Brain Symposium in San Diego, CA - European and US Research Perspectives
On July 15, 2013, the University of California, San Diego partnered with the Office for Science and Technology of the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles to hold the symposium “Mapping the Brain: European and US Perspectives”. The event took place on the university campus and was co-organized by the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind.
The symposium concentrated on the discussion of the European and American brain research projects, the “Human Brain Project” and the “BRAIN Initiative” respectively, and focused on the promotion of collaboration between the American and European researchers contributing to these missions. Both of these recently developed projects hold the similar goal of stimulating neuroscientific research in an effort to better understand the functioning of the brain and to develop new computational technologies.
Dr Jernigan, Prof. Roukes and Prof. Changeux speaking to the audience about brain research and ethics (© Fabien Agenès / Consulate General of France in Los Angeles 2013).
Notable speakers from various universities addressed numerous topics concerning brain research. The symposium opened with UCSD professor of psychiatry Dr. Terry Jernigan, who discussed in detail the development of the brain. Other speakers included French neuroscientist Jean-Pierre Changeux, whose speech touched on the ethical responsibilities and issues pertinent to brain research, and Caltech professor and recent recipient of the French Palmes Academiques award Michael Roukes, who discussed the nanoengineering aspects of brain research.
Symposium speakers were:
Jean-Pierre Changeux, Institut Pasteur & UC San Diego, Mapping Ethics Todd Coleman, UC San Diego, In Situ Imaging Technology Anders Dale, UC San Diego, Imaging Developments Mark Ellisman, UC San Diego, Imaging and Microscopy Technologies John Reynolds, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Cognition Michael Roukes, Caltech, Nanoengineering Jonathan Sebat, UC San Diego, Development and Gene Expression Olaf Sporns, Indiana University, Computational Technologies
— Fabien Agenes, Office for Science and Technology, Consulate General of France in Los Angeles Ralph Greenspan, UC San Diego, Kavli Institute for Mind and Brain
— Christine Stafford and Aurelie Perthuison
UCSD’s press release : click here