BeyondLooking thehorizon FY2O1O Annual Report 2009-2010 Society for 2009–2010 Society Past Presidents Neuroscience Council for Neuroscience Committee Chairs Thomas J. Carew, PhD, 2008-09 OFFICERS Eve E. Marder, PhD, 2007-08 Michael E. Goldberg, MD Robert C. Malenka, PhD, MD David C. Van Essen, PhD, 2006-07 President Audit Committee Stephen F. Heinemann, PhD, 2005-06 Susan G. Amara, PhD Sharon L. Juliano, PhD Carol A. Barnes, PhD, 2004–05 President-Elect Committee on Animals in Research Anne B. Young, PhD, MD, 2003–04 Thomas J. Carew, PhD Freda D. Miller, PhD Huda Akil, PhD, 2002–03 Past President Committee on Committees Fred H. Gage, PhD, 2001–02 Marie-Francoise Chesselet, PhD, MD David R. Riddle, PhD Donald L. Price, MD, 2000–01 Treasurer Committee on Neuroscience Dennis W. Choi, MD, PhD, 1999–00 Departments and Programs Donald S. Faber, PhD Edward G. Jones, MD, DPhil, 1998–99 Treasurer-Elect Michael E. Goldberg, MD Lorne M. Mendell, PhD, 1997–98 Executive Committee Joanne E. Berger-Sweeney, PhD Bruce S. McEwen, PhD, 1996–97 Past Treasurer Marie-Francoise Chesselet, PhD, MD Pasko Rakic, MD, PhD, 1995–96 Finance Committee Freda D. Miller, PhD Carla J. Shatz, PhD, 1994–95 Secretary Bruce S. McEwen, PhD Larry R. Squire, PhD, 1993–94 Government and Public Affairs COUNCILORS Committee Ira B. Black, MD, 1992–93 Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD Joseph T. Coyle, MD, 1991–92 Carol A. Barnes, PhD Robert H. Wurtz, PhD, 1990–91 Howard B. Eichenbaum, PhD International Affairs Committee Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic, PhD, 1989–90 Marie T. Filbin, PhD David H. Cohen, PhD David H. Hubel, MD, 1988–89 Investment Committee Albert J. Aguayo, MD, 1987–88 Frances E. Jensen, MD Elisabeth J. Van Bockstaele, PhD Mortimer Mishkin, PhD, 1986–87 Membership and Chapters Committee Robert C. Malenka, PhD, MD Bernice Grafstein, PhD, 1985–86 Leslie P. Tolbert, PhD Maryann E. Martone, PhD William D. Willis, Jr., PhD, MD, 1984–85 Neuroinformatics Committee Gerald D. Fischbach, MD, 1983–84 Gina G. Turrigiano, PhD Michael E. Goldberg, MD Dominick P. Purpura, MD, 1982–83 Nominating Committee Anthony G. Phillips, PhD David H. Cohen, PhD, 1981–82 Jill B. Becker, PhD Eric R. Kandel, MD, 1980–81 Anne M. Etgen, PhD (Co-Chairs) Solomon H. Snyder, MD, 1979–80 Professional Development Committee Torsten N. Wiesel, MD, 1978–79 Robert W. Greene, PhD, MD W. Maxwell Cowan, PhD, MD, 1977–78 Program Committee Floyd E. Bloom, MD, 1976–77 John H. Morrison, PhD Robert W. Doty, PhD, 1975–76 Public Education and Communication Edward V. Evarts, MD, 1974–75 Committee Theodore H. Bullock, PhD, 1973–74 Daniel Johnston, PhD Walle J.H. Nauta, PhD, MD, 1972–73 Scientific Publications Committee Neal E. Miller, PhD, 1971–72 Vernon B. Mountcastle, MD, 1970–71 Edward R. Perl, MD, 1969–70 BeyondLooking theh o r i z o n FY2O1O Annual Report Contents 4 SfN Mission, Values, and Vision 6 A Message from the President 8 CREATING VENUES FOR GREAT SCIENCE 8 Annual Meeting 12 The Journal of Neuroscience 18 SUPPORTING THE NEUROSCIENCE COMMUNITY 18 Membership and Chapters 23 Global Affairs 24 Professional Development 30 EDUCATING AND ENGAGING THE PUBLIC 30 Public Information and Outreach 34 Science Advocacy 40 FINANCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Science in Society, Science in Progress Exploring the latest in neuroscience research and its impact on the world around us. 14 E D U C A T I O N 26 M A G I C A N D 36 A D D I C T I O N AND NEUROSCIENCE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE Educators and scientists are working The neurobiology of attention Addiction places a heavy personal, together to explore how neuroscience and perception is leveraged by economic, and social burden on research, particularly in learning and magicians to entertain and amaze. communities worldwide. Ongoing memory, can help inform teaching But trickery and illusion are also research is identifying root causes of strategies and potentially improve important tools in deciphering addiction and suggesting new educational outcomes. brain function. targets for treatment. 14 Neuroeducation 26 Magic and the Brain 36 Burden of Addiction 16 The Machinery 28 Sensory Illusions 38 Addiction: Reward of Memory and Punishment m i s s i o n Advance the understanding Provide professional develop- Support active and continuing of the brain and the nervous ment activities, information, and discussions on ethical issues system by bringing together educational resources for neurosci- relating to the conduct and scientists of diverse backgrounds, entists at all stages of their careers, outcomes of neuroscience research. by facilitating the integration including undergraduates, gradu- of research directed at all levels of ates, and postdoctoral fellows, and Inform legislators and other biological