Workshop No. 3 will feature both a scientific presentation and a career panel. To begin the event, Dr. Itzy Morales Pantoja will present recent advances in brain microphysiological systems that are reshaping how we model neurological function and disease. The second part of the workshop will be a career panel featuring representatives from academia, industry, government, and policy. Panelists will share their career journeys and discuss their current work. Attendees will have time to ask questions of our panelists to learn more about the different career paths using animal-free research.

 

Dr. Morales Pantoja will present research led at the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) focused on innovating neurological science through 3D brain models. Highlights include strategies to increase glial cell populations, introduce brain-resident immune cells, and improve disease modeling. She will also discuss efforts to interface brain organoids with AI for developmental neurotoxicity studies, and the use of custom 3D-printed microfluidic systems designed to support the growth of larger, more complex organoids. Together, these innovations enhance the physiological relevance of human in vitro models and advance the development of functional systems for Organoid Intelligence (OI).

 

Itzy E. Morales Pantoja, PhD, is a stem cell neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University with over a decade of experience in cell biology, neurodegeneration, and bioengineering. Her research centers on developing physiologically relevant human in vitro models to study neurodegenerative diseases and evaluate neuroprotective therapies. She earned her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.