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Newsletter July 2007 International Society for Neuroethology Newsletter July 2007 International Society for Neuroethology Voice: 1-785-843-1235 Website. The Society is actively searching for a P.O. Box 1897 (or 1-800-627-0629 Ext. 233) part-time web designer who can upgrade the appear- Lawrence, KS 66044, USA Fax: 1-785-843-1274 ance of the Society website and enrich its content. We Website: http://neuroethology.org/ E-mail: [email protected] have developed a job description for this position and posted©2005 International it on our website.Society for Neuroethology.Th Authors may freely use the materials they have provided. ISN Officers T HIS I SSUE I NCLUDES President: Edward A. Kravitz, Dept. Neurobiology, Har- 1 The ISN President’s Column vard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave, Boston MA 02115 USA. Phone: +1-617-432-1753; Fax: +1-617-734-7557; 3 Editor’s note [email protected] 3 Former ISN President John Hildebrand Treasurer: Peter M. Narins, Department of Physiologi- elected to US National Academy cal Science, University of California at Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive S., Room LSB 4835, Los Angeles CA 4 Neuroethology across the Tasman 90095 USA. Phone: +1-310-825-0265; Fax: +1-310-206- 3987; [email protected] 4 The lineage of arthropod neuroetholo- gists in Japan Secretary: Ian A. Meinertzhagen, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, B3H 4J1, Canada. Phone: 6 The place of non-human primates in neu- +1-902-494-2131; Fax: +1- 902-494-6585; [email protected] roethology 10 Gastropod neuroscience highlights Past-President: Albert S. Feng, Dept. Molecular & strength of neuroethological approach Integrative Physiology, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana IL 61801 USA. Phone: +1-217-244-1951; Fax: +1-217-244-5180; 13 Job ads, and more [email protected] President-Elect: Martin Heisenberg, Theodor Boveri Institut (Biozentrum), Lehrstuhl für Genetik und Neurobiolo- gie, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Phone: +49-931-8884450; Fax: +49-931-8884452; [email protected] The ISN President’s Column Councilors: Andrew Bass; Horst Bleckmann; Thomas Edward A. Kravitz ([email protected]) J. Carew; Sheryl Coombs; Allison J. Doupe; Martin Giurfa; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Ronald M. Harris-Warrick; Eric I. Knudsen; William B. Kristan; Cynthia F. Moss; George D. Pollak; F. Claire Rind; Mandyam Last report as President: In writing my last column as V. Srinivasan; Harold Zakon President of our Society, I find it important to ask what has and what hasn’t been accomplished during my ten- Next ISN Congress: Vancouver, Canada, in 2007. ure. Some may feel that “change” isn’t why officers of Local organizer: Catharine Rankin, Univ. British Columbia, small organizations like ours are elected. Rather the job Dept. Psychology, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver BC V6T1Z4, is to keep the ISN running smoothly, to oversee and to Canada. Phone: +1 604-822-5906; Fax: +1 604-822-6923; make sure that the finances are spent wisely, to build up [email protected] the financial base, to maintain and if possible increase the membership base, and to run a wonderful Congress every 3 years. In other words, the job of the officers is International Society for Neuroethology 1 “stewardship” and ensuring a future for the organization, 5. New members and keeping the membership intact while not changing things too much either. during the between Congress years: This matter too is continuing discussions begun during Al Feng’s tenure I believe that the present Executive Committee, with as President. Student membership dues were elimi- whom I have thoroughly enjoyed working (Al Feng, Peter nated in order to encourage the formation of a next gen- Narins, Ian Meinertzhagen, Martin Heisenberg and as a eration of neuroethologists. This required that the men- special advisor from the Council, Sheryl Coombs), has tor sponsoring the student had to be up to date on done an excellent “stewardship” job. We are just about his/her dues payments. We imposed penalties on letting to have an outstanding Congress and our financial ship membership lapse and have worked hard to keep dues of state is secure. A huge thank you is therefore due for regular members as low as possible. Still we have this group of colleagues who with the firm hand of Linda suffered membership losses during non-Congress years. Hardwick as our manager from Allen Press, Inc. have My only additional comment about this is to encourage ensured a continuing future for the ISN. There were present members to remember that this is our Society, other issues, however, that I felt were important to ad- not one that belongs to the EC or the Council. Its suc- dress to keep our organization moving forward in new cess depends on