SOCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ANNUAL MEETING KICKS OFF NOV. 3–7 LEADERS TO PRESENT LATEST IN BRAIN RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
For immediate release.
NR-35-07 (10/31/07). For more information, please contact DeeDee Clendenning at (202) 962-4000 or dclendenning@sfn.org
SOCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ANNUAL MEETING KICKS OFF NOV. 3–7
LEADERS TO PRESENT LATEST IN BRAIN RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
Neuroscience 2007 Expected to Generate $120 Million in Revenue for Hard-Hit San Diego
WASHINGTON, DC October 31, 2007 -- Neuroscience 2007, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), will kick off Nov. 3 in San Diego, offering the world's largest annual forum for presentation of emerging research on the brain and nervous system. With an expected 30,000 attendees participating through Nov. 7, the conference will also support the recovery of the San Diego area, which suffered major wildfires last week, by generating an estimated $120 million in local business revenue.
Among 16,400 scientific presentations, new findings will be released that advance our understanding of the aging brain and the teenage brain, the role of diet in brain function, promising trends in stroke rehabilitation, the bases of combat-related brain disorders, and much more. Several major sessions will highlight how new technology is driving discovery in neuroscience and, in turn, how brain research is informing the next generation of computer technology. Other events will feature leaders in the business and political worlds discussing innovative ideas that have the potential to transform science, technology, and economies.
"Neuroscience 2007 provides an outstanding venue to educate and inform colleagues, and the world at large, about the leading edge of neuroscience and its tremendous potential to help treat many neurological and psychiatric disorders," says SfN President David Van Essen of Washington University in St. Louis. "We are pleased to have San Diego host the annual meeting again this year. Not only is it a year-round home to great neuroscience research, but, this year, we are especially pleased to be helping the region as it begins its recovery from last week's tragic wildfires. We look forward to presenting a host of research and technological advances that can accelerate the pace of discovery and allow experiments that often were not even dreamed of a decade or two ago."
At the conference, Jeff Hawkins, developer of the PalmPilot and Treo smartphone, will discuss the future of computing, particularly how biologically inspired principles may drive many advances in the coming decade. Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel Corporation, will discuss both the promise and the limitations of new approaches to fight brain disorders. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, will discuss biomedical research as a vital national investment that not only can decrease health costs but also serves as a driver of the national economy by stimulating job creation and productivity in a key economic sector.
Neuroscience 2007, one of the largest scientific meetings ever held at the San Diego Convention Center, will attract attendees from around the globe to attend some 16,400 scientific presentations and visit 581 exhibiting companies. Approximately 34 percent of attendees are international. All told, participants will occupy more than 53,000 room nights, and local officials estimate they will generate $120 million for local businesses and nearly $2 million in tax revenues. The 2007 SfN event is also expected to be one of the single largest hotel room night generators since the center's opening in 1989.
"San Diego and the San Diego Convention Center are excited to host the Society for Neuroscience," says Carol Wallace, President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. "Despite the recent fires impacting San Diego County, we are open for business and ready to play host to the more than 30,000 attendees attending this important event."
The Society for Neuroscience, with more than 38,000 members, is the world's largest organization of basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and nervous system. Their research advances greater scientific understanding and also forms the basis for new treatments and cures for neurological and psychiatric disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Neuroscience research also serves as a major national economic engine, spurring investment in biotechnology applications, pharmaceutical advancements, and health promotion.
