Are you attending Neuroscience 2023? Join these exciting BRAIN-relevant talks, sessions, and symposia at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual conference.
In our final blog post for our series highlighting the various events at this year’s Society for Neuroscience (SfN) annual meeting, we showcase below a collection of lectures, symposia, and other sessions featuring BRAIN Initiative investigators, Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) members, and BRAIN Initiative Alliance members.
When: November 11- 15, 2023
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center (WCC) in Washington, D.C.
Hybrid component: Tune in virtually for a sampling of symposia, minisymposia, and featured panel sessions. Up to 24 lectures will be streamed live and a recording will be available for all Neuroscience 2023 registrants following the broadcast.
Conference Lectures, Mini Symposiums, and Sessions
Please note that all times listed are in Eastern Time (ET).
Friday, November 10
Networking, Public Outreach, and Advocacy—Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Short Course: Responsible Use of AI in Neuroscience Research and Education
1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., WCC 150
BRAIN investigator Dr. Joshua Gold from the Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is one of several organizers/moderators for the RCR Short Course. This course will cover AI in relation to data acquisition/analysis, manuscript/grant writing and publishing, and trainee/student education. Join experts as they discuss topics including machine learning, data recording and analysis, and mentor/mentee relationships in the context of AI.
Saturday, November 11
Special lecture—The Neuroscience of Dynamic Social Behavior: Uncovering Circuit Mechanisms in Drosophila
1 p.m. - 2 p.m., WCC Hall D
BRAIN investigator Dr. Mala Murthy from Princeton University, and an at large member of the BRAIN Initiative’s Multi-Council Working Group, will discuss how the 130,000 neurons in the Drosophila brain drive complex and flexible social interactions and how developing a whole-brain connectome has advanced her research to make connections between neural mechanisms and social behaviors.
Mini Symposium—Suppression and Variability in the Visual Cortex
2 pm - 4:30 pm, WCC Ballroom B
This mini symposium features BRAIN investigator Dr. Ruben Coen-Cagli of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Coen-Cagli will present evolving perspectives on response suppression and variability and how they may share a common origin.
Professional Development Workshop—Escape From Academia—Alternative Careers: Is There Life After the PhD?
3 p.m. – 5 p.m., WCC 207A
Dr. Amy Bernard of the Kavli Foundation, a member of the BRAIN Initiative Alliance, is one of several speakers, where panelists will provide perspectives from individuals who have enjoyed diverse careers including marketing research with a neural twist, data and research for non-profit organizations, and examination of patent applications. Join the discussion and learn how panelists found their new careers.
Diversity Poster Session
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., WCC Halls A-C
The Diversity Poster Session will feature participants of the Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP), BRAIN/Blueprint Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (ENDURE) Undergraduate Education program, BRAIN/Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award, and more. Participants will be presenting exciting research on topics including chromatin accessibility, the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) taxonomy and ontology standards, single cell lineage tracing, and brain-wide cellular resolution mapping.
Sunday, November 12
Professional Development Workshop—Pursuing the Startup Dream: Career Journeys of Neuroscientists Turned Neurotech Founders
9 a.m. – 11 a.m., WCC 207A
BRAIN investigator Dr. Li-Huei Tsai of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is one of several speakers discussing the path from neuroscientist to neurotech founder. In this session, a diverse group of neuroscientists will discuss the inspirations, transformative decisions, and challenges they faced on their journey to improve human lives through neurotech.
Symposium—Common Mechanisms of Learning in Motor and Cognitive Systems
2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., WCC 151
Join BRAIN investigators Dr. Christos Constantinidis (Vanderbilt School of Engineering) and Dr. Aaron Batista (University of Pittsburg) as they converse about different techniques and systems that help understand the mechanisms of learning.
Monday, November 13
Symposium—Memory and Timing: The Shared Neural Encoding of Retrospective and Prospective Information
9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., WCC Ballroom A
In this symposium, BRAIN investigator Dr. Dean Buonomano, of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Dr. Anna Christina (Kia) Nobre of the University of Oxford will lead a discussion exploring the shared neural and functional mechanisms between memory and temporal processing.
Lecture—Albert and Ellen Grass Lecture: Inner Workings of Channelrhodopsins and Nervous Systems
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., WCC Hall D
BRAIN investigator and Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) member Dr. Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University will present the three major classes of a family of light-activated proteins. He will discuss the initial high-resolution structures, principles underlying their key properties, and their role in fundamental survival drives in animals—such as thirst and hunger.
Tuesday, November 14
Lecture—David Kopf Neuroethics Lecture: Leveraging Cross-Cultural Perspectives for Environmental Neuroethics and Global Neuroscience
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., WCC Hall D
BRAIN investigator Dr. Judy Illes from the University of British Columbia will explore the ways that biomedical explanations and traditional beliefs about brain and mental health can co-exist to bring answers to challenging questions at the intersection of environment, ethics, and global neuroscience.
Presidential Special Lecture: Receptors, Synapses, and Memories
5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., WCC Hall D
BRAIN investigator Dr. Richard L. Huganir from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine will give a lecture on how neurotransmitter receptor regulation relates to how animals behave in health and disease.
Wednesday, November 15
Mini Symposium—Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems: Mechanisms Underlying Responses to Human-generated Environmental Impacts
9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., WCC 151
This mini symposium, chaired by Dr. Gabrielle Gutierrez of Columbia University and Dr. Angie Michaiel of the Kavli Foundation, a partner of the BRAIN Initiative Alliance, explore the neurobiology underlying adaptive and plastic responses to environmental changes that cause climate change, including those caused by humans.
For additional insights about this year’s Society for Neuroscience conference, check out a recent Director’s Message from Dr. Walter Koroshetz, Director of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke.