Welcome
to OMV-SfN
The
Ohio Miami Valley Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience
is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes neuroscience
research and education in the southwest Ohio region. The chapter's
sponsoring institutions include Miami University, the University
of Cincinnati, and Wright State University. The chapter's
elected offices rotate annually among representatives of these
institutions. Membership is open to all persons in southwest
Ohio who are interested in neuroscience research. Membership
in the Society for Neuroscience is not a requirement for membership
in the OMV Chapter.
Neuroscience
News in the Ohio-Miami Valley
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2008 Neuroscience Day -- Friday, May 16
 OMV-SfN's 2008 Neuroscience Day will be held at Wright State University on Friday, May 16. Barry Connors Ph.D., professor and chair of neuroscience at Brown University, will be the keynote speaker. The title of his talk is “Eclectic Electric Synapses in the Brain.” Dr. Connors says of his research, "I study the largest part of the brain, the neocortex, which thinks, remembers and processes sensory information for us. The neocortex is made up of a vast network of interconnected neurons. The challenge is to understand why there are so many neurons, what's the function of each, how they're interconnected, and why they're interconnected in the way they are. In the lab, we search for this information by measuring electrical impulses from the neurons of rodent brains, which are striking in their similarity to ours. I'm very interested in the possibility that our research may have relevance to human problems, including epilepsy and psychiatric diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. What drives me is a desire to understand how the brain works - and in some cases why it doesn't work."
Neuroscience Day is free of charge for 2008 chapter members. Please join now.
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It's Time to Renew Your Chapter Membership
OMV-SfN's 2008 online membership form is now ready for action. Please renew your membership, or join us if you are new to the chapter. You do not have to be a member of SfN to join the chapter and participate in its activities. Our 2008 Neuroscience Day is free to all OMV-SfN members. See the online form for details.
UC Neurofest Scheduled May 23-24
The University of Cincinnati's 10th Neurofest and 5th annual Cincinnati Translational Neuroscience Symposium (CTNS) is scheduled for Friday, May 23rd and Saturday, May 24. The theme focuses on “Environmental Factors in Neuron Health.” The symposium features recognized experts in this area who will update attendees on the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in their therapeutic strategies, improved patient care, and brain plasticity in health and disease.
Call for Abstracts:
Present a poster of your research by submitting an abstract at www.CincyNeuro.com by April 25, 2008. Posters from previous meetings are encouraged and should be less than 4' by 8'. An award competition will be held for pre-doctoral and postdoctoral/resident authors in both clinical and basic neuroscience. Only one first author abstract submission allowed.
This event is free of charge but registration is required.
Registration deadline is May 19. To register visit: www.CincyNeuro.com. Questions? Email: info@CincyNeuro.com or call Deb Cummins at 513.558.1703.
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SfN Neuroscience Scholars Program
The Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP) is a three-year fellowship to enhance career development and professional networking opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral minority students in neuroscience. The program, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, provides scholars with: travel assistance, up to $2,000 annually, to participate in SfN's annual meetings; supplemental funds, up to $2,100 annually, for enrichment activities outside the scholar's home institution; complimentary SfN membership and subscription to The Journal of Neuroscience online; complimentary SfN meeting registration and abstract fee waivers. Other benefits include mentoring, opportunities to network, expand professional contacts, and acquire professional skills.
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and enrolled in a degree-granting program or postdoctoral fellowship. The application deadline is Monday, June 2, 2008. See the SfN web page for more information and application forms:
SfN members interested in becoming mentors for the Neuroscience Scholars Program can contact khoffman@sfn.org. Mentors inspire young scientists by meeting with them during the annual meeting and providing assistance throughout the year. Mentors will receive recognition for their efforts in Nexus and at the annual meeting.
UC Brain Exhibit at Museum Center
The Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Cincinnati will host a “hands on” exhibit at the Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati on March 10-16. Held in conjunction with SfN’s Brain Awareness Week, the exhibit is meant to educate kids of all ages (2 to 92 years old) on how the brain works, and what we do in neuroscience research laboratories to improve the lives of those afflicted with neurological disease.
All OMV-SfN members are invited to participate in staffing the exhibit. To volunteer, contact Jennifer Stancati (513-558-6180; stancaja@uc.edu). Download a PDF of the UC Brain Exhibit flyer. Download a PDF of the volunteer sign-up sheet and return it to Jennifer Stancati by March 3.
Science Olympiad Clinic in Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Science
With help from the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine, James Olson, Ph.D., is organizing a clinic for local students participating in Science Olympiad. He is seeking students and faculty who are willing to help with the organization and the generation and presentation of materials for the Science Olympiad students.
Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, creating a passion for learning science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. It is a team competition of middle school and high school students in areas of science, engineering, and technology. Teams from 14,000 different schools across the nation participate in Science Olympiad, now in its 23rd year.
Find more information about Science Olympiad and the neuroscience/cardiovascular events with the links below.
http://www.soinc.org/
http://www.soinc.org/events/healthsci/HealthSci_Handout_C08.pdf - High school event
http://www.soinc.org/events/anatomy/Anatomy_Handout_B08.pdf - Middle school event
The clinic will take place on the Wright State University Campus on Saturday, March 8th and will run from 9 am until 4 pm. High school students will attend the clinic 9 to noon and middle schools will attend from 1 to 4 pm. Clinic presenters will have a “free” lunch between noon and 1 pm.
For more information contact Dr. Jim Olson at james.olson@wright.edu.
2008 Winter Meeting Report
Timothy Cope, Ph.D. (Wright State University) was installed as the 2008 President of the Ohio Miami Valley Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience at the chapter’s annual business meeting held January 25 in Dayton. He was elected as President-Elect in 2007.
Chapter members present at the meeting nominated and elected the following officers for 2008: Lori Isaacson, Ph.D. (Miami University), President-Elect; Mark Willis (Wright State University), Secretary-Treasurer; and James Eliassen (University of Cincinnati), Officer-at- Large.
Chapter members approved a motion to appoint an Officer-at-Large from the University of Dayton. A motion to amend chapter bylaws to include officers-at-large also was approved. President Cope nominated and the chapter elected Panagiotis Tsonis, Ph.D., as the new Officer-at-Large from the University of Dayton.
President Cope announced that this year’s Neuroscience Day will be held at Wright State University on Friday, May 16. Barry Connors Ph.D., professor and chair of neuroscience at Brown University, will be the keynote speaker. President Cope submitted a Grass Traveling Scientist Program application to SfN to support Dr. Connors’ visit.
SfN’s Brain Awareness Week is scheduled March 10-16, 2008. The Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Cincinnati is organizing a “hands-on” brain exhibit that week at the Museum Center in Cincinnati. Chapter members who want to join the effort can contact Kathy Steece-Collier, Ph.D. (steeceka@ucmail.uc.edu). In addition, James Olson, Ph.D. (james.olson@wright.edu) is seeking volunteers to participate in a neuroscience coaching workshop for the Science Olympiad competition. The workshop will be held Saturday, March 8, at Wright State University.
See Chapter Bylaws | 2007 Secretary-Treasurer Report | 2008 Winter Meeting Minutes (MS Word downloads)
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For more information
about the Chapter, contact Lori Isaacson, Ph.D.,
(Miami University, 513/529-3142), James Eliassen, Ph.D. (University of Cincinnati, 513/558-5863), Panagiotis Tsonis, Ph.D. (University of Dayton, 937/229-2579), or Mark Willis (Wright State University, 937/775-3814).
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