The BRAIN community may be interested in several upcoming virtual events in October, including workshops, a town hall, and toolmaker series. Read this post to learn more about all of these exciting events.
Workshop: 2020 IEEE Brain Workshop on Advanced Neurotechnologies
Thursday, October 22; Friday, October 23
8:45 AM – 2:30 PM Eastern Time (Thursday); 9:00 AM – 4:15 PM Eastern Time (Friday)
There is an increasing interest and need in the development and use of advanced neuroscience and neuromodulation technologies to monitor and control brain activities to treat a wide range of neurological disorders, including movement-related disorders, pain, epilepsy, and depression. Advancements in hardware precision and size, neural interfaces, digital tools, and our fundamental understanding of the nervous system in health and disease suggests that the field is primed to see rapid growth and innovation in the coming years. The 2020 IEEE Brain Workshop on Advanced NeuroTechnologies will highlight the development of novel technological innovations, covering both invasive and non-invasive approaches. Following the spectrum of field advancements in hardware, neuroscience, and data science, the conference will focus on technologies that leverage these advancements and have demonstrated pre-clinical and clinical results in translational neural engineering. Invited talks will be presented by internationally renowned experts in industry and academia. A poster session will provide presentation opportunities for young researchers. This workshop will provide a unique interactive and networking platform to encourage exchange of ideas with leading researchers and medical and industry professionals.
To learn more about this event, or to register, please visit the conference website.
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Annual Meeting: International Neuroethics Society
Thursday, October 22; Friday, October 23
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time (Thursday); 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time (Friday)
Each year the International Neuroethics Society (INS) organizes a meeting that convenes experts, researchers, and up-and-coming leaders in the field of neuroethics. The INS annual meeting brings together diverse global perspectives and voices from academia, industry, health care, regulators, law experts, and people with lived experience that are needed to tackle global challenges at the intersection of ethics, law, philosophy and neuroscience. For the first time in 2020, the INS meeting will be fully online, providing unique opportunities and formats for innovative discussion and interaction. The program for this year’s meeting centers on the theme ‘Our Digital Future: Building Networks Across Neuroscience, Technology and Ethics’ and will address many areas in which technologies and data concerning the brain are developed, deployed, utilized and regulated.
To learn more about this event, or to register, please visit the conference website.
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Focused Workshop: Advancing Technologies to Investigate Mechanisms of Gut-Microbiota-Brain Interaction
Friday, October 23
10:00 AM – 5:30 PM Eastern Time
Recent advances from the NIH BRAIN Initiative in the reconstruction of neural circuits, monitoring of brain activity, and data analysis provide unprecedented opportunities to merge technological breakthroughs in the interdisciplinary fields of gut and brain research and to deepen the knowledge of mechanisms by which gut microbiota modulate neural circuits and complex behaviors. This open workshop, organized by the National Institute of Mental Health’s Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, will bring together experts in basic and translational gut-microbiota and brain research to identify opportunities to advance our understanding of brain circuit function and how gut dysfunction may contribute to mental illnesses.
For more information, including the agenda and registration, which is free, please click here.
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Town Hall: Future Opportunities in Neuroscience and Neurotechnologies with BRAIN Initiative Alliance (BIA) Leadership
Monday, October 26
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern Time
During Neuromatch 3.0, join a panel discussion on the future of neuroscience and neurotechnology funding with leadership from federal and non-government members of the BRAIN Initiative Alliance. This town hall is listed on the BIA website here.
Speakers:
- Michelle Elekonich, Deputy Division Director, Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, in the Directorate for Biological Sciences, National Science Foundation
- David Markowitz, Program Manager, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- Caroline Montojo, Director, Life Sciences and Director, Brain Initiatives, The Kavli Foundation
- John Ngai, Director of NIH BRAIN Initiative, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health
- Alyssa Picchini Schaffer, Senior Scientist & Administrative Director, Neuroscience Collaborations, The Simons Foundation
Listen, learn, and engage with long-time collaborators in the U.S. BRAIN Initiative as they consider questions like:
- What might we expect for neuroscience and neurotechnology funding in the coming years?
- What type of research will be prioritized in the future and will research opportunities shift focus?
- What is the long-term plan for government-supported archives of neural data?
- How might we support technology dissemination to the broader neuroscience community?
Register for the town hall at https://neuromatch.io/. There is a suggested registration fee is $25 but anyone can apply to waive the fee.
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BIA Toolmakers Virtual Event Series: BRAIN Initiative Alliance Tools, Tech, Theory, and Trainee Series in collaboration with Neuromatch 3.0
Monday, October 26; Tuesday, October 27; Wednesday, October 28
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time (each day)
The BIA is hosting a virtual series on Oct 26-28 in collaboration with Neuromatch 3.0 aimed to highlight the latest cutting-edge tools, technology, and theories that are emerging from the BRAIN Initiative. The event is divided into three 1-hour Zoom webinars, with trainees integrated within each session:
- Tools (probes, optics, cellular, molecular) on October 26
- Tech (software, hardware) on October 27
- Theory (modeling, computation) on October 28
Each session will include five brief talks/demos showcasing new tools, techniques, or theories from BRAIN Initiative toolmakers followed by a moderated discussion with Q&A.
Register for the toolmaker events at https://neuromatch.io/. There is a suggested registration fee is $25 but anyone can apply to waive the fee.
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Annual Meeting: NeuroNex3: The Third Annual NeuroNex Investigator Meeting
Wednesday, October 28; Thursday, October 29
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time
NeuroNex brings together researchers working across disciplines into a coherent network to develop innovative, accessible, and shared technologies and approaches, as well as theoretical frameworks and computational modeling to advance understanding of brain function across organizational levels and a diversity of species. We’re building a foundation for the next generation of research into the brain. The theme of the 2020 NeuroNex meeting is Dimensions of Team Science Diversity. Diversity is critical to creative problem solving and innovation, and the success of team science depends on recognizing and removing barriers to creating richly diverse teams. Scientists can be diverse in many ways, from gender, race, sexual orientation, and cultural background to experimental approach and choice of model organism. NeuroNex3 will include keynote speakers and panel discussions with presentations and posters by NeuroNex investigators and trainees. There will also be plenty of opportunity to network and exchange ideas and insights. This meeting is funded by the National Science Foundation.
To learn more about this free event, or to register, please visit the conference website.