2016 Scientific Program

Impact of innate vs. acquired brain disorders

4:00 PM
Margot Taylor, PhD
Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto

Probing the autistic brain

5:00 PM
Charles Tator, PhD MD
Krembil Research Institute, University of Toronto
Why Concussions are a Significant Public Health Concern

Auditorium of the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning at SickKids

Molecular and neural mechanisms of leptin action

Martin Myers, MD, PhD

Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan & Director, Michigan Diabetes Research & Training Center

CAN-ACN Satellite symposium 1:
“Action & Perception: Cognition, Coding and Clinical Populations”
Organized by CAPnet and the Canadian Physiology Society

CAN-ACN Satellite symposium 2:
Neurophotonics
Organized by the Canadian Neurophotonics Platform

9AM – 1PM (continued from May 28 PM)
University of Toronto Physiology Department Satellite symposium
Co-organizers: Lu-Yang Wang, Graham Collingridge & Mike Salter

8:30AM – 4:30PM (keynote May 28 6PM)
4th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Neurometabolic Club
Co-organizers: Stephanie Fulton, Thierry Alquier, Maia Kokoeva, Tony Lam

2PM – 4PM
Special CAN-ACN Satellite:
Speak Up: The role of communication in modern neuroscience
Organized by Liam Crapper and Kathryn Vaillancourt

Anniversary celebration of the 10th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting

Hippocampus as a cognitive map: past, present, and future.

Toward Theoretical and Experimental Synergies in Neuroscience

Chair & speaker: Frances Skinner | Krembil Research Institute/UHN and Univ Toronto

Speakers

• Maurice J. Chacron | McGill University
  Cracking the neural code
• Gautam Awatramani | University of Victoria
  The Fine Balancing Act of GABAergic/Cholinergic Retinal Starburst Amacrine Cells

Posters/exhibits

Ruifeng Cao | McGill University

Light-regulated translational control of circadian behavior by elF4E phosphorylation.

Larry Abbott | Columbia University
Sense from Randomness in Neural Circuits

Parallel symposium 1 | Voltage-gated ion-channels of the mammalian central nervous system

Chair: Derek Bowie | McGill University
Speakers:

• Lyanne Schlichter | University of Toronto
  Expression and regulation of K+ channels that control microglia functions
• Terry Snutch | University of British Columbia
  New Insights into Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Type-1
• Ryan Alexander | McGill University
  Regulation of voltage-gated ion channels by NMDA receptors in cerebellar stellate cells
• Ray Turner | University of Calgary
  T-type calcium and potassium channel interactions

Parallel symposium 2 | Structural and functional features of neural connectivity and plasticity in emerging and mature networks

Chair: Jean-Claude Béïque | University of Ottawa
Speakers:

• Shernaz Bamji | University of British Columbia
  Regulation of synapse form and function through palmitoylation
• Julie Lefebvre | University of Toronto
  Molecular mechanisms of neuron self/non-self recognition in dendrite patterning and wiring specificity
• Jean-Claude Béïque | University of Ottawa
  Spatiotemporal feature detection and plasticity rules in emerging neural networks
• Roberto Araya | Université de Montréal
  Input transformation by dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons

Parallel symposium 3 | Circadian regulation and clock genes link neuronal physiology to behavior

Chair: Valérie Mongrain | Université de Montréal
Speakers:

• Valérie Mongrain | Université de Montréal
  Clock genes, cell adhesion molecules and sleep regulation
• Mary Cheng | University of Toronto Mississauga
  G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2): putting the brakes on the circadian clock
• Michael Verwey | Concordia University
  Dopaminergic modulation of rhythmic PER2 expression in the dorsal striatum
• Joel Levine | University of Toronto Mississauga
  Circadian Control of Social Behaviour in Drosophila

Parallel symposium 4 | Low-level circuits for sophisticated sensorimotor control: lessons from four model systems

Chair: Andrew Pruszynski | Western University
Speakers:

