Host
Organized by: Christian Freund and Nevan Krogan
Event Overview
The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) are pleased to present the joint symposium, Molecular Mechanisms of Neuropsychological Disorders, taking place on September 14, 2026, at Freie Universität Berlin.
Bringing together researchers from across disciplines and institutions, the symposium will explore the molecular mechanisms of neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular focus on autism. Through presentations and discussion, participants will share research findings and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Rooted in a shared commitment to quantitative and collaborative research, the QBI–FUB partnership seeks to accelerate breakthroughs in biomedicine by fostering connections between scientists and advancing fundamental research in the biological sciences.
Agenda
Please note that the following schedule is in Berlin time (CEST), and agenda details are subject to change.
SESSION ONE | Clinical Context & Brain Development (Chaired by Christian Freund)
9:30 AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks by Christian Freund & Nevan Krogan
9:50 AM – Matthew State, UCSF | Chocolate and Peanut Butter: Why Protein-protein Interaction Mapping Offers New Hope for Profound Autism
10:10 AM – Tom Nowakowski, UCSF | Dissecting Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Human Brain Development and Psychiatric Disorders
10:30 AM – Amparo Acker-Palmer, Goethe University Frankfurt | Building the Brain: How Blood Vessels Shape Neural Development
10:50 AM – Coffee Break
SESSION TWO | Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission (Chaired by Stephan Sigrist)
11:10 AM – Thomas Soellner, Heidelberg University | Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Exocytosis and Associated Disorders
11:30 AM – Noa Lipstein, FMP Berlin | Presynaptic Mechanisms in Neurodevelopmental and Neurovegetative Disorders
11:50 AM – Einar Krogsaeter, UCSF | Dynamic proteomics reveals synaptic proteostasis disruption by APOE4
12:10 PM – Lunch Break
SESSION THREE | Structural and Cellular Biology (Chaired by Nevan Krogan)
1:00 PM – Günter M. Ziegler, FUB | Address by the President of the FU Berlin
1:10 PM – Christian Freund & Xiao Jakob Schmitt, FUB | Disease-associated Mutations in the Synaptic Vesicle Release Machinery
1:30 PM – Stephan Sigrist & Melanie Grieger, FUB | Drosophila for the in vivo Characterization of Autism-associated Mutations
1:50 PM – James Fraser, UCSF | Statistical Structural Biology for New Neuropsychiatric Medicines
2:10 PM – Kliment Verba, UCSF | Towards the Molecular Mechanisms of SynGAP Mutations in ASD
2:30 PM – Coffee Break
SESSION FOUR | Infections & Systems Biology (Chaired by James Fraser)
2:50 PM – Melanie Ott, Gladstone Institutes | Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Viral Infections
3:10 PM – Rasika Vartak, UCSF | Psychiatric Cell Map Initiative (PCMI): Mapping Protein Interaction Networks Across Neuropsychiatric Disorders
3:30 PM – Panel Discussion: From Variant to Synapse: Closing the Gap | featuring Christian Freund · Matthew State · Noa Lipstein · Nevan Krogan; Moderated by Reshmi Tognatta
4:15 PM – Closing Remarks
History and Development of the QBI-FUB Partnership
The partnership between UCSF and Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), co-directed by Nevan Krogan and Christian Freund, began in 2019 with a joint symposium in FUB focused on advancing biomedical research through collaboration across quantitative biosciences, biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology. Since then, it has evolved into a sustained transatlantic partnership supporting joint research, training, and scientific exchange. A second bilateral symposium in San Francisco in 2024 further strengthened ties between the institutions, bringing together leading researchers to align scientific priorities, expand collaborative networks, and formalize the relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The partnership entered a new phase with Nevan Krogan’s appointment as an Einstein Visiting Fellow at Freie Universität Berlin, supported by the Einstein Foundation and developed in close collaboration with Christian Freund. The fellowship established a joint working group spanning both institutions, bringing together researchers and scientific leaders from UCSF and FUB. Their work focuses on integrative proteomic and structural approaches to autism and epilepsy, combining expertise in structural proteomics, mass spectrometry, cryo-electron microscopy, and AI-driven analysis to develop broadly applicable, technology-enabled research pipelines.
The September 2026 symposium represents the culmination of these efforts. It reflects a mature collaboration built on shared funding, personnel, research, and scientific vision, while providing a platform to define the next phase of joint discovery and innovation.