downstairs on the lower level of the Connelly Center.