every one of you getting as involved as directions. I’ll discuss some of these here as they may possible in ensuring its future. That means: keep paying fall into the bailiwick of the new President, Martin Heis- dues and encourage others to join the ISN (in the case enberg, and he too will have to think about these issues. of financial hardship, dues are waived for members); get involved with the Society by offering to run for ISN office 1. More frequent Congresses: I felt this issue to be an if you can; when called upon, serve on ISN Committees important one when I assumed the presidency, and still like the Congress Committee, the Heiligenberg Awards feel this to be important for the ISN. Many smaller orga- Committee, etc.; respond to issues raised in the News- nizations than ours have annual meetings. I raised this letter; and finally, by all means read the Newsletter and possibility several times over the last 3 years via the ISN let the editor know whether he or she is doing a good Newsletter (which is now even more valuable to the So- job, and volunteer to write feature articles for the News- ciety because of the terrific job by Ian Meinertzhagen in letter as well. putting each issue together), inviting comment by the membership. I did not receive much in the way of reply 6. The Congress: Last, and possibly most important, we from Society members about this. Those replies that I will have a superb Congress again this year. For that, did receive were well thought out opinions of why we we must thank the Congress organizers, who have should not have Congresses more often than once every worked incredibly hard during the last 2 years in select- 3 years. Hence this issue will stand where we are for ing speakers and symposia, applying for and receiving the immediate future. funding from grants, organizing the Congress in a beau- tiful location and adding ancillary events like the fire- 2. Funding for students to attend meetings: This works cruise that will greatly enhance our enjoyment of matter was begun during Al Feng’s tenure as President the event. On top of all that they had to deal with in- and continued by me and, as a result, we now have credibly complex financial issues in an efficient and ef- Heiligenberg Awards in place on an annual basis that fective manner. Barb Beltz chaired the Congress Com- offer funding for 6 graduate students to attend neu- mittee and Cathy Rankin was the local Chair. I vividly roethology-related Congresses if the students are remember their initial presentations to the EC, which scheduled to present a talk or poster. Mark Konishi and were beautifully done with an attention to detail that left his committee select the awardees, which became a dif- the members of the EC in awe of their accomplishments. ficult task this year with the large number of applicants to Ron Harris-Warrick and Sten Grillner were co-vice attend the Congress. Chairs, and with a hard working Congress Committee 3. Bullock Awards for faculty travel: Although still they put the Program together. Barb and Ron applied somewhat ill-defined (this will have to be clarified during for and received NSF and NIH support for the Congress Martin Heisenberg’s tenure) we have set aside ISN (an amazing feat in this terrible funding climate). We funding for awards for faculty to fund visits to meetings had a number of committees dealing with awards and or to academic institutions to talk about their research. special presentations at the Congress: Martin Giurfa We will have a symposium at the upcoming ISN Con- chaired the Young Investigator Awards Committee, gress supported via this funding. Claire Rind chaired a special committee for Congress Awards for students and post-doctoral fellows, and Mark 4. Chapters of the ISN: This too was not greeted with Konishi chaired the Heiligenberg Awards committee. Of much enthusiasm by the membership. The EC did re- course Linda Hardwick was always there as our man- ceive a comprehensive report on the possibility of having ager. In fact, when one looks at the numbers of mem- local Chapters of the ISN, which was dawn up by Hans bers involved in all of these efforts, I feel greatly assured Hofmann and Barry Trimmer, but no action was actually that we really do have many members who are super taken on the matter of Chapters. This too will have to be strong supporters of the ISN, and that makes me feel picked up by Martin Heisenberg if he senses enthusiasm great confidence in our future. on the part of the membership for going this route. International Society for Neuroethology 2 It has been an honor to serve all of you as President of moths have a relatively large brain among other insects, the ISN, and I am certain we are in good hands with making them easier to study than smaller model insect Martin Heisenberg as our incoming President.
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