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.
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, and the COVID-19 pandemic years (2020-2022). 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, hike, explore beautiful Sedona and the surrounding historic sites and nature, or simply relax. After a mandatory 3 year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spring Brain Conference was back in person for 2023 and a new Board of Directors is now planning the 2024 and future meetings!
Current Leadership:
Dimitrios Davalos, PhD, Board Member and Program Committee Chair
Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurosciences and Molecular Medicine
Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Richard Daneman, PhD, Board and Program Committee Member
Associate Professor, Departments of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, School of Medicine
University of California, San Diego
Evan Deneris, PhD, Board Member
Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
Valentina Fossati, PhD, Board and Program Committee Member
Senior Research Investigator
The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute
Douglas Rosene, PhD, Board Member
Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Boston University
Susanna Rosi, PhD, Board and Program Committee Member
Principal Investigator
Altos Labs, Bay Area Institute
Adjunct Professor, Departments of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science and Neurological Surgery,
University of California San Francisco
Narlene Brown Sumpter, Administrative Support
Director of Administrative Operations
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
Previous Spring Brain Conference Programs 2001- 2014