The Callosum Colloquia
The EVENING CALLOSUM COLLOQUIA
Termly Evening Lectures held at 6pm three or four times a yearFeaturing today's top neuroscientists speaking on all aspects of brain science
Puglsely Lecture Queen’s Building (unless stated otherwise)
FREE wine afterwards - All very welcome!
Organisers: Anne Cooke (BN), and Jack Mellor (Physiology and Pharmacology)
Co-hosted by Bristol Neuroscience, the British Neuroscience Association and the Physiological Society, with support of co-hosting groups and departments.
As of summer 2011 three of Bristol's neuroscience seminar series were revised and streamlined into just two complementary series:
- the weekly Seminars in Neuroscience (SiNs) lunchtime talks, run by Physiology and Pharmacology and
- the termly Callosum Colloquia (CC) evening lectures, co-hosted by BN, the BNA, and other partnering groups in Bristol
(These two series replace the termly BN-BNA lectures; weekly CC and weekly SiNs)
Together with the plethora of other biomedical talks held in Bristol, the SiNs and CC series provide members of BN with a rich and comprehensive programme of opportunities to learn about, meet people, and enjoy the diverse range of neuroscience taking place in Bristol and beyond.
The CALLOSUM COLLOQUIA
Enabling crosstalk and communication between different areas of brain science
- bringing together everyone interested in the brain
- providing a wide range of talks by the world's leading neuroscientists
- encouraging post-talk discussion with free post-talk drinks reception
- increasing the strength and the supportive nature of Bristol's neuroscience community
Sponsored by the British Neuroscience Association and the Physiological Society, with support from Bristol Neuroscience and different co-hosting Bristol groups, such as Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group, CRIC, Experimental Psychology, Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Physiology & Pharmacology, and Psychiatry
The BN-BNA Evening Lecture series - now the Evening Callosum Colloquia - have been running since 2003. Events take place three or four times a year and feature the top names in neuroscience today. Previous speakers include V.S.Ramachandran, Richard Morris, Colin Blakemore and Leslie Iversen (full list below).
All lectures are followed by a wine reception for all who attended. This provides a valuable opportunity for people to meet, discuss new ideas, and combine their knowledge of different aspects of neuroscience, sowing seeds for future research and ongoing collaboration.
We are very grateful to the British Neuroscience Association for co-hosting these events. The BNA is the largest body representing neuroscience in the UK and there are many reasons and advantages in being a member - register at the BNA website.
Past BN-BNA Evening Lectures
Since the birth of BN in 2003, we have been honoured to host the following speakers:
- 17th February 2011 - Professor Barbara Sahakian discussed how cognitive enhancing drugs have the potential to treat major neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but also raise serious ethical concerns.
- 14th October 2010 - Professor Ed Bullmore, both psychiatrist and founding Director of the Brain Mapping Unit in Cambridge, discussed his research on disorders such as schizophrenia using psychopharmacological tools and the integration of imaging, genetics, and computational neuroscience techniques.
- 13th May 2010 - The 2010 BN Lord Sainsbury Lecture was given by Professor Alan Cowey FRS who first discussed the key question of how the brain makes us aware of external events, and went on to share his thoughts on, and experience of, science research carried out independently compared with operating as part of a team effor
- 17th November 2009 - Professor Clifford Woolf on taking his key scientific discoveries on the neuroscience of pain into the clinic
- 22nd June 2009 - Professor Leslie Iversen, known for his seminal work on neurotransmitters and neural communication, has particular expertise in the science of cannabinoids and has made highly valuable contributions to the public debate around cannabis use. Having worked both in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, Professor Iversen reflected on his work and how through 'translational' research enables basic science to have impact in people’s lives.
- 2nd September 2008 - The 2008 BN Lord Sainsbury Lecture: Professor Tipu Aziz, neurosurgeon who pioneered the use of deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson's disease, speaking alongside Mr Mike Robins one of his first patients
- 27th May 2008 - Professor Paul Broks has explored the mind and brain in many different guises - as research scientist, clinical neuropsychologist, and, latterly, author, scriptwriter, and film producer. This lecture showcased pre-release highlights from his recent film about how a top musician recovered his skills after major brain surgery for a congenital abnormality which deprived him of almost all his left temporal lobe - usually the main site of musical abilities in the brain.
- 7th May 2008 - Professor Richard Wiseman’s insatiable curiosity into the oddities of human behaviour stems from his own background as fully-fledged magician, skilled in tricking our powers of perception, and has led him to writing books such as ‘Quirkology’ and launching a search for the world’s funniest joke. His mix of quirkiness and social psychology proved just the ticket to make at this special BN ‘5th Birthday’ Lecture go with a swing.
- 28th February 2008 - Professor Gary Lynch - international expert in the neurobiology of the GABA neurotransmitter receptors, Gary Lynch has attracted media attention through his development of drugs to combat dementia and, potentially, to enhance innate ability; so-called 'cognitive-enhancers'.
- 16th July 2007 - Professor Trevor Robbins FRS: included on a list of the 100 most cited neuroscientists, and having published nearly five hundred papers and