SfN-Sponsored Socials
Brain and Retina Organoids Social
Chair: Steven BeckerCo-Chairs: Giorgia Quadrato
Location: Room N230B
Guests: Igor Nasonkin, Magdalene Seiler, Thomas Reh, Fred Gage, Paola Arlotta, Sally Temple, Jason Meyer, Sergiu Pasca, Hongjun Song, Karl Wahlin, Justin Ichida, Natalia Vergara, Flora Vaccarino
This social is intended to bring together a variety of researchers from different career stages who are working on brain and retina organoids. It is an opportunity for attendees to network and share experiences in this emerging area of study. There will be brief remarks from experts who will be asked to highlight some of the recent notable advances in this exciting field.
Breaking Barriers for Young Women in Science Social
Chair: Ghazaleh Sadri-VakiliCo-Chairs: Courtney Miller
Location: Room N231
Guests: Eric Nestler, Jang-Ho Cha, Marina Picciotto, Roger Little, Jeff Rothstein, Tom Carew, Kay Tye, Patricia Janak
This social will provide a forum for women scientists of all levels to interact with mentors on a one-on-one basis, providing the opportunity to ask questions in a relaxed but formatted environment that overcomes typical barriers to approaching and interacting with experienced colleagues. This will be a great opportunity to learn about academic and non-academic career paths available to neuroscientists, gain further insight into handling the challenges inherent to a career in STEM, and grow your professional network.
Conversations on Cajal Social
Chair: Carol MasonCo-Chairs: Oscar Marin
Location: Room N138
Guests: Larry Swanson, Ben Erlich, Javier DeFelipe
This social celebrates the namesake of this club, Santiago Ramón y Cajal. The social follows the 2018 exhibit of “The Beautiful Brain” in Minnesota, New York, and Boston, a collection of original drawings of Cajal. Three experts will bring novel information to the attendees on Cajal's work and life, and the impact it has had on neuroscience.
Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) Poster Session and Social
Chair: Hewlet McFarlaneCo-Chairs: Ronald Bayline
Location: Room N226
Guests: Mary Morrison
Socialize and exchange ideas with those interested in undergraduate neuroscience research and education. Undergraduates will present their research; Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) Student Travel Awards and Educator of the Year Awards will also be presented. See the FUN website (www.funfaculty.org) for travel award information and to register to present a poster at the FUN Social.
International Brain Bee Social
Chair: Astrid EberhartCo-Chairs: Norbert Myslinski
Location: Room N230A
A new social for all neuroscientists interested in the Brain Bee initiative (www.theBrainBee.org). Socialize and exchange ideas with fellow Brain Bee coordinators and past competitors. Newcomers will be able to find out how to get involved in this educational outreach program and get tips on how to run a local or national/regional Brain Bee competition.
Neural Oscillations Social
Chair: Molly HenryCo-Chairs: Keith Doelling
Location: Room N135
Guests: Sabine Kastner, Nancy Kopell
A social for all neuroscientists deeply in love with all aspects of neural oscillations. Neural oscillations have been ubiquitous at SfN for many years. However, more light-hearted, out-of-the-box exchange over what may or may not unite the diverse fields that study oscillatory changes in excitability, from membrane potentials to behavioral corollaries, has been missing. Join us in meeting, greeting, and quizzing random people who love neural phase just as much as you do.
Neuroethics Social
Chair: Winston ChiongCo-Chairs: Khara Ramos
Location: Room N137
Guests: Hale Soloff, Margaret Thompson, Gillian Hue, Eric Chudler, Gidon Felsen
Join fellow neuroscientists at this informal gathering to socialize, network, and exchange ideas about the ethical implications of neuroscience research and education. A brief panel presentation will focus on how neuroethics can be integrated into neuroscience careers, featuring representatives from training programs and professional societies as well as early career neuroscientists to discuss benefits and challenges in this integration.
Neuroethology/Invertebrate Neurobiology Social
Chair: Wolfgang SteinCo-Chairs: Richard Dewell
Location: Room N139
Guests: Bjoern Brembs
Join us to celebrate neuroethology and the role the nervous system plays in producing behaviors. All members of the neuroscience community are welcome, particularly those who work on the neural basis of behavior. If you are looking for an opportunity to discuss new and interesting concepts and/or are simply looking to meet old friends and make new ones, this social is for you. Postdoctoral fellows and students are encouraged to drop in for socializing and networking.
