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Key Dates
Extended abstract submission deadline (poster only)
29 October 2010
End of earlybird registration deadline:
22 October 2010
Guaranteed Hotel Reservation Deadline:
08 December 2010
Registrations must be made onsite after:
27 January 2011
ANS 2011:
31 January -03 February 2011
Scientific Program
- Please click here for final timetable
- Please click here for the plenary, symposium and oral presentations.
- Please here for the poster presentations.
ANS 2011 Plenary Lectures
ANS Overseas Lecture: Tobias Bonhoeffer
Max-Planck-Institut für Neurobiologie, Germany
Tobias Bonhoeffer is Director at the Max-Planck-Institute of Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Systems Neurobiology and Professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich. He started out as a physicist who was attracted to Neurobiology through his diploma work in Neural Networks. He got his PhD from the University of Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics where he studied the phenomenon of “distributed synaptic enhancement” in hippocampal slice cultures. After two postdocs with Amiram Grinvald/Torsten Wiesel in New York and with Wolf Singer in Frankfurt he moved to the Institute in Munich where he currently works. His interests encompass many aspects of cortical development and synaptic plasticity. In his lab these questions are studied using a variety of in vivo and in vitro techniques such as intrinsic signal imaging and two-photon microscopy.
Tobias Bonhoeffer’s contributions to science are recognized with the “Attempto-Prize”for young neuroscientists from the University of Tübingen in 1990 and the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine in 2004. He has been a member of Academia Europaea since 2003 and an Associate of the Neuroscience Research Program, The Neuroscience Institute, San Diego, USA since 2004. In 2006 he was elected as member of EMBO. He serves on many editorial boards, including European Journal of Neuroscience and Neuron. From 2000 until 2010 he has been Editor of Current Opinion in Neurobiology together with Marc Tessier-Lavigne.
ANS Plenary Lecture: Seong-Seng Tan
Florey Neuroscience Institutes, Melbourne
Seong-Seng Tan obtained his DPhil in Neuroscience from Oxford and worked with Nobel Laureate Gerald Edelman at Rockefeller University, New York before returning to Australia in 1990. He is currently Professor of Neuroscience at the Centre for Neuroscience, University of Melbourne. He is a Senior Principal Research Fellow with the NH&MRC, and leads a team of 15 scientists working at Florey Neurosciences Institute, University of Melbourne. Professor Tan studies how neurons are assembled together during development of the brain, and is interested in understanding how the brain defends itself against cell death following injury (from stroke, trauma).
He is on the Editorial Boards of Journal of Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology and Journal of Anatomy. For his work on neuron migration during brain development, Professor Tan was awarded the Amgen Australia Award for excellence in medical research in 1997.
Lawrie Austin Lecture: Peter Dunkley
University of Newcastle, Sydney
Professor Peter Dunkley received his PhD from the University of Melbourne. He was initially appointed to The University of Newcastle as a Lecturer and later as the Professor of Medical Biochemistry; he has also served as the Foundation Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pro Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Health. Professor Dunkley has served as the President of the International Society for Neurochemistry. Professor Dunkley is a neurochemist who has focused on protein phosphorylation in neuronal and endocrine tissues. His most recent research has been on Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) the rate limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis. His team has investigated the role of TH phosphorylation in enzyme activation in vitro, the signal transduction pathways that lead to TH phosphorylation in neuronal and adrenal chromaffin cell cultures, the effects of various stressors on TH phosphorylation in the rat brain and adrenal gland in vivo and the consequences of Parkinson’s disease on TH phosphorylation using post mortem human brain.
Eccles Lecture: Terence O'Brien
University of Melbourne, Melbourne
Terence O’Brien (MBBS Melb. MD Melb. FRACP) is The James Stewart Professor of Medicine and Head of The Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne and Western Hospitals, and Head of the Epilepsy Program and consultant neurologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. He leads a large translational research team undertaking both basic studies, involving animal models, and clinical studies. He is a specialist in neurology and clinical pharmacology, with particular expertise in epileptology, anti-epileptic drugs and in-vivo imaging in animals models and humans. He did his clinical and research training at St. Vincent’s and Royal Melbourne Hospitals in Melbourne, and then the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA (1995-1998). He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed original papers in leading neurological, pharmacological and imaging journals, over 500 abstracts and 10 book chapters.
