Neuroscience News Releases

To inform the public about advances in neuroscience, the Society sends news releases about new findings to some 1,000 science writers at general-interest publications and other news outlets. Members who will be published in high- profile journals, including The Journal of Neuroscience, Nature Neuroscience, The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Science, Nature, Cell, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Neuron, are urged to mail the accepted abstract and article to: Joseph Carey, Public Information Director, Society for Neuroscience, 11 Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036.

Members should submit their work four to six weeks prior to the journal's publication to ensure enough time for the review, writing, and distribution process. Releases are done in accordance with the journal's embargo policy.

Drs. Gage and Hyman Recognized for Alzheimer's Research

Award Recipients Fred Gage (left) and Bradley Hyman (right) with MetLife Chairman and CEO Bob Benmosche.

Society President Fred H. Gage, PhD, and member Bradley T. Hyman, MD, PhD, are the recipients of the 2001 MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease. The two awardees were honored at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2002.

Dr. Gage is the Vi and John Adler Professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. He is also professor of neuroscience at the University of California, La Jolla. Dr. Gage's work concentrates on regeneration of neurons in the adult and aged central nervous system. His pioneering research with neural stem cells has important implications for therapeutic strategies that may some day reverse the effects of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Dr. Hyman is a professor and clinical scientist in the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Hyman's research program has revealed a hierarchical progression of changes in specific parts of the brain. He has demonstrated that neurofibrillary tangles are a related cause of neuronal loss and dysfunction and that amyloid plaque deposits are less directly correlated with neuronal loss or clinical symptoms. Dr. Hyman has also broken new ground through the observation of plaques in a living animal through the use of a multiphoton microscope.

Both Dr. Gage and Dr. Hyman were recognized previously by MetLife Foundation when they received "Promising Investigator" awards in 1992. Drs. Gage and Hyman have continued to make significant contributions to the understanding of Alzheimer's disease.

New Rolling Membership Application Procedure

The Society for Neuroscience announces the implementation of a new rolling membership application procedure. This procedure eliminates the spring and fall deadlines for membership applications in an effort to afford all applicants an opportunity to become members throughout the year. Applications submitted by the February 15, 2002, deadline were processed in accordance with previous years procedures, and membership dues will be due by May 1, 2002. All applications received after this deadline will be granted immediate review and will receive notification of membership status within a two-to three-week period as long as applications are complete. Dues will be required along with the new application forms at the time of submission.

As the review process will take approximately two to three weeks, there are two deadline dates that will ensure that membership is reviewed and granted prior to abstract submission (April 10, 2002) and prior to the Annual Meeting (October 1, 2002). Applications received 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting will grant applicants membership for the current calendar year only. They will be eligible for the member annual meeting registration fee. Applications received less than thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting through December 31 will receive a courtesy membership for the remainder of the year, but official membership will not begin until January 1 of the upcoming year. These applicants will not be eligible for the member Annual Meeting registration fee. To view the new membership application online, please visit our Web site at www.sfn.org for a downloadable form. For further information, please contact the Membership Department at membership@sfn.org; 202-462-6688.

Free Color for Members

The need for color illustrations in presenting research results in The Journal of Neuroscience continues to increase. Recognizing this need, Council approved a sharp reduction in charges, to $300 per illustration, where the senior editor handling the manuscript deemed color essential. In the ensuing two years it is obvious that this has increased the attractiveness and the scientific value of the papers in the Journal.

Given this salutary effect, the Council has responded by authorizing a final reduction of color illustrations to no charge, subject to the following conditions:

1. The reduction will take effect with all papers published in the May 1, 2002 issue and thereafter. There can be no appeal for papers currently in the pipeline.

2. The decision on qualifying for free color will continue to be made by the senior editors on the basis that color is essential to the scientific content of the illustration.

3. The decision on qualifying for free color will also depend on both the first and the last author being members of the Society for Neuroscience at the time that the manuscript is submitted. To accommodate authors who are not members but wish to be, the Society has implemented a rolling membership application process. This will enable applications for membership to be submitted at any time during the year, and for approvals to be made within a two- to three-week time frame. Details of the application and approval process are posted on the SFN Web site. The criteria for membership continue unchanged, including being active in the field of neuroscience or a related field and being sponsored by two regular or emeritus members.

Annual Meeting News Coverage

The Society for Neuroscience's 2001 Annual Meeting in San Diego had record-breaking attendance by both members of the Society and the media. More than 120 reporters from national and international newspapers, journals, and other publications registered to cover the meeting, which led to extensive media coverage of the 15,000 presentations.

Press conference topics included possible vaccinations for neurodegenerative diseases, maternal care, stress and memory, transplantation, exercise, violence, pain, and sleep as well as multiple approaches for treating Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ALS. New neurological terrain was explored in press conferences about music, deception and intention, and sensory illusions.

Tallies so far indicate that 180 individual presentations have received national and international attention. Overall, some 656 stories have been printed or reprinted based on the meeting. Many of the items picked up by media outlets this year focused on the effects of certain drugs on the brain, exercise, emotional states, and other lifestyle issues.

Publications worldwide picked up a story about an animal study showing that Ritalin, a drug often prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, might cause long-term changes in the brain similar to those seen with drugs like cocaine and amphetamines. The story ran in newspapers across the United States and in the BBC News, The London Daily Telegraph, and Business Week.

Exercise-related studies also garnered much media attention. Research from an abstract describing how people could increase their muscle power merely by thinking about exercising was written up in The Washington Post, Seattle Post Intelligencer, and The Daily Iberian. Findings from another study showing that jogging improves cognitive function received attention from The Dallas Morning News, Health Magazine, and Psychology Today.

A study demonstrating that brain scans can determine if someone is telling a lie sparked articles worldwide, including in The Los Angeles Times, Detroit News, New Scientist, Times of India, and The Canadian National Post.

Another story describing epilepsy in the Biblical figure Ezekiel was published in The London Guardian, New Scientist, and The Jerusalem Post.

Newsletter Managing Editor Resigns

After seven years of service with the Society for Neuroscience, Judy Hittman, the director of communications and marketing, announced her resignation. During her tenure, Ms. Hittman was the driving force behind several successful initiatives, including the Brain Awareness Week campaign, which continues to grow in popularity across the nation. Most recently she took the helm of the Neuroscience Newsletter as managing editor. The Society and staff thank Ms. Hittman for all of her contributions throughout the years and wish her luck as she takes on the next set of challenges in her career.

DATES & DEADLINES

For a calendar of current Dates & Deadlines, please visit the In Focus page.