organization, and increase participation of scientists policymakers about new scientific by encouraging translational from diverse cultural, ethnic, and knowledge, recent developments, research and the application of geographic backgrounds. and emerging opportunities in new scientific knowledge to neuroscience research and their develop improved disease Promote public information implications for public policy, treatments and cures. and general education about the societal benefit, and continued nature of scientific discovery and scientific progress. the results and implications of the latest neuroscience research. v a l u e s ■ Identifying and serving the ■ Fulfilling its mission in a socially, ■ Building a model of iterative evolving needs of SfN members as economically, and environmentally planning into the fabric of SfN well as the field of neuroscience. responsible fashion, including governance and management minimizing SfN’s environmental processes, incorporating regular ■ Continuing to promote greater footprint through energy efficiency, evaluation of the impact and diversity of representation of recycling, and other initiatives, success of initiatives and activities, women, minorities, and young and being mindful of the broader and periodic revisiting of major investigators, along with geo- impact of its day-to-day practices, programs and activity clusters. graphic and specialty balance, in decisions, and actions. SfN’s meetings, conferences, com- mittees, and governance processes. ■ Developing effective strategic relationships and collaborative ■ Seeking new and innovative initiatives with appropriate ways to utilize technology in external partners, including other ongoing activities to better serve scientific societies and associations, members and to help manage the health advocacy groups, founda- problems of scale as a successful tions, public agencies, government association in the 21st century. entities, educational institutions, corporate entities, information technology service providers, etc. 4 Looking Beyond the Horizon v i s i o n Society for Neuroscience Scientific Vision uided by its mission and ment, maturation, and aging. SfN amounts of diverse information Gits values, the Society for also facilitates the translation of known about the nervous system Neuroscience (SfN)’s vision is research findings into treatment raises challenges that have social, that the next decade should be strategies, encourages information ethical, and technical dimensions. one of breakthrough discovery transfer from the clinic back to the Some of these challenges are com- that will lead to the translation basic research arena, and contrib- mon to biomedical research and its of scientific advances to improve utes to the breadth of the field of subdisciplines of bioinformatics and the health of people everywhere. neuroscience, and its creative use scientific ethics. Others are unique SfN represents the entire range of all the tools of modern biology to neuroscience by virtue of the of scientific research endeavors to understand neural function in tremendous complexity of neural aimed at understanding, treating, health and disease. circuits and their role in control- and preventing nervous system Neuroscience is a rapidly evolv- ling behavior. These challenges disorders. It fosters the broad inter- ing field that benefits greatly from, prompt opportunities, as well as disciplinarity of the field that uses and helps to drive, the ongoing responsibilities, to develop new multiple approaches to study the development of powerful new tools and approaches for integrating nervous systems of organisms rang- tools used to acquire and analyze and advancing the understanding ing from invertebrates to humans experimental data. The effort to of the nervous system. across various stages of develop- make efficient use of the staggering SfN will play a key role in confronting new issues by chal- lenging and energizing the field through active dialogue with federal funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and others, to define current needs and to develop strategies for meeting them. SfN’s perspective on the field’s current nature and its future trajectory permeates all the elements of the strategic plan and will guide the initiatives aimed at enhancing key scientific functions, including the annual meeting and The Journal of Neuroscience. This perspective will guide the ways in which SfN will strive to serve its membership and frame the public outreach and governmental interactions. Looking Beyond the Horizon 5 A m e s s a g e from thep r e s i d e n t n FY2010, with an external Ienvironment that remained challenging and unpredictable, the Society for Neuroscience steered through the uncertainty to protect and advance its mission, celebrate and support scientific progress,