Neuroscience and Architecture: Measurement for Design Social
Chair: Thomas AlbrightCo-Chairs: Frederick Marks
Location: Room N133
Guests: Eduardo Macagno, Alison Whitelaw
"We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." As Winston Churchill aptly noted, the built environment has a profound impact on human experience. In this social, there will be presentations from architects and neuroscientists working at the interface of the two fields. The social will focus on physiological and neurological measurements that can inform design and assess how buildings affect the occupants, including populations with developmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
Open, FAIR, and Reproducible Neuroscience Social
Chair: Jean-Baptiste PolineCo-Chairs: Maryann Martone
Location: Room N136
Guests: David Kennedy, Linda Lanyon, Adam Ferguson, David Mellor, Angela Roskams
This social will provide a forum for all neuroscientists interested in open, FAIR, and reproducible science to exchange ideas. Find new collaborators who have resources you need, recruit new users for your tools, or join up to solve standards and interoperability issues with other scientists and developers. Come and help to make neuroscience research more reproducible!
Spinal Cord Injury Social
Chair: Dana McTigueLocation: Room N140
This social is open to all trainees and faculty interested in spinal cord injury research or clinical care. Please come mingle with your fellow scientists and discuss current areas of research, ongoing clinical trials and ideas for future studies. We hope to see you there!
Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Social
Chair: Barney SchlingerCo-Chairs: Brian Trainor
Location: Room N226
This longstanding and popular social brings together members of the Society for Neuroscience with interest in the endocrine regulation of brain and behavior. Research in this area covers a broad range of topics including development, sex-differences, neural networks and systems, neuroplasticity, and clinical neuroscience. It attracts a diverse set of attendees including students at all levels, postdoctoral fellows, senior researchers, and clinicians. Not only is this an opportunity for this group to convene at the SfN meeting, but it is also the occasion to announce several awards in behavioral neuroendocrinology.
Cerebellum Social
Chair: Roy SillitoeCo-Chairs: Alexandra Joyner
Location: Room N231
Guests: Mark Blumberg, Genevieve Konopka, James Li, Nico Dosenbach
The Cerebellum Social is an informal gathering of all researchers and clinicians interested in the cerebellum. This social encourages interactions between students, postdocs, research staff and faculty. There are no formal presentations; collaborative discussions and networking opportunities make up the main agenda.
Chemical Senses Social
Chair: Alfredo FontaniniCo-Chairs: Leslie Kay
Location: Room N133
Guests: Florin Albeanu, Donald Katz, Anne-Marie Mouly, Detlef Heck, Debra Fadool, Christiane Linster, Lisa Stowers, Patricia Di Lorenzo, Andreas Schaefer, Anne-Marie Oswald, John Boughter, Matt Wachowiak
Anyone interested in the chemical senses (smell, taste, licking, sniffing, chemical signaling, trigeminal irritation, or internal chemoreception) is invited to an evening of piquant conversations and tasteful socializing. Scientists working in humans and any animal model, and those at all stages of their career —trainees and mentors, students, postdocs and PIs — are welcome to discuss their scientific and professional interests. Join a purely social event to connect with friends, but more importantly make new ones.
Epilepsy Social
Chair: Joaquin LugoCo-Chairs: Christina Gross
Location: Room N138
Guests: Kevin Staley, Jeffrey Goodman, Steve Danzer, Manisha Patel, Angelique Bordey, Chris Dulla, Christophe Bernard, T. Thippeswamy, Amy Brooks-Kayal
Epilepsy research is challenging and highly diverse. With increasingly sophisticated techniques available, it is essential to collaborate to move the field forward. This social welcomes those with an interest in epilepsy to join us for an evening of social networking with leading experts and with representatives from the NIH, American Epilepsy Society (AES), and Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE). This is a great opportunity for all to engage in productive discussions, establish collaborations, or simply enjoy networking in a comfortable and fun social setting.
Ingestive Behavior Social
Chair: Ruth HarrisCo-Chairs: Derek Daniels
Location: Room N137
Guests: Thomas Lutz, Hubert Preissl, Robert Ritter, Guillaume de Lartigue, Mitchell Roitman, Lawrence Reagan, Linda Rinaman, Sue Grigson
After a stimulating day of SfN presentations, come and socialize with your colleagues and meet new people interested in the areas of neuroscience related to the control of eating and drinking. Whether you are an established investigator, a student, or a postdoc, if you are interested in the science of Ingestive behavior and related areas of neuroscience, then you should join this social. Plan to attend, mix, mingle, and take the opportunity to establish new connections and collaborations while relaxing at the Ingestive Behavior Social.
