8th International Congress for Neuroethology, July 22-27, 2007 in Vancouver, B. C., Canada.

Wellesley College, Wellesley Hills MA

Investigators

Abstract

The goals of neuroethological research are to explain natural behaviors in terms of the activity of individual neurons and networks, and to explore developmental and evolutionary aspects of behavior. This project will support the Eighth International Congress of Neuroethology, to be held July 22-27, 2007 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. This meeting will bring together neuroscientists who are investigating the neural basis of behavior across a broad spectrum of taxa (both vertebrate and invertebrate), thereby emphasizing a comparative approach to elucidate common and/or distinctive mechanisms. The scientific program of the meeting will include plenary speakers, talks by recipients of Young Investigator Awards, topical symposia, poster sessions (ca. 500 posters), data blitz (ad hoc) presentations, and small scientific gatherings to facilitate discussion within specific focus groups. The program represents different levels of analysis (from biophysics to behavior), and also different techniques and approaches (neurophysiology, molecular biology, genomics, imaging). Beyond the scientific content, important goals of this meeting are to promote scientific engagement in neuroethology for junior investigators, and in particular women and minority scientists, and to stimulate cross-fertilization of ideas among all who attend the conference. The meeting format encourages mixing between students, junior scientists and senior-level investigators, and thus serves an important mentoring function. The informal ambience of the meeting is also conducive to generating novel and creative ideas, and to suggesting new hypotheses and ways to test them. All attendees are active participants in the meeting, and junior scientists and students are encouraged to participate in both formal and informal discussions throughout the week. NSF will enhance the training aspects of this meeting by providing registration and travel support for students to attend and participate, making this meeting more accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students.