EVENTS calendar

Bobby Jones Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation

Patient Events

Inside the Lab: A Chiari Community Open House

Date : August 08, 2026

Location: Northeastern University, Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, First Floor, 805 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02120

Time: 8:00am-5:00pm ET

Presented by Bobby Jones CSF in collaboration with Northeastern University’s Chiari NeuroBiomechanics Research Lab

PATIENT REGISTRATION:

$50 per person (18 and over); $25 per person (ages 13-17); FREE for children 12 and under

PATIENT PARKING ADD-ON:

Discounted at $30

Refreshments will be served

REGISTER HERE

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TENTATIVE AGENDA

RESEARCH SPEAKERS AND TITLES:

Francis (Frank) Loth, Ph.D.
Professor, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and Bioengineering — Northeastern University
Biomechanical Report: Analysis and Imaging at Northeastern (BRAIN)

Philip Allen, Ph.D.
Psychology — University of Akron; Former Deputy Director, Conquer Chiari Research Center
Effect of Pain Catastrophizing on the Relationship between Pain and Disability in Chiari Type I

Petra Klinge, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery — Brown University / Rhode Island Hospital
Chiari Malformation: Inside and Outside the Dura
Clinical and Pathological Perspectives and Research on Intra- and Extradural Pathologies

Yingzi Lin, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering; Director, IHMS Laboratory — Northeastern University
Novel Objective Pain Assessment Tools

Rafeeque Bhadelia, M.D.
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Director of Neuroradiology — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Real-time CSF Flow Imaging in Chiari I Malformation: A New Frontier

Jonathan Millard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Anatomy — Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
Thinking Geometrically about Chiari Malformation Measurements

Konstantina Svokos, D.O., M.S.
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics; Director of Fetal Neurosurgery — Brown University / Rhode Island Hospital
Chiari Malformation Across the Lifespan—Developmental Anomaly or Progressive Disorder? Understanding Age-Dependent Pathology and Phenotypes.

Chiara Bellini, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Bioengineering — Northeastern University
Working Under Pressure: From Cardiovascular to Neural Health

John N. Oshinski, Ph.D.
Professor, Emory University School of Medicine & Georgia Institute of Technology
Brain motion and CSF flow in subjects with CMI

Ekkehard Kasper, M.D., Ph.D.
Neurosurgeon and Professor; Former Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School & Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Title TBA

Paolo Bolognese, M.D.
Neurosurgeon; Director, Chiari EDS Center — Mount Sinai South Nassau
Title TBA

Babak Heydari, Ph.D.
Professor, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering; Director, MAGICS Lab — Northeastern University
When Networks Shape What We Fear: Risk Perception from Pandemics to the Operating Room

Kristopher Kahle, M.D., Ph.D.
Nicholas T. Zervas Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery — Massachusetts General Hospital
Chiari I Genomics

George Mattis
Northeastern University Students — MyChiari App Project
MyChiari App: Symptoms tracking tool that accounts for environmental factors

James Houston, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology; Director, MT Cognitive Aging Laboratory — Middle Tennessee State University
Neural microstructure associates of cognitive and pain symptomatology in Chiari Malformation Type I

PATIENT EXPERIENCE SPEAKERS:

Hannah Higgins, B.S.
PhD Student, Bioengineering — Northeastern University; CMI Patient

Emily Stutheit, B.S.
Fourth-Year Medical Student — Eastern Virginia Medical School; CMI Patient

GETTING THERE:

MBTA Green Line (E Branch): Northeastern Station (directly adjacent to ISEC)
MBTA Orange Line: Ruggles Station (~5 min walk)
Parking: Renaissance Garage, 835 Columbus Ave (closest public parking)

HOTEL RESERVATIONS:

A discounted room block has been reserved for the group. Make your reservation here.

CONTACT:

Questions? Email Frank Loth at f.loth@northeastern.edu