< h4>ANS Symposia
Functional, and function of, neurogenesis in the adult brain
Organiser(s): Maurice A. Curtis,University of Auckland School of Medical Sciences and Perry Bartlett, The Queensland Brain Institute, QLD
Chair(s): Maurice A. Curtis, University of Auckland School of Medical Sciences (m.curtis@auckland.ac.nz) and Perry Bartlett, The Queensland Brain Institute (p.bartlett@qbi.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Paul Lucassen, University of Amsterdam
Early stress differentially affects adult neurogenesis, spatial and emotional learning under high-stress conditions. - Johanna Montgomery, Auckland University
Synaptic integration of newly generated neurons in hippocampal cultures. - Juliette Cheyne, Auckland University
Synaptic integration of newly generated neurons in hippocampal cultures. - Fernando Nottebohm, The Rockefeller University, New York
Title to be advised - Dhanisha Jhaveri, The Queensland Brain Institute
Stimulation of latent, neurogenic precursors in the adult hippocampus by norepinephrine: Implications for the treatment of depression.
Human Neurodegenerative Diseases
Organiser: Richard Faull, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland
Chair(s): Richard Faull, Director, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland (rlmfaull@auckland.ac.nz) and Louise FB Nicholson, Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland (lfb.nicholson@auckland.ac.nz)
Invited Speakers:
- Christopher E. Shaw, King’s College London
The Genetics of Motor Neuron Disease - Anne B. Young, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Neurodegeneration and Therapeutic Strategies in Parkinson’s Disease. - Glenda Halliday, Neuroscience Research Australia,, UNSW
Neurodegeneation in Alzheimers and related Dementia. - Mike Dragunow, University of Auckland
Human Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery in Neurodegenerative Disease.
Models & mechanisms in the neurobiology of addiction
Organiser and Chair: Andrew Lawrence, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, University of Melbourne, VIC (Andrew.Lawrence@florey.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Christopher Dayas, University of Newcastle
Towards an understanding of the brain mechanisms underpinning addiction vulnerability. - Jhodie Duncan, Florey Neuroscience Institutes
Modelling adolescent inhalant abuse in rodents: the effects of toluene exposure on the developing brain. - Kelly Clemens, Macquarie University
The role of non-nicotine tobacco products in animal models of tobacco addiction. - Gavan McNally, School of Psychology, UNSW
Brain mechanisms for extinction of drug and reward seeking.
Neuronal trafficking in health and disease
Organiser(s): Frederic A. Meunier and Elisabeth J. Coulson, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, QLDChair: Elisabeth J. Coulson, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, (e.coulson@uq.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Frederic A. Meunier, The University of Queensland
Presynaptic cargo-loading zone for retrograde carriers. - Carlos Dotti, University Leuven, Belgium
Trafficking basis of neuronal polarity. - Roberto Cappai, University of Melbourne, Victoria
Modulation of Amyloid Precursor Protein transport- delineating functional domains. - David Small, Menzies Research Institute, Hobart TAS, Australia
Abeta-induced disruption of AMPA receptor recycling in Alzheimer's disease.
Enteric neuropathologies: searching for the sources of gastrointestinal disorders
Organiser: Kulmira Nurgali, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science, Victoria University, St Albans campus
Chairs: Paul P Bertrand, Department of Physiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052 AUSTRALIA and Kulmira Nurgali, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Victoria University, (Kulmira.Nurgali@vu.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Joel C. Bornstein, University of Melbourne, Australia
Enteric secretomotor neurons and diarrhoea: a new model for cholera. - Lu Liu, University of New South Wales
Abnormalities of the enteric nervous system and the gap junction protein, connexin 43, in the colons of patients with slow transit constipation. - Nicholas John Spencer, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia
Dysfunctional colonic peristalsis: Is altered serotonin release from the mucosa responsible? - Débora D'Avila Reis, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Enteric glial cells, neurons and immune system in the development of megacolon in chronic Chagas disease.
