NPY 2023 Meeting in Pittsburgh Unites Renowned Neuropeptide Researchers

We were honored to host the 13th International NPY-PYY-PP Research Conference on July 15-18, 2023 at Posvar Hall on the University of Pittsburgh campus. NPY-PYY-PP Research Conferences are held every two to three years and organized by a consortium of leading international scientists in the field of peptide research – Drs. Annette Beck-Sickinger (Universität Leipzig, Germany), William F. Colmers (University of Alberta, Canada), Helen Cox (King's College London, UK), Herbert Herzog (Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia), Dan Larhammar (Uppsala University, Sweden), and Bradley Taylor from our department. Each member of the consortium takes turns hosting the conference. In 2023, Dr. Taylor was selected to organize and chair the meeting.

The NPY-PYY-PP Research Conference is an international gathering of researchers, scientists, and experts from academic institutions all over the world who are interested in the meeting topic of peptides and their role in conditions like pain, psychiatric disorders, the brain, metabolism, stress, etc. The 2023 meeting attracted around 90 trainees, faculty members, and industry attendees from 13 countries. The four-day event featured the keynote lecture “A 50-Year Odyssey Through Neuropeptide Country” presented by Dr. Tomas Hökfelt from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, lectures presented by 60 speakers from 10 countries, and short presentations and posters selected from abstracts submitted by trainees. The meeting culminated in a gala dinner/social event at the famous Andy Warhol Museum on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, where the meeting guests enjoyed food, drinks, and guided tours of the Warhol galleries. The evening ended in an awards presentation and closing ceremony presented by Dr. Taylor, where the following presenters were honored for their outstanding presentations:

Student Poster Awards ($100 each)

• Quentin Denis (Medical University Innsbruck), “A Characterization of Somatostatin / Neuropeptide Y Expressing Neurons in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis,” sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research 
• Alex Dawson (University of Alabama at Birmingham), “Investigating the Potential Role of NPY Induced Macrophages in Skin Pathology,” sponsored by Elsevier
• Lauren Fernandez-Vega (Universidad Ana G. Mendez), “Dynamic Measurements of NPY using Aptamer-Modified Pt-Microelectrodes using Methylene Blue as a Redox Probe,” sponsored by Advanced Targeting Systems and presented by Dr. Doug Lappi
• Lisa Peuker (Leipzig University), “Modification and Characterization of VS Receptor Agonists for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications,” sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Student Oral Presentation Awards ($150 each)

• Patric Perez (University of Alabama at Birmingham), “Amygdala NPY+ Interneurons are Activated during Stressful Events,” sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research
• Hannah Lentschat (Leipzig University), “Neuropeptide FF Receptor 1 Signaling is Negatively Modulated by the Small Molecule Hederagenin,” sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
• Fabian Liessmann (Leipzig University), “Ultra-Large Library Screening with “REvoLd” as a Comprehensive Drug Discovery Pipeline for Novel NPY-Receptor Modulators,” sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Postdoc Oral Presentation Awards ($250 each)

• Heather Allen (NYU Pain Research Center), “Parabrachial Neuropeptide Y Y1 Receptor Neurons Modulate Neuropathic Pain in Mice,” sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research 
• Nitsan Goldstein (MIT), “AgRP inputs to PBN Y1 Neurons,” sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research
• Amelia Douglass (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School), “The Neural Basis for Fasting Activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis,” sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
• Abby Hellman (University of Pittsburgh), “Intranasal NPY Y1 Agonist in a Pig Pain Model,” sponsored by Advanced Targeting Systems and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and presented by Dr. Doug Lappi
• Corinna Schüß (Leipzig University), “Characterizing Orthosteric and Allosteric Binding Pockets at the Neuropeptide Y4 Receptor,” sponsored by Elsevier

Young Investigator Awards

• 1st place ($650): Laura Duvall (Columbia University), “NPY-like Signaling Regulates Mosquito Feeding and Mating Behaviors,” sponsored by Elsevier
• 2nd place ($300): Maya Kaelberer (Duke University), “A Colon Sense for Microbes,” sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research 

Faculty Travel Awards

• Tomas Hökfelt (Karolinska Institute), provided by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurobiolology
• Leonid Moroz (University of Florida), provided by Elsevier
• Claudia Cavadas (University of Coimbra), provided by Elsevier
• Joanna Kitlinska (Georgetown University), provided by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

A future accompanying special issue of the journal Neuropeptides will include reviews, original articles, and abstracts from the meeting.

Highlighted photos from the event can be viewed below.

Dr. Tomas Hökfelt (Karolinska Institutet) presents the keynote lecture, “A 50-Year Odyssey Through Neuropeptide Country.”	Brad Taylor presents Quentin Denis (Medical University Innsbruck) with his student poster award, which was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research.	Patric Perez (University of Alabama at Birmingham) receives his student oral presentation award from Dr. Brad Taylor (award sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research).	Dr. Brad Taylor presents Heather Allen (NYU Pain Research Center) with a postdoc oral presentation award, which was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research.
Nitsan Goldstein (MIT) receives her postdoc oral presentation award from Dr. Brad Taylor (award sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research).	Hannah Lentschat (Leipzig University) receives her student oral presentation award from Dr. Brad Taylor (award sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine).	Fabian Liessmann (Leipzig University) receives his student oral presentation award from Dr. Brad Taylor (award sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine).	Dr. Brad Taylor presents Laura Duvall (Columbia University) with her 1st place young investigator award, which was sponsored by Elsevier. Photo taken by Dan Larhammar.
Abby Hellman (University of Pittsburgh) receives her postdoc oral presentation award from Dr. Douglas Lappi, Advanced Targeting Systems (award sponsor).	Corinna Schüß (Leipzig University) receiving her postdoc oral presentation award from Dr. Brad Taylor	Dr. Douglas Lappi, Advanced Targeting Systems (award sponsor) presents Lauren Fernandez-Vega (Universidad Ana G. Mendez) with her student poster award.	Lisa Peuker (Leipzig University) receives her student poster award from Dr. Brad Taylor (award sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine).