5/25/2008 -> 6/4/2008

The Neuroscience Schools Programme of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) offers advanced neuroscience courses for former graduates (Alumni) and other young investigators from countries with special needs.  Schools are taught by local and foreign neuroscientists who are experts in the field and volunteer their time to make possible this training initiative. Continuous mentorship is a key component of the Schools Programme. 

In 2008 the programme will make it possible for 16 young promising trainees from Africa and Latin America  to attend both the 2nd Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting (May 25-28, 2008) and a specialized neuroscience school with a focus on Pain Research (May 29-June 4, 2008). The meeting is jointly organized by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) and the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Approximately 1000 brain researchers will attend. Students enrolled in the IBRO School are expected to make poster presentations of their own work at the meeting. School courses on Pain will be held May 29-June 4. Arrangements can also be made for visits to laboratories in Montreal and other nearby cities following the completion of the School.
 
School Description and Outline

The course is structured to emphasize interactive sessions:

• Lectures (mornings)
• Laboratories  (afternoon)
• Evenings are reserved for discussions and special presentations.

Travel, meals and housing expenses of the students will be covered by the organizers. Registration fees to the 2nd Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting  will be waived. Visas and other immigration arrangements are the responsibility of the attendees. Students and faculty will be housed principally in dual-occupancy rooms at the New Residence Hall located on the downtown campus of McGill University. Lectures and laboratory demonstrations will take place at various nearby institutional facilities. The venue for  the  Canadian Neurosciences Annual Meeting is the Hilton Montréal Bonaventure Hotel, only a few blocks from the McGill campus.

Learning materials will be made available on the IBRO Educational website  in advance of the opening of the School. Upon the completion of the School, the IBRO Alumni organization will facilitate sustained interactions among the school participants.

Educational Objectives

* Improving the understanding of basic neural mechanisms related to pain and their implications for therapy. 
* An opportunity for students to present and discuss their own research.
* Forging new contacts between investigators in Canada, Africa and Latin America.
* Developing skills on trends, requirements and resources in world neuroscience.

Students Selection

Students will be chosen on the basis of their academic records, publications, letters of reference and their own written description of  their specific interest in neuroscience.  It is specially important that candidates indicate why their participation in this School on Pain will benefit their research career. Priority will be given to IBRO alumni living in Africa and Latin America , i.e. candidates who have previously attended an IBRO school.  Course applicants should be fluent in English (written/spoken), have a degree in basic or clinical sciences and be familiar with the main subject of the school.
 
Prime  Sponsors

• International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)
• Society for Neuroscience (SFN)
• CIHR Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA)
• Canadian Association of Neuroscience (CAN)
• Fond de la Recherche en Santé de Quebec (FRSQ)
• McGill University Centre for Research on Pain
• Montreal Neurological Institute
• University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain
• CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health
• CIHR Institute of Cancer Research
• Pfizer Canada
• AstraZeneca R&D Montréal
• Quebec Pain Research Network