Invitation to Brain Sciences
UNSW Symposium 2014,
Brain Health Complexity:
molecules to systems
Dear All,
The annual Brain Sciences UNSW Symposium will be held
on 17 October 2014 in Leighton Hall, The John Niland Scientia Building at The
University of New South Wales. The theme for the 9th annual Symposium is Brain
Health Complexity: molecules to systems and will include presentations from
invited speakers from Scotland and from other institutions in Sydney and
Melbourne together with leading researchers from Brain Sciences
UNSW. Dr Jonathan Cavanagh, from the Institute of Health and
Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, will be giving the keynote
address. Dr Cavanagh has a strong research interest on the role of
cytokine and chemokine biology in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders
with a current focus on the mechanisms linking peripheral immune systems to
brain responses.
There has been an explosion of information indicating that
our complex brains interact with complex body systems within an increasingly
complex world, and that each of these levels can impact significantly on our
health. In 2009 neuroproteomics dominated thinking about the brain and its
health, but the complexity of the molecular landscape that internally shapes
brain structure and function is now known to be significantly more diverse. In
addition, objective measures show that peripheral systems in the body, like
peripheral inflammation, can also shape our brain structure and function by
initiating region specific brain changes that persist and accelerate dysfunction
and disease. In addition to the levels of internal complexities that shape our
brain, how we interact with the world in general also profoundly impacts on
brain function, and large data systems are being applied to brain studies
linking "Brain Informatics" with "Health Informatics".
These new big data systems can independently recognise brain dysfunction, and
factors impacting to cause brain dysfunction, sometimes better than expert
clinicians. This year, the Brain Sciences UNSW Symposium will provide an opportunity
to hear Australian and International experts discuss new ways of looking at
brain health complexity, from new concepts of brain structure and function, to
new thinking about the impact of bodily systems on the brain, to enabling large
computer datasets to identify critical environmental, social and other factors
that impact on brain health.
The closing address will be given by Ita Buttrose AO, OBE,
Australian of the Year 2013 and advocate for dementia research.
The invitation to attend is open to anyone with an interest
in the brain sciences and neuroscience and you are welcome to extend an
invitation to others who may be interested e.g. researchers from other
organisations; students. Registration fee for delegates is $90;
registration fee for students (PhD, Masters, Undergraduate) is $50 (talk to
your supervisor!). Seating is limited and registrations will close
when capacity is reached.
For
program, speaker details and registration please view http://www.brainsciences.unsw.edu.au/BrainSciWeb.nsf/page/Symposium2014
Poster Presentation: Postgraduate students and
Postdoctoral fellows. Abstract submissions close Thursday 17 July
5 pm. It is essential to register before submitting an
abstract.
We look forward to seeing you at the Brain Sciences UNSW
Symposium 2014.
Date: Friday 17 October 2014
Time: 0830 – 1800 h.
Venue: Leighton Hall, The John Niland Scientia
Building, UNSW Kensington Campus
Fees: $90 for delegate; $50 for university
student (PhD, Masters, Undergraduate)