Marmoset Social
Chair: Jude MitchellCo-Chairs: Partha Mitra
Location: Room N230A
Guests: Erika Sasaki, Nicholas Priebe, James Bourne, Angela Roberts
The rapid adoption of the marmoset as an animal model in neuroscience has created a high demand for venues to facilitate interaction, exchange practical information and form new collaborations. In this event a panel of investigators will play “Marmoset Jeopardy,” a game to survey recent research. Students will submit images of their data for panelists to identify and reveal the answers. Later the floor will be open for questions to panelists and brief announcements, followed by time to socialize.
Music Social
Chair: Robert RiddleCo-Chairs: William Pearce
Location: Room W190
Guests: Wen Chen
Your SfN colleagues have amazing musical talents. All are encouraged to participate and/or enjoy a great evening of music. This social encourages new performances and musical diversity. Members interested in participating should contact the chair by September 13 and provide info describing their musical selection(s) and accompaniment needs. The program will be determined shortly thereafter. Performances are typically 10 minutes and SfN will provide a variety of musical instruments.
Open-Source Technology Social
Chair: Jakob VoigtsCo-Chairs: Denise Cai
Location: Room N135
Socialize and exchange ideas with researchers developing and using open-source tools for neuroscience research. Chat with the people behind the projects and learn about the wide variety of open-source tools that can help your experiments be more robust, reliable and creative. Join this social for an evening of fun, and you might even find a new collaborator for your open-source project!
Pain, Touch, and Itch Social
Chair: Cheryl StuckyCo-Chairs: Theodore Price
Location: Room N139
Guests: Kathleen Sluka, Michael Gold, Diana Bautista, Michael Salter, Ardem Patapoutian, Daniela Salvemini, Ellen Lumpkin, Jeffrey Mogil, Kenneth Hargreaves, Robert Gereau, Rebecca Seal, David Ginty, Allan Basbaum, Karen Davis, Annemieke Kavelaars, Luda Diatchenko, Ru-Rong Ji, Catherine Bushnell, Yves De Koninck, George Wilcox, Sarah Ross
Gather with fellow "pain, touch, and itch" neuroscientists for an opportunity to unwind and exchange ideas with peers. Everyone is invited to this purely social gathering, where established leaders and early career investigators can reconnect with old friends and make new ones. This social event is a great opportunity to find potential collaborators in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.
Psychopharmacology Social
Chair: Stan FlorescoCo-Chairs: Jill McGaughy
Location: Room N140
Guests: Alan Frazer, Harriet DeWit, Klaus Miczek, Jared Young
Please join this social to socialize with people who know a thing or two about mind-altering substances. Your hosts will enjoy enabling SfN attendees to catch up with colleagues, meet others in the field, loosen up with a refreshing beverage after a hard day of science, and groove to a psychopharmacologically-inspired playlist. Intermingling between more senior scientists and trainees is strongly encouraged, and all are welcome.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Social
Chair: Jose AbisambraCo-Chairs: Laura Blair
Location: Room N139
Guests: Maria Carrillo, Karen Duff, David Morgan, Brian Kraemer, Bruce Lamb
Current and future Alzheimer's disease or related dementia researchers, join this social for an inclusive, purely social gathering that will bring together experts, early career investigators, postdocs and students interested in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia research. Stop by and mingle. Reconnect with old friends and make new ones. All are welcome to join!
Computational Neuroscience Social
Chair: Kiah HardcastleCo-Chairs: Jantine Broek
Location: Room N140
Guests: Gal Mishne, Jonathan Pillow, Mackenzie Mathis, XJ Wang, Sara Solla, Guillaume Drion, Mark Goldman
This social intends to bring together neuroscientists working on all aspects of computational neuroscience. It is an opportunity for attendees to network with other computational neuroscientists and to exchange notes on the latest methods and studies. It's also a chance to learn about opportunities, such as summer schools and graduate schools, that can further your computational knowledge.
Decision Neuroscience Social
Chair: Paul GlimcherCo-Chairs: Michael Shadlen
Location: Room N133
Guests: Bill Newsome, Michele Basso, Daeyeol Lee, Daphna Shohamy, Michael Platt
Over the last decade decision neuroscience has grown to encompass almost 4 percent of the material presented at the annual meeting. This social will provide an opportunity for graduate students, postdocs and faculty to exchange ideas, build new collaborations or just socialize. Whether you study perceptual decision-making with the DDM or economic choice with a BDM, this is the place for you. This year's inaugural social will begin with brief remarks on the history of our subfield by leaders in our field.