• Andrew Pruszynski | Western University
  Geometric feature extraction in the human tactile periphery
• Michael Hendricks | McGill University
  Sensorimotor integration at the subcellular level
• Katherine Nagel | New York University
  Cellular and synaptic specializations for navigation in turbulent odor plumes
• Tuan Bui | University of Ottawa
  A class of spinal neurons integrates cutaneous information for motor control

Session 1: Advocacy and Public Outreach – CAN Advocacy Committee

Invited speakers:

Wendy Suzuki – New York University

Presentation of the prizes for

• best local SFN chapter and
• best undergraduate/graduate student initiative promoting neuroscience to the public.

Read about the winners of the first CAN Neuroscience Advocacy/Awareness Awards

More information about the advocacy session – link

Session 2: Careers inside academia – Panel discussion with faculty for trainees

Organizer: Melanie A Woodin
Confirmed Panelists:

• Karun Singh (Scientist, Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University)
• Julie Lefebvre (Scientist, Sick Kids Research Institute)
• Alanna Watt (Assistant Professor, McGill)
• Tuan Trang (Assistant Professor, University of Calgary)

More information about the speakers

Session 3: CIHR and NSERC Research funding updates:

Organizer: Douglas Munoz

• Dale Dempsey – Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Guillaume Sabourin – Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

CAN Student Social

The Ballroom – 2nd floor
143 John Street, Toronto – Google map
Corner of Richmond & John St.
http://www.theballroom.ca/

Reward learning: neurons, circuits, and behaviour.

Chair & Speaker: Jonathan Britt  | McGill University

Speakers:

• Steve Laviolette | The University of Western Ontario
  Hunting the Brain’s Addiction Switch: Implications for Neurobiological and Clinical Approaches to Drug Dependence
  
• Rick Beninger | Queen’s University
  Inverse incentive learning: decreased responding to stimuli associated with low dopaminergic neurotransmission

Ravi L. Rungta | University of British Columbia

The cellular mechanisms of neuronal swelling underlying cytotoxic edema

Ann Graybiel | McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT

The Striatum and Decision-Making Based on Value

CAN-ACN Annual General Meeting of members

Parallel symposium 5 | Mechanisms of Plasticity

Co-Chairs: Michael Jackson | University of Manitoba
& Tabrez J Siddiqui | University of Manitoba
Speakers:

• Wayne S Sossin | McGill University
  Regulation of eEF2 phosphorylation bi-directionally regulates translation-dependent synaptic plasticity in Aplysia
• Declan Ali | University of Alberta
  Synaptic Plasticity at developing Synapses in Zebrafish
• Zhengping Jia | University of Toronto
  Genetic analysis of synaptic and spine plasticity
  
• Qi Yuan | Memorial University
  Shaping odor coding neuronal ensembles by reward and norepinephrine

Parallel symposium 6 | Neuroimmunology: A key interface in neurophysiology, neurodegeneration and repair

Chair: Shalina Ousman | University of Calgary
Speakers:

• Shalina Ousman | Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary
  Pathogenic immune-mediated mechanisms in multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis
• Sam David | McGill University
  Macrophage and microglia plasticity – they are what they eat.
  
• Serge Rivest | Université Laval
  Neuroprotective properties of the innate immune cells.
  
• V. Wee Yong | University of Calgary
  Harnessing the benefits of inflammation for repair of the CNS.

Parallel symposium 7 | Novel Experimental Models of Epilepsy

Chair: Jesper Sjöström | McGill University
Speakers:

• Peter Carlen | University Health Network
  Neocortical ischemia and seizures
  
• Aylin Reid | University of Toronto
  Electrophysiological abnormalities during epileptogenesis after fluid percussion injury
• Igor Timofeev | University Laval
  Age dependency of trauma induced epileptogenesis
• Jesper Sjöström| McGill University
  Optogenetic kindling as a model of epilepsy
  

Parallel symposium 8 | Circuit and systems basis of emotion and emotional learning

