Approximately 25,000 neuroscience researchers and clinicians will convene in Washington, D.C., November 11–15 for the first Society for Neuroscience annual meeting to be held in the nation’s capital since 2017. Neuroscience 2023 will feature more than 12,000 presentations covering topics such as genetic therapies, artificial neural networks, compulsive behavior, empathy, hearing, and substance abuse disorders. All press conferences and significant portions of the in-person programming, including the headline lectures and panels listed below, will be available online.
What: Neuroscience 2023, the world’s largest source of emerging news on brain science and health
When: November 11–15
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., and online
Media are invited to apply for complimentary registration to Neuroscience 2023.
Credentialed reporters have access to top neuroscientists, press materials, and special events, providing a rich assortment of sources for breaking news, feature stories, book chapters, podcast episodes, and more.
Program Highlights:
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New Genetic Therapies for Huntington’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases
Saturday, November 11, 5:15–6:30 p.m.
Sarah J. Tabrizi, MD, PhD, co-founder and director of the University College London Huntington’s Disease Center, will offer an overview of the challenges, opportunities, and critical lessons learned from the pursuit of genetic therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Connecting the Dots: What Artificial Neural Networks Tells Us About the Brain and Ourselves
Saturday, November 11, 3–4 p.m.
In this lecture, Kanaka Rajan, PhD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will describe a circuitous path to neuroscience – via engineering and physics – before finding a new niche: bridging the fields of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Discussion will cover the development of artificial systems, based on experimental and clinical data, that exhibit behaviors similar to those seen in animals and people. How computational models can reveal novel brain mechanisms and experimental directions will be interwoven with personal stories.
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Translational OCD Research: Mechanisms and Modulation of Compulsive Behavior
Monday, November 13, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Compulsive behaviors impair functioning in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. These maladaptive behaviors have been linked to abnormal activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, as well as more general dysfunction in fronto-striatal circuits. To translate resulting findings to viable new treatments in patients, the gap between animal and human studies must be bridged. Carolyn Rodriguez, MD, PhD, of Stanford University, will review research and potential treatment advances in OCD including experimental medication, neuromodulation, and basic research.
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I Understand and Share Your Feeling: Neurobiology of Affective Empathy
Tuesday, November 14, 9–10 a.m.
Empathy, the ability to understand and share emotions, forms the foundation of social behaviors like emotional contagion, prosocial behavior, theory of mind, and perspective-taking. In this lecture, Hee-Sup Shin, MD, PhD, of the Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon, Korea, will overview the current research on the neurobiology of empathy.
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How Hearing Happens: The Active Transduction Process of Hair Cells
Monday, November 13, noon–1 p.m.
A. James Hudspeth, MD, PhD, of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University, will describe the fascinating research behind the gateway to human connection: the sense of hearing. Unique among human sensory receptors, the ear’s hair cells are not passive, but use an active process that results in a thousandfold amplification of auditory stimuli.
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Found in Translation: Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders from Animals to Humans
Wednesday, November 15, 10:30 a.m.–noon
This roundtable will bring together scientists who move freely between discovery of targets for treatment of substance use disorders, preclinical medications development, and clinical trials. Jana Drgonova, PhD, of the National Institutes of Drug Addiction, will lead the discussion as speakers Noelle C. Anastasio, PhD, Charles P. France, PhD, and Patricia S. Grigson, PhD, share their experiences moving pharmacotherapies from lab to clinic, recount challenges they’ve overcome, and offer lessons learned.
Media are required to register for credentials in order to access press conferences, embargoed media material, and events. View SfN’s credentialing policy.
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of nearly 35,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and the nervous system.