Glia Social
Chair: Helmut KettenmannCo-Chairs: Bruce Ransom
Location: Room N137
Guests: Jack Antel, Dwight Bergles, Klaus Nave, Monica Carson, Vittorio Gallo, Brian MacVicar, Harald Sontheimer, Wendy Macklin, Patrizia Casaccia, Ian Duncan, Baljit Khakh, R. Fields, David Spray
Over the last couple of years it has been recognized that glia play an important role for normal brain function and in any type of brain disease. This is a purely social opportunity to interact with current and future leaders in the field of neuron-glia interactions. Many prominent scientists have agreed to join the meeting and will foster interaction with students and young colleagues.
Global Neuroscience Social
Chair: Izumi FukunagaCo-Chairs: Haruhiko Bito
Location: Room N138
Guests: Megan Carey, Takaki Komiyama, Athena Akrami, Noriko Osumi, Tadashi Isa, Hiroshi Ito, May-Britt Moser, Thomas McHugh
Different countries have different ways of presenting neuroscience. Experiencing neuroscience in foreign countries will give you a new perspective in your science career. This social will be focused on mixing neuroscientists from American, European, and Asian countries and encouraging them to acquire experience in new countries. PIs with their labs in foreign counties will give short presentations to discuss their experiences. Follow the Global Neuroscience Social on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GlobalNeurosci1) to learn more.
Hippocampus Social
Chair: Steve RamirezCo-Chairs: Sara Burke
Location: Room N231
Guests: Mike Yassa, Michael Hasselmo, Paul Frankland, Sheena Josselyn, Susumu Tonegawa
The Hippocampus Social continues a decades-long tradition as a well-attended staple social at SfN. It gathers the large community of hippocampus scientists under one roof to get to know one another. It also provides important professional development opportunities for younger neuroscientists to casually interact with the field's luminaries. The purpose of the social is to continue to unify the hippocampus community and to build new bridges across all its members through an evening of dinner, games, and prizes.
Neuroendocrinology Social
Chair: Debra BangasserCo-Chairs: Georgia Hodes
Location: Room N226
Guests: Margaret McCarthy, Derek Daniels, Tracy Bale, Larry Young, Russell Romeo, Cheryl Sisk, Colin Saldanha, Anne Murphy, Rita Valentino
This year's social will feature the “Battle of the Sexes Quiz Show: The Rematch.” Five years ago, a team of male neuroendocrinologists faced-off with a team of female neuroendocrinologists to determine which gender knew more esoteric neuroendocrine trivia. The women were victorious. In this rematch, come and compare your knowledge with that of our expert contestants and see if the men will celebrate a comeback win or if the women will again take the prize.
Neuroscience and Writing Social
Chair: Isabel LowCo-Chairs: Megan Kirchgessner
Location: Room N136
Guests: Sadie Witkowski, Nick Weiler, Allan Lasser, Stuart Firestein
Now more than ever it is essential that we as scientists communicate with each other and with the general public. NeuWrite and other writing groups have served the role of connecting neuroscientists and writers, with the goal of communicating the scientific process to anyone, regardless of background or training. If you're passionate about communicating science, or if you'd like to learn about the intersection of neuroscience and writing, join this social to network, mingle, and swap writing tips.
Platforms for Team Science and Data Sharing: Unlocking Data to Drive Innovation in Translational Research Social
Chair: Magali HaasCo-Chairs: Lee Lancashire
Location: Room N230A
Leaders in computer science, neuroscience and neuroinformatics will informally debate the barriers and opportunities that exist for platforms that facilitate data sharing and analytics in brain research. A short video of BRAIN Commons, a new platform designed to fuel the use of big data in brain disease, will be shown. Discussion points will include the interoperability of existing data sharing platforms, the breadth of data currently available, the discoverability of existing data, and the incentives for researchers to share their data.
Synapses Social
Chair: C. Andrew FrankCo-Chairs: Clark Lindgren
Location: Room N135
Guests: Stephen Meriney, Graeme Davis, Samuel Young
Friends and colleagues who are interested in synapse development and function gather for a yearly and popular SfN social. Join us in an informal setting to grab some refreshments, chat about the latest results, and visit with friends. Everyone is welcome! Vertebrate, invertebrate, central, peripheral —colleagues who study almost any type of synapse will be well represented. What better place to form new connections or to strengthen existing ones than the Synapses Social? See you Tuesday evening.
