Final Program

Details of full program can be found at Retina in a Dish 2026

Monday, 8 June 2026

08:00-09:00 - Registration

09:00-09:15 - Welcome & Course Introduction

Welcoming words and event organization
Henri Leinonen

09:15-11:35 - Session 1: Introduction to Organotypic Retina Cultures

Introduction to Organotypic Retina Cultures
Blanca Arango-Gonzalez
09:15-10:00

Short Break
10:00-10:10

Introduction to Organotypic Retina Cultures (continued)
Blanca Arango-Gonzalez
10:10-10:50

Development of Serum-Free Organotypic Retinal Explant Cultures: A Historical Overview
François Paquet-Durand
10:50-11:35

11:35-12:30 - Lunch Break

12:30-14:30 - Session 2: Experimental Setup & Best Practices

Dissection, Media Composition, and Maintaining Tissue Viability in Rodents
Catherine Hottin (with François Paquet-Durand)
12:30-13:15

Special Considerations in Porcine and Primate Retinas
Ana Almansa Garcia (with Blanca Arango-Gonzalez)
13:15-14:00

Setting Up an Organotypic Retina Culture Laboratory from Scratch
Leinonen Lab Staff (NB, EM, SG, HL)
14:00-14:30

14:30-15:00 - Coffee Break

15:00-15:45 - Keynote Lecture 1

Speaker: Arto Urtti

15:45-16:05 - Flash Talks Session 1

Selected Abstract Presentations (4 × 4 min)
Host: Nick Bariesheff

16:05-16:35 - FEBS Press Session

Responsible Publishing: How Your Choice of Journal Impacts Science (and Your Reputation)
Daniela Ruffell

16:40-17:40 - Session 3: Writing & Publishing High-Impact Research

Choosing the Right Journal, Structuring a Manuscript, and Responding to Reviewers
Henri Leinonen & Petri Ala-Laurila

17:40 onwards - Workshop 1

Manuscript Abstract & Figure Preparation
Participants can receive feedback on pre-submitted materials.

17:40-18:40 - Poster Session 1 & Networking Snacks

19:00 onwards - Social Activity

Visit to Kuopio Market Square for the opening of the Kuopio Dance Festival.

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

09:00-12:10 - Session 4: Disease Models & Therapeutic Applications

Inherited Retinal Degenerations
François Paquet-Durand
09:00-09:45

Ex Vivo Organ Cultures in AMD Research
Alexa Klettner
09:45-10:30

Short Break
10:30-10:40

Diabetic Retinopathy and Oxidative Stress
Maria Miranda
10:40-11:25

Experimental Glaucoma Models: Matching the Model to the Scientific Question
Xandra Pereiro or Elena Vecino (online)
11:25-12:10

12:10-13:00 - Lunch Break

13:00-14:30 - Session 5: Cell Models

Adult Müller Glia Cultures: From Cellular Plasticity to Neuroprotective Applications
Xandra Pereiro

Isolated Retinal Cell Models
Valerie Fradot

Porcine Single-Eye RPE Cell Culture
Alexa Klettner

14:30-15:00 - Coffee Break

15:00-15:20 - Flash Talks Session 2

15:20-17:00 - Session 6: Writing Competitive Grant Applications

About ERC, MSCA and Major Funding Opportunities
Maria Pikkarainen

Experiences from ERC Grant Applications
Henri Leinonen

Foundation Grants: Read the Call Carefully!
Henri Leinonen

Structuring Competitive Proposals for Funding Agencies
Henri Leinonen, Frans Vinberg & François Paquet-Durand

17:00 onwards - Workshop 2

Developing a Winning Grant Proposal
One-on-one feedback on pre-submitted proposals.

17:00-18:00 - Poster Session 2 & Beach Volleyball

(weather permitting)

18:30-20:00 - Evening Cruise on Lake Kallavesi

Departure from Kuopio Marina at 18:05.
Drinks and snacks available at participants' own expense.

