1. Cannabinoids and Opioids in Psychiatric Disorders
2. Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration
3. Imaging and Genomics
4. Pain
Each seminar had four speakers, and was rounded off by a 'Data Blitz' session where selected groups of students briefly spoke about the data shown in their posters (in case you're not familiar with the structure of a typical science conference, data are presented as either an oral communication or in poster format; 'posters' are A1-/A0-sized synopses of a body of experimental work created in PowerPoint, with background information, results, and some interpretation of the data. Making posters for a scientific conference is one of my absolute favourite things to do as they are so visual and normally involve plenty of colour and creativity). I liked this a lot; each speaker had five minutes to present their work and take questions, which I think was perfect for younger, more inexperienced researchers - oral presentations can be incredibly nerve-wracking and this was a nice, gentle introduction to the process.
One of the highlights of the programme was the screening of a short film called 'Feats of Modest Valour' about Parkinson's disease, featuring three patients with the disease, and the research group of Eilis Dowd in NUIG which is looking at ways of effectively delivering appropriate medication to the parkinsonian brain. This was beautifully shot and scored, and underlined how vital fundamental and applied research is in the biomedical arena - it can be all too easy to forget about the human side of science and it's so important for academics to be reminded of why they do the work they do. Projects like this also provide a mechanism for 'outreach', where non-scientists get an insight into why such research matters.
Over the course of the two days I learned about many interesting topics, including:
1. The gut-brain axis; the interaction between the brain, gut, and microbiome, which encompasses how the gut and the microorganisms that reside within are linked to disorders such as Parkinson's disease and autism, and how this can contribute to the 'neurobiology of resilience' in relation to inter-individual differences in how we cope with stressors (Dr Cora O'Neill and Prof. John F Cryan, both from UCC, Ireland; for an overview of this research area, please see here and here). This highlighted the importance of gut microbiota diversity, which begins to be acquired very early on in life, with disruption of such affecting multiple parameters in maturity, including cognitive, social, and emotional behaviours (for example, see this article, and this, and also this!). With respect to how an individual is predisposed to respond to a stressful environment or event, and to emphasize the importance of developing a robust coping strategy in this regard, I particularly liked this quote from Hans Selye, via Prof. Cryan: 'It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it'.
2. The endocannabinoid and endogenous opioid systems; their role in psychiatric and affective disorders, and pain, and the challenges associated with developing therapeutic agents targeting these systems (Dr Sarah Bailey, Bath, UK; Dr Jacobi I Cunningham, Alkermes, Inc., US; Dr Matthew Hill, Calgary, Canada; Prof. Cecilia J Hillard, Wisconsin, US; Prof. Rohini Kuner, Heidelberg, Germany; Prof. David Finn, NUIG, Ireland).
3. In vivo real-time imaging of cell biological mechanisms and brain function (as opposed to experiments carried out using static cell culture models; Prof. Thomas Kuner, Heidelberg, Germany).
4. Theory of Mind ('mentalizing' or empathic perspective-taking, whereby an individual can put themselves in the place of another person and imagine what he/she is feeling or thinking) and social cognition (Prof. Martin Brune, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany; for more information, please see here and - for example - the work of Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen from Cambridge, who I've previously written about regarding the biology of gender differences).
5. Epigenetics, which has been defined in several different ways over the years but is now understood to refer to the phenomenon whereby a phenotype (that is, what an individual looks and acts like) is passed on to offspring in the absence of associated changes in the sequence of chromosomal DNA; taken to its most dramatic conclusion, the experiences and environment that the parent lives through can be 'tagged' onto the DNA of their children and their children's children, altering gene expression and establishing a heritable trait, 'bypassing' evolution as we know it (Prof. Jonathon Mill, Exeter, UK). Although this has a compelling scientific basis, further investigation is needed to fully characterize epigenetic regulation and to understand what it means; predictably, the concept has been seized upon by the media and various interest groups who say that it has profound implications for the generally accepted theory of Darwinism, and it has therefore become hugely controversial (for example, the emergence of the 'mind over genes' industry, and so on: see this Guardian article on the subject).
6. Strategies relating to CNS axon regeneration and the restoration of spinal cord function after injury (Prof. James Fawcett, Cambridge, UK; Prof. Anthony J Windebank, Mayo Clinic, US).
I've always loved conferences like this; they really are the best forum to engage with science and scientists, and the Neuroscience Ireland conference was the perfect size: huge meetings can be daunting and exhausting, requiring military planning to find venues and locate random sessions, and there's little chance of bumping into someone you know. It also helps when the meeting is just down the road! All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the couple of days and I came away feeling energized and in love with science all over again. It's rare that non-scientists attend these events, which is a pity. It's true that they can be expensive and somewhat inaccessible to those without a science background (and also to scientists with a background in a different type of science!) but I honestly believe that the vast majority of researchers would jump at the chance to explain their work to the general public, and this stuff is so fascinating. I don't agree with 'dumbing-down'; it is patronizing and dangerous, and in my opinion the 'jargon' that is so denounced by those not working in academia is entirely necessary for accuracy and precision. However, experimental data could certainly be presented in a friendlier way without sacrificing the scientific integrity of the work, and this is something that should be encouraged. I think films like the one mentioned above can also be used to demystify the research process, and make it relevant to the Real World - definitely more of this, please!