The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is sponsoring a series of satellite symposia in conjunction with the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, to be held at the Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, Florida. A two-day NIDA mini convention Frontiers in Addiction Research will be held November 1 and 2, a symposium Neurobiology of Relapse will be held Tuesday, November 5, and a forum Minority Scholars: Research Accomplishments and Funding Opportunities at the National Institute on Drug Abuse will be held during the Neuroscience 2002 conference.
Frontiers in Addiction Research will bring together participants from a wide array of scientific disciplines to share advances and discuss future directions in the neuroscience of drug abuse and related areas. The symposia will run from 9:00 a.m. to9 p.m. on Friday, November 1 and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 2.
The schedule is as follows:
Friday, November 1
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry in Neuroscience: A broad overview of proteomics (the study of the complement of proteins produced by a given tissue under specific conditions) and mass spectrometry and how the technology has been applied to address questions in neuroscience will be discussed. The NIDA co-chairs are Dr. Christine Colvis and Dr. Rita Liu. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 207A.
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Systems Neurobiology and Drug Abuse: This session will feature posters by young investigators. Speakers from the symposia and NIDA staff will be on hand for conversation during the poster session. The NIDA co-chairs are Dr. Steven Grant and Dr. Herbert Weingartner. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 208C.
2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Mechanisms of Reward and Implications for Addiction: Reward-learning and reward-dependent decision-making systems in the brain lie at the heart of addiction. This symposium focuses on how the reward and decision-making processes work in the brain. The NIDA co-chair is Dr. David Shurtleff. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 207A.
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Systems Neurobiology of Drug Addiction: This symposium addresses issues about the brain systems responsible for specific immediate behavioral consequences of drug intake, how systems are altered during the process of repeated drug administration, and whether additional systems become engaged during the process of drug dependence, withdrawal, and relapse to drug taking. The NIDA co-chair is Dr. Rita Liu. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 207A.
Saturday, November 2
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Neuropeptides: A Role in Drug Abuse? Neuropeptides play major roles in motivational processes and related behaviors, and integrate behavioral responses to stressful stimuli. This symposium is a state-of-the-art look at research into the understanding of the role of neuropeptides in addiction. The NIDA co-chair is Dr. Yu Woody Lin. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 207A.
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Neurobiology of Drug Abuse: Cellular Mechanisms: This poster session features research by young investigators. Speakers from the symposia and NIDA staff will be present for discussion. The NIDA co-chair is Dr. Susan Volman. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 208C.
2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Synaptic Change and Addiction: The goal of this symposium is to present information about the molecular mechanisms that control dendritic morphology and the relevance of these mechanisms to long-term adaptations to drugs of abuse. The NIDA co-chairs are Dr. Jonathan Pollock and Dr. Susan Volman. Location: Orange County Convention Center, Room 207A.
As part of the agenda for Neuroscience 2002, NIDA is also sponsoring a symposium, Neurobiology of Relapse, starting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5 in Room 110A and B in the Orange County Convention Center. Dr. Glen Hanson, Acting NIDA Director, will lead the symposium. It will focus on the current state of knowledge about brain mechanisms underlying relapse to drug addiction, future directions for research, and implications for practice. The symposium will be followed by an opportunity to discuss these and other addiction-related issues with Dr. Hanson and other NIDA staff. In addition to Dr. Hanson, presentations will be made by Dr. Peter Kalivas, the Medical University of South Carolina; Dr. George Koob, the Scripps Research Institute; and Dr. Jane Stewart, Concordia University.
In conjunction with Neuroscience 2002, NIDA is hosting a forum, Minority Scholars: Research and Funding Opportunities at NIDA, at the Student Union on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 6.
The forum is designed to encourage minority scholars to pursue biomedical careers and training in drug abuse research. The forum will showcase research accomplishments of scholars at various training levels, including faculty members affiliated with minority or majority institutions. Dr. Hanson, other NIDA staff, and NIDA-supported researchers will be present to interact with forum attendees and to discuss various grant-funding opportunities at NIDA. NIDA staffers Pushpa Thadani and Don Vereen are the symposium coordinators.
The Society for Neuroscience press room will open on Saturday, November 2 from noon to 5 p.m. for registration, and will be open Sunday, November 3 to Wednesday, November 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be located in Room 103 of the Orange County Convention Center.