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

09:00-10:00 - Panel Discussion

Virtual Setup of Explants: Troubleshooting, Pitfalls and Best Practices

Panelists:

• Xandra Pereiro
• Antolin Canto
• Catherine Hottin
• Ana Almansa Garcia
• Nick Bariesheff

10:00-12:15 - Disease Models & Therapeutic Applications

Ex Vivo Retinal Explants in Pharmacology Research
Yuanyuan Chen

RNA Interference & RNA Therapeutics
Marco Bassetto

Drug Delivery in Retinal Research
Blanca Arango-Gonzalez

10:45-11:00 - Conference Photo & Break

12:15-13:10 - Lunch Break

13:10-14:10 - Keynote Lecture 2

Biochemistry at the Core of Retina Research: Past, Present, and Future
Krzysztof Palczewski

14:10-14:30 - Sponsor Presentations

Diagnosys • Phoenix-Micron • Bayer Pharma

14:30-15:00 - Coffee Break

15:00-16:40 - Session 8: Industry & Retina Research

Training Requirements for Academic Researchers Entering Industry
Jukka Puoliväli

Current Priorities in Retinal Industry Research
Giedrius Kalesnykas

Spinning Off from Academia and Building Start-ups
Teemu Turunen, Frans Vinberg, Giedrius Kalesnykas & François Paquet-Durand

How to Attract Early-Stage and Venture Capital Investment
Sara Kangaspeska (Innovestor)

Evening Social Event

Traditional Finnish Evening & Conference Dinner at Rauhalahti

• Buffet Dinner (€32/person)
• Sauna Experience
• Swimming Opportunity

Thursday, 11 June 2026

09:00-10:55 - Session 9: End-Point Assays in Organotypic Retina Culture

Histology, Immunohistochemistry, Microscopy and Other End-Point Assays: Challenges and Pitfalls
Catherine Hottin, Ana Almansa Garcia, Antolin Canto & Nicholas Bariesheff

Apoptosis and Other Sensitive Cell Death Assays
François Paquet-Durand

Oxidative Stress Assays
Antolin Canto

10:55-13:55 - Session 10: Functional Assays & Electrophysiology

Two-Photon Imaging of the Living Retina
Grazyna Palczewska

Ex Vivo Electroretinography
Teemu Turunen

Patch-Clamp Recording of Photoreceptors and Bipolar Cells
Raunak Sinha

11:35-12:25 - Lunch Break

13:55-14:15 - Flash Talks Session 3

14:15-14:40 - Coffee Break

14:40-15:40 - Keynote Lecture 3

Critical Factors for Success in Retinal Research: A Personal Perspective
Marius Ueffing

15:40-16:10 - FEBS Session

Jan Riemer

16:10-17:10 - Career Panel Discussion

Towards Academic Independence: The Path to Becoming a Principal Investigator

Panelists:

• Yuanyuan Chen
• Petri Ala-Laurila
• Alexa Klettner
• Raunak Sinha

17:15 onwards - Poster Session 3 & Beach Volleyball

19:15-22:00 - Speakers & Senior Researchers Dinner

Puijon Torni

Friday, 12 June 2026

10:00-15:00 - Session 11: The Retina as an Accessible Model for Neuroscience Research

Patch-Clamp Recording of Retinal Ganglion Cells
Petri Ala-Laurila

Plasticity and Adaptation
Raunak Sinha

Mapping Visual Function from Single Neurons to Behaviour
Petri Ala-Laurila

12:00-13:00 - Lunch Break

Physiology in the Human Retina Ex Vivo
Frans Vinberg

13:45-14:00 - Awards Ceremony

14:00-15:00 - Closing Discussion & Future Directions

Ex Vivo versus In Vivo: Opportunities, Challenges and Pitfalls — What Did We Learn This Week?

Henri Leinonen

15:00 onwards

Coffee, networking, free discussion, and departure.