Second Neuromodulation of Neural Microcircuits Conference concluded
© 2019 EPFL
Second Neuromodulation of Neural Microcircuits NM² Conference encourages further momentum in the bid to understand the mechanisms and principles of neuromodulation
The EPFL Blue Brain Project has concluded a second stimulating, interactive and highly collaborative Neuromodulation of Neural Microcircuits NM² Conference. The follow up to the 2017 meeting was held in Champery, Switzerland on May 24 – 26.
The overarching goal of the second NM² Conference was to provide a unifying and mechanistic view by which an ever-increasing number of neuromodulators, including monoamines, and peptides – the master switches – control genes, proteins, neurons and glia, dendrites, synapses, and emergent states in neural microcircuits across different brain regions in health and disease.
Accordingly, over the two days of the Conference, 22 renowned experts in the field of Neuromodulation presented their current research and enthusiastically participated in panel discussions, as both speakers and participants took part in shaping the future course of neuromodulatory research.
The global line-up of leading speakers from Europe (Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK), China, the United States, Israel and Japan were joined by an equally global group of participants made up of professors, researchers and students.
Key questions discussed included how could we move forward in understanding cell-type specific effects of neuromodulators and linking them to behavior? And whether a single neuromodulator performs a specific computation or do they do them all?
Srikanth Ramaswamy, NM² Conference Host said “This meeting is unique in that it focuses on the mechanisms by which diverse neuromodulators could give rise to similar behavioral states by differentially controlling neuronal, synaptic, and microcircuit activity.”
The successful second NM2 Conference has again provided a springboard to shape the next NM2 Conference which will be the third meeting in 2021, but has also driven many interesting discussions on the neuromodulation of brain states to be followed up as future directions are established. The Blue Brain Project hopes that the Conference will also have encouraged new talent to drive forward this important field.
Further information on the 2021 Conference will be published on the Conference website nm2.epfl.ch and on the Blue Brain Project website and social media channels.