a newsletter for members of the BNA - British Neuroscience ...

Bulletin
SECRETARY’S REPORT
● The BNA is always on the look out for new blood. The committee has
been discussing ways in which we might increase our membership. It
seems that in some areas of the UK we are not recruiting as many
neuroscientists as we could be. As of February 2005, our membership
stands at 1363 full members, 519 students, and 113 who are still ‘lost’.
This is a healthy state of affairs but there are clearly people out there
who we have not reached yet. I don’t have to convince you, as
members, of the benefits BNA membership can bring. However, the
committee would ask that everyone expound BNA membership to
colleagues, particularly new postdocs and postgrads who have not yet
joined our society. It’s worth reminding them that BNA membership
entitles them to abstract forms for the American Society for
Neuroscience meetings amongst a whole range of other things
including reduced registration at our National Meetings and Symposia.
BNA membership fees are very modest and at £20 for student
membership perhaps supervisors could consider gifting membership
as a "hook" to their first year PhD students?
● New blood is also needed on the BNA committee as we have one
vacancy for a nominated member to be filled later this summer. So, if
you feel you want to contribute to BNA activities and/or you would like
some representation of your particular research interest at committee
level, then please consider standing. Elected committee members
serve for three years starting in October and there are four meetings per
annum – not an onerous commitment for such an important activity!
As this newsletter goes out, many BNA members will be involved in
Brain Awareness Week (14-20 March). This international effort is
promoted by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (DABI). In previous
years, BNA members have taken a leading role in organising events
around the UK to engage the public and to bring brain science into the
public eye. The support for Brain Awareness Week by BNA members
goes from strength to strength every year. Speaking from personal
experience, I can understand why, as being involved in one of these
events is great fun and very rewarding. If you are not involved this year,
why not give it a go next year? And, if you are organising an event this
year, we would be keen to have a report on how it went for publication
in the next newsletter.
● Of course the big event for BNA this year is our National Meeting in
Brighton, April 3-6, 2005. Running a meeting of this size and scope is
a costly business. However, for a meeting with such a strong and varied
programme, and in the delightful surroundings of Brighton, it’s great
value and is still heavily subsidised for all, especially for students.
● An important source of financial support for the meeting comes from
our varied sponsors, such as GSK, Lilly, EDAB, DTI, Nature
Neuroscience and Trends Journals. The Association of British
Neurologists, The Physiological Society and The British
Neuropathological Society are
also part-sponsoring some
symposia this year . The BNA is
extremely grateful for their
contributions. We have a busy
scientific programme at the
meeting and, as usual, there will
be a full exhibition for members
to catch up with what’s new in kit
and books. However, for the first
time, we are also reaching out to
the world of art. An exhibition of
"art and the brain" will be on
show throughout the meeting,
with collections provided by the
MRC and The Wellcome Trust,
and by private artists. Well worth a visit! Organising the national
meeting is a considerable administrative task and I would like to thank
Yvonne Allen, Vicky Gill and Lucy Williams in the BNA Office for their
tremendous efforts in putting everything together.
DEBBIE DEWAR
● The BNA is also sponsoring and contributing to a number of other
events over the rest of the year. Some of you may have already
attended one of the "Controversial Issues in Neuroscience" discussions
at the Dana Centre, London. These sessions are specifically designed
to stimulate debate amongst both scientists and the public, and the
events last year certainly did that. This year, the series continues with
topics such as "should we prolong life in premature babies", and
"should we use cognitive enhancing drugs?" We are always on the look
out for new topics in this series, so if there’s a burning issue you would
like aired in a public forum with some provocative speakers, please
send in your suggestions (y.allen@bna.org.uk).
● Autumn promises to be a busy time for the BNA. Due to the success
of the first BNA-sponsored Postgraduate and Early Career Symposium
last September, the committee has decided to make this an annual
event. Stephan Przyborski and Chris Thompson have kindly offered to
host the second symposium in Durham this coming September. In
addition to our own events, members are participating in meetings
organised by other societies. In early September, we are contributing
two symposia at the 7th International Congress of the Polish
Neuroscience Society, to be held in Krakow. Mike Stewart has
organised a symposium entitled "Mechanisms of hippocampal
plasticity" and Stefan Przyborski one entitled "Neural differentiation of
non-embryonic stem cells". In October, we are linking up with the Pain
Society for a joint One Day Symposium on Long term potentiation as
a mechanism for pain.
● Finally, to round off the year, our ever-popular Christmas Symposium
will take place in December. Last December’s meeting was a sell-out,
understandably so with such an impressive scientific theme and
programme of speakers. The BNA annual awards for Public Service
and Outstanding Contribution to British Neuroscience were made to
the European Dana Alliance for the Brain and Geoffrey Raisman
respectively. Suggestions and nominations for this year’s theme and
awards can be sent to the BNA Office, as soon as possible please
(y.allen@bna.org.uk).
Ambiguous images generating at least two different percepts; 3-D
structure has been lost in the 2-D projection. See scientific review by
Tamara Curnow, pages 12/13.
Dates for your Diary
● 3rd – 6th April, 2005:
18th National Meeting, Brighton, Sussex, England
● 22nd June, 2005: Controversial Issues in Neuroscience:
‘Premature babies: life at a price?’ A café-bar discussion at
The Dana Centre, London
● BNA Symposia at the VIIth International Meeting of the Polish
Neuroscience Society, 7th – 10th September, Krakow, Poland
● 14th – 15th September, 2005:
Post-graduate and early career neuroscientist symposium, at
the University of Durham
● 28th September, 2005:
Controversial Issues in Neuroscience: ‘Cognitive enhancing
drugs – to have or not to have?’ A café-bar discussion at
The Dana Centre, London
● One Day Symposium:
‘Long term potentiation as a mechanism for pain’,
19th October, 2005, at The Open University, Milton Keynes
● 14th December, 2005:
The Christmas Symposium, at The Royal Society, London
The British Neuroscience Association Newsletter is published regularly and distributed to over 2,000 members of the BNA.
The views expressed in the newsletter are the authors’ own and are not necessarily the opinion of the BNA committee.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ITEMS FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER: Ist JUNE 2005
The BNA Newsletter is produced by Yvonne Allen in the BNA Conference Office.
Please send any items for inclusion in the next newsletter to:
Newsletter Editor, BNA Conference Office, The Sherrington Buildings, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE
Tel: 0151 794 5449 / 4943 ✦ Fax: 0151 794 5516 / 5517 ✦ email: newsletter@bna.org.uk
The British Neuroscience Association is registered as a charity (1103852) and as a charitable company (4307833)
ISSN 1475-8679
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