ISN symposium on Neurochemistry: Vital roles in systems neuroscience (Approved by the conference committee of the ISN as an official ISN symposium)
Organiser: Caroline Rae, Neuroscience Research Australia,Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Barker St, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia. (c.rae@unsw.edu.au)
Chair(s): Caroline Rae, Neuroscience Research Australia,Barker St, Randwick, NSW and Phil Beart, Brain Injury and Repair Group, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, VIC (philip.beart@florey.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Rex Jung, The MIND Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico
The neurochemistry of intelligence and creativity; initial findings in a complex field. - Martin Lauritzen, The University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
How does blood flow relate to brain activity? The big BOLD headache. - Joshua J. Gooley, National University of Singapore and Harvard Medical School MA.
The neurochemistry of sleep and circadian rhythms. - Andrew Lawrence, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Neurochemistry of addiction.
Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in memory and synaptic plasticity
Organiser and Chair: Clarke Raymond, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT (Clarke.raymond@anu.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Marcelo Wood, University of California, Irvine, CA
The role of chromatin modifying enzymes in long-term memory processes. - Anthony Hannan, Florey Neuroscience Institutes,University of Melbourne, VIC
Gene-environment interactions and epigenetic modulators of cortical plasticity and cognitive function. - Tim Bredy, University of Queensland, QLD
Histone modifications, DNA methylation, and microRNA’s: Three layers of epigenetic complexity involved in the formation of fear-related memories. - Joanna Williams, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ.
Learning-related gene networks.
Neuromodulators, plasticity and behaviour: dopamine made me do it
Organiser and Chair: John N.J. Reynolds, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin NZ (john.reynolds@stonebow.otago.ac.nz)
Invited Speakers:
- Bernard Balleine, University of Sydney, Australia
Opioid modulation of striatal activity in action selection. - Kuei Y. Tseng, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago, USA
Age matters when dopamine and interneurons meet in the frontal cortex. - Peter Redgrave, University of Sheffield, U.K.
Dopamine made me do it, but what did I learn? - Tony West, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago, U.S.A.
Dopamine, glutamate, and nitric oxide interactions in the striatum: New targets for the treatment of Parkinson's disease?
Function and dysfunction in the developing nervous system
Organiser: Linda J. Richards, The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, QLD AUSTRALIA (richards@uq.edu.au)
Chair: Seong-Seng Tan, Division
Head, Brain Development and Regeneration, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, University of Melbourne, Australia
Invited Speakers:
- Martyn Goulding, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
Functional circuits in the developing spinal cord controlling locomotion. - Alain Chédotal, Centre de Recherche Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
Development and function of hindbrain commissures. - Linda J. Richards, The University of Queensland, QLD
Axonal guidance mechanisms in the development of the corpus callosum. - Richard Leventer, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
The spectrum and causes of cortical malformations in humans.
Estrogen and the central nervous system
Organiser: Jenny Wong and Cynthia Shannon Weickert, Neuroscience Research Australia, Hospital Road, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
Chair: Cynthia Shannon Weickert, Neuroscience Research Australia, Hospital Road, Randwick, 2031, Australia (c.weickert@neura.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Iain J. Clarke, Monash University, VIC, Australia
The Central Role of Kisspeptin in Sex Steroid Regulation of the Reproductive Axis and Metabolic Homeostasis. - Jenny Wong, Neuroscience Research Australia, NSW, Australia
Signalling convergence: estrogen receptor alpha meets receptor tyrosine kinases in the regulation of gene transcription with implications for neurodegenerative and mental disorders. - Nicolas J. Brandon, Pfizer Inc, Groton, CT, USA
Activation of estrogen receptor-β decreases phosphorylation of translation initiation factor eIF2α and regulates synaptic plasticity. - Maarten van den Buuse, Mental Health Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Effects of estrogen in animal models of schizophrenia.
Central Nervous System Myelination and Remyelination
Organiser(s): Junhua Xiao, Centre for Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne and Melinda Fitzgerald, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia
Chair(s): Melinda Fitzgerald, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, (lindy.fitzgerald@uwa.edu.au) and Simon Murray, Centre for Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, (ssmurray@unimelb.edu.au)
Invited Speakers:
- Robin J. M. Franklin, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
The Biology of CNS Remyelination – The Key to Therapeutic Advances. - Ragnhildur Thóra Káradóttir, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
The Role of Glutamatergic Signalling in CNS Myelination. - Ben Emery, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, Victoria, Australia
Transcriptional Control of CNS Myelination . - Junhua Xiao, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
CNS Myelination: A Glial Spin on BDNF.