NEUROSCIENCE 2013 PRESS PROGRAM FEATURES LATEST NEWS ABOUT BRAIN SCIENCE AND HEALTH

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New research about the brain and related disorders will be unveiled at Neuroscience 2013 in San Diego, Nov. 9–13. Findings will include progress being made in treating diseases and disorders of the brain; novel understanding of how life experiences, personal decisions, and social environments influence brain health and wellness; and new insights into how the brain functions and develops.

Neuroscience 2013 is the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and — with more than 30,000 attendees — the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. Credentialed reporters have access to top scientists, press materials, and special events, providing a rich assortment of spot news and feature possibilities.

“Aided by new technology and scientific innovations, neuroscience is on the cusp of revolutionary advances — and nowhere is that better on display than at Neuroscience 2013,” said SfN President Larry Swanson. “Each year, the meeting showcases valuable new research about brain structure, disease, and function in the relentless pursuit of knowledge and understanding and the hope for better medical treatments. This spirit of innovation and creativity is evident in the many lectures and presentations, and in the buzz of scientific discourse on the poster floor,” Swanson added.

Ed Catmull, PhD, president of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, will discuss creativity and the mind at the “Dialogues between Neuroscience and Society” lecture on Saturday, Nov. 9. Catmull, a five-time Academy Award winner, has been at the center of collaborations across artistic and technological disciplines and has overseen innovative creative endeavors for more than three decades.

Credentialed media receive complimentary registration, access to a working press room, meals, and press conferences held Sunday, Nov. 10, through Tuesday, Nov. 12. Live streaming of press conferences is also available for offsite reporters. Media may register for Neuroscience 2013 at www.sfn.org/pressroom. Press conference topics include:

In Sickness and in Health: Exploring Relationships with Food
Many rising health concerns are closely tied to what we eat. Neuroscience is identifying neurological benefits and hazards of diets, and exploring what happens when a relationship with food becomes destructive. What are researchers learning about eating disorders that can protect and promote brain health?

Overcoming Addiction: Can We Rewire the Brain?
What brain functions are involved in addictions that make it a challenge to give up destructive habits? New studies examine substance abuse, addiction, and pathological gambling to offer greater understanding of the neurological mechanisms that reinforce these behaviors. Findings may suggest new avenues for treatment and rehabilitation.

Navigating Social Ladders
Social hierarchies put powerful forces in play in environments as diverse as the animal kingdom, children’s playgrounds, and corporate boardrooms. Recent studies explore how hierarchies play out in the brain and may affect mood and behavior. What implications does this research have on broader issues in society, such as bullying or how we interact socially?

Brain Wellness
Keeping fit is key to a healthy lifestyle, and new research shows it can have a dramatic effect on brain health as well. How do lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, affect mental and physical wellbeing? What implications do these findings have for treating mental illnesses and reducing cognitive and physical decline as we age?

Beyond Genetics
DNA shapes who we are, but to what extent does our lifestyle shape our genes? New research begins to answer this question by exploring how experiences such as stress or drug exposure can impact gene expression for generations. These findings show promise in developing treatments for addiction as well as helping to explain certain brain processes involved in memory and disease.

 Additional press conference topics are:

• Delinquency and Deviant Behavior
• Depression: Susceptibility and Treatment
• Tuning the Brain: Music and Hearing
• Sex Differences in Brain, Behavior, and Health
• The Human Brain: Lessons from the Animal Kingdom
• New Developments in Multiple Sclerosis

 Other meeting events highlight the interplay between brain research and global culture, politics, and society:

• “Blaming the Brain: Behavioral Sciences in the Courtroom” symposium will cover the use of biosciences in legal systems, and future implications for the relationship between law and neuroscience.
• The Fred Kavli Public Symposium on Creativity features a distinguished panel including a musician, artist, inventor, and theoretical neuroscientist. Join them as they discuss one of the defining traits of humanity and how we endeavor to understand it.
• The 2013 Presidential Special Lecture series includes perspectives of leading scientists in the field with a particular focus on the “connectome,” a comprehensive wiring diagram of the brain. The lecturers are:
  • Scott W. Emmons, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Gerald M. Rubin, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Jeff Lichtman, MD, PhD, Harvard University
  • Doris Tsao, PhD, California Institute of Technology

 Register and find more information about the meeting at www.sfn.org/pressroom.

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