No, brain researchers can’t read minds. But they can now observe on the level of cells and molecules what happens in the brain of a mouse that learns where the feeding bowl is.
„Our modern methods and concepts take us to a new level,“ says Prof. Dr. Hartmut Kettenmann, spokesman of the German Neurosciences Society on the Executive Committee of the Association of European Neurosciences Societies (FENS). „We can connect behaviour with molecular and cellular events and thus, for the first time, investigate and understand very precisely what happens in learning processes, for example.
To understand what happens in the thicket of neurons and Gliacells when the brain processes sensory stimuli, controls the internal clock and movements or lets feelings and thoughts arise – this is the challenge for a mixed group of experts – from biologists, physicians, physicists to computer scientists – under the common umbrella of the neurosciences. The researchers‘ insights also provide informations about disturbed processes in many diseases that affect millions of people in Europe alone: depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, psychosis or the consequences of a stroke.
The 11th FENS Forum from July 7-11 in Berlin, in which more than 7000 scientists from 77 countries will participate, will focus on the entire spectrum of neurosciences.
The highlights of the forum are the focus of daily press conferences. In addition, there are „neurotalks“, rather informal discussions with individual speakers in the press office.
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REGISTRATION OF JOURNALISTS
Please note: A separate press desk is located in the registration area of the congress. There you can register with a press card. Freelance journalists must bring a letter of intent from their editor.
The conditions of accreditation can be found here:
https://forum2018.fens.org/Documents/FENS%20Media%20credentials%20policy%202018.pdf
An informal pre-registration speeds up the process of registration at the FENS FORUM. Just send an E.Mail with informations about the media you are working for to
Elaine snell: Elaine@snell-communications.net
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PRESS OFFICERS:
English language
Elaine Snell, Snell Communications Ltd, London UK
tel: +44 (0)207 738 0424 or mobile +44 (0)797 395 3794
email: Elaine@snell-communications.net
German language
Barbara Ritzert, ProScience Communications GmbH
Festnetz bis Freitag: 08157 93970
mobil auch während des Forums: 0151 120 433 11
The press office is located in Raum M6, Ebene 3.
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PRESS CONFERENCES AND NEUROTALKS
PRESS CONFERENCES ROOM M4, LEVEL 3
SUNDAY 8 JULY
11.00 – 12.00 FENS highlights and an overview of neuroscience in Germany
Helmut Kettenmann, Chairman of the FENS Forum Committee of the German Neuroscience Society
The Brain-Immune System
Boosting the immune system to treat Alzheimer’s
Michal Schwartz, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Botulinum toxin to block pain of flesh-eating disease
Isaac Chiu, Harvard Medical School, USA
Placebo effect – the hidden persuader
Asya Rolls, Technion Israel Institute of Technology
MONDAY 9 JULY • ROOM M5, LEVEL 3
12.00 – 13.00 Epigenetic inheritance
The long-lasting consequences of trauma
Isabelle Mansuy, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Reducing fear to domesticate animals
Per Jensen, University of Basel, Switzerland
14.00 – 15.00 How the brain tells the time • ROOM M4, LEVEL 3
Improving the timing of movement in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Nandakumar Narayan
How the brain keeps track of time
Lucille Tallot
TUESDAY 10 JULY
11.00 – 12.00 Learning from Insects to improve autonomous robots
How Bumble-bees learn to navigate
Oliver Bertrand, Bielefeld University, Germany
Robots controlled by silkworms
Noriysu Ando, University of Tokyo, Japan
Avoiding collisions: a new detector for automobile systems
Elisabetta Chicca, Bielefeld University, Germany
12.00 – 13.00 Mini-brains: organoids and stem cells
How hunger controls stem cell production
Fiona Doetsch, University of Basel, Switzerland
Genetic regulators of brain size discovered
Pierre Vanderhaeghen, University of Brussels, Belgium
Understanding congenital brain defects and damage caused by the Zika virus
Arnold Kriegstein, University of California, San Francisco, USA
14.00 – 15.00 New treatments on the horizon for Multiple Sclerosis
Clemastine to promote remyelination
Jonah Chan, University of California, San Francisco, USA
Taurine to enhance repair and remission of MS
Luke Lairson, Scripps Research Institute, California, USA
Reversing the damaging effects of MS
Robin Franklin, University of Cambridge
Repairing MS damage in the laboratory
Anna Williams, University of Edinburgh, UK
NEUROTALKS – PRESS OFFICE, ROOM M6
Neurotalks are an opportunity for journalists to have an informal discussion with speakers to find out more about an important topic in neuroscience and the wider issues associated with it. In some cases there may be a press release.
SUNDAY 8 JULY
10.00 – 10.30 Deep brain stimulation for depression
Helen Mayberg, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, USA
12.45 – 13.15 FENS – its place in international neuroscience;
the state of European neuroscience
Barry Everitt, President of FENS
Carmen Sandi, President-Elect of FENS
14.00 – 14.30 Gene editing for neurological disorders
Nicole Deglon, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
MONDAY 9 JULY
10.00-10.30 The importance of studying animal emotions and behaviour
Frans de Waal, Emory University
13.15-13.45 Saving energy: shrews shrink their skull and brain in winter
Dina Dechman, Max Planck-Institut, Radolfzell
TUESDAY 10 JULY
10.00 – 10.30 New technology emerging from the BRAIN Initiative
John Donoghue, Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Switzerland
Ilina Witten, Princeton University, USA