Mission, History, and Leadership of Spring Brain Conferences:
Mission Statement:
The Spring Brain Conferences' mission is to:
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Facilitate communication and collaboration among scientists of diverse backgrounds and fields, by organizing a meeting that reflects research derived from multiple fields of brain science.
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Advance understanding of both foundational neuroscience and advanced translational topics that cover brain health, clinical interventions, and cures.
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Organize outreach to the local community on topics of brain health and basic science research.
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Organize outreach to the local high school to disseminate understanding of scientific method, brain structure and function.
History of the Spring Brain Conferences: 1989 to the Present:
The Spring Brain Conferences were founded in 1989 and had the first meeting in March of 1990. A conference has been organized annually since then, with the exception of 2015, when the meeting took a year off to reorganize and redefine its mission. There is a link below to many past programs since 2001. A review of these programs offers testimony to the high quality and informational diversity that is a hallmark of these meetings. In fact the diversity of the program is a highlight allowing attendees to engage with material and investigators outside their usual comfort zone. The daily structure of the meeting program facilitates the mission with opportunities for discussion and collegiality during morning and evening sessions bracketing an afternoon where attendees are free to network, golf, explore the surrounding area, or simply relax. The conference also organizes outreach to the Sedona community the day before the conference and outreach to the local high school the day after.
Current Leadership:
Maureen W. McEnery, PhD, MAT, Director
Associate Professor Dept. of Neurology and Dept. of Neuroscience
University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
Dimitrios Davalos, PhD, Program Committee Co-Chair
Assistant Professor Neurosciences, Molecular Medicine
Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Douglas Rosene, PhD, Program Committee, Co-Chair
Professor, Dept. of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Boston University, Boston, MA
Jeff Edwards, PhD, Program Committee Member
Associate Professor, Physiology & Developmental Biology
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT