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NF1 Family Day Mini Symposium
Reserve Your Spot Today ~ Register by April 15, 2026
This will be a hybrid meeting. The cost is $10.00 per person
Main Session (hybrid) Kids Club and Young Adult (in-person only)
Join us at California State University, Sacramento for NF1 Family Day Mini Symposium and Kids Club. an educational event designed for patients, families, educators, and caregivers affected by Neurofibromatosis (NF). Hear directly from experts in Neurofibromatosis and connect with others who understand your journey.
Hosted by CSU Sacramento’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in partnership with Neurofibromatosis California, this program will offer insights, resources, and an opportunity to build community and support.
This will be a hybrid meeting. The cost is $10.00 per person
DATE: Saturday, April 25, 2026
Schedule of Events
9:30 am Check- In Begins in Folsom Hall Lobby
10:00 am Welcome Remarks
Speaker #1: Suma Shankar - Current topics in Genetics and NF
Speaker #2: Vanessa Merker - Patient Engagement in NF Research
11:50am-12:30pm Lunch
Speaker #3: Kaity Holden - Executive Functioning in NF
Speaker #4: Heather Thompson - Communication Supports for Children with NF1: Accessing Referrals and Removing Barriers to Service
2:30 pm Closing Remarks
Kids Club: (ages 3-17)
Attention all parents! Kids Club is available for our NF1 Family Day. Kids Club activities will take place indoors at the Maryjane Rees Language, Speech and Hearing Center on the second floor of Folsom Hall. When registering, please let us know how many kids you will be bringing, their ages, and if there are any medical precautions or accommodations they will need to participate in our Kids Club activities.
Young Adult Group: (ages 18-29)
LOCATION:
California State University, Sacramento
Folsom Hall
7667 Folsom Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95819
Reserve Your Spot Today ~ Register by April 15, 2026
Don’t miss this chance to learn, ask questions, and connect with your NF community.
Guest Speakers Include
Suma Prabhu Shankar, M.D., Ph.D.
- UC Davis
Chief, Genomic Medicine Division, Department of Pediatrics - Director of Precision Genomics
- Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology
Vanessa Merker, Ph.D.
- Harvard Medical School
- Assistant Professor of Neurology
- Investigator, Asst Prof (M)
- MGBCI Faculty Neuro Med Onc MGPO, Mass General Research Institute
Kaity Holden, MS
- Sacramento State
- Speech-Language Pathology, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate, class of 2027
Heather Thompson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
- Sacramento State
- Department Chair, CSAD2B Coordinator, Professor
- Department of Communication Sciences &
- Disorders College of Health & Human Services