Chairs: Sheena Josselyn | Hospital for Sick Children
Stephanie Borgland | University of Calgary
Speakers:

• Maithe Arruda-Carvalho | University of Toronto
  Maturation of the Prefrontal-Amygdala circuit and the encoding of fear memories
• Lindsay Naef | University of Calgary
  Dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex in diet-induced obesity
• Thomas Kash | University of North Carolina
  Dissecting the role of “”Aversive”” circuitry in Addiction
• Sheena Josselyn | Hospital for Sick Children
  Winner-take-all neuronal competition for fear memory encoding

Young investigator lecture – Matthew Hill
Endocannabinoid Signaling in the Amygdala and the Regulation of Stress and Anxiety

Karl Deisseroth | Stanford University

Integrated brainwide structural and functional analysis.

The 2016 Donald Calne Lecture – Dr. Robert L. Nussbaum

Visit the Parkinson.ca website to register in advance

Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet) Social

Organized by CAPnet – Everyone welcome
C’est What Restaurant and Beer Garden
67 Front Street East at Church, Toronto
Food provided, cash bar

Signal integration and plasticity

Chair & Speaker: Roger Thompson | University of Calgary

Speakers:

• Katalin Toth | Université Laval
  Presynaptic calcium dynamics and information transfer at hippocampal mossy fibres
• Kurt Haas | University of British Columbia
  In vivo imaging of brain circuit refinement

Pierre Mattar | Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal

A conserved regulatory logic controls temporal identity in mouse neural progenitors

Featured Plenary speaker:
Nelson Spruston Janelia Research Campus
Neuronal Diversity and Complexity in the Hippocampus

Parallel symposium 9 | Shedding light on the function of cholinergic midbrain neurons

Chair: Susanne Schmid | University of Western Ontario

Speakers:

• Stephan Steidl | Loyola University Chicago
  Laterodorsal tegmental nucleus inputs to the ventral tegmental area drive reward
• John Thompson | University of Colorado
  Mesencephalic representations of recent experience influence decision making
• Erin Azzopardi | University of Western Ontario
  The role of mesopontine cholinergic neurons in sensorimotor gating
• Christa Van Dort | Harvard Medical School
  Activation of cholinergic neurons in the PPT and LDT induces REM sleep

Parallel symposium 10 | Nociceptive Circuits: From Molecules to Behaviour

Chair: Steven Prescott | Hospital for Sick Children
Speakers:

• Artur Kania | IRCM
  A genetic and functional analysis of nociceptive somatotopy
• Philippe Séguéla | McGill University
  Selective functional control of peripheral somatosensory neurons in pain circuits
• Reza Sharif Naeini | McGill University
  Dorsal horn parvalbumin inhibitory neurons act as gate-keepers of touch-evoked pain after nerve injury
• Steve Prescott | Hospital for Sick Children
  Disruption of circuit-level pain processing by chloride dysregulation in spinal dorsal horn

Parallel symposium 11 | Mechanisms governing cerebrovascular structure and function in health and disease

Chair: Ian Winship | University of Alberta
Speakers:

• Craig Brown | University of Victoria
  Imaging microvessel recanalization and remodelling following occlusion
• Grant Gordon | University of Calgary
  Blood Flow Control Across a Spectrum of Brain Activity States
• Edith Hamel | McGill University
  Hemodynamic signals: how reliable are they to map changes in neuronal activity?
• Andy Shih  | Medical University of South Carolina
  The Double Life of a Cerebral Pericyte

Parallel symposium 12 | Temporal sequences in brain and memory

Chair: Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi | University of Toronto
Speakers:

• Howard Eichenbaum | Boston University
  Time cells in the hippocampus
• Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi | University of Toronto
  Prefrontal time code underlying temporal associative memory
• Nandakumar Narayanan | University of Iowa
  Prefrontal dopamine and temporal control of action
• Liang-Tien Hsieh | University of California in San Diego
  Temporal representation in the episodic recollection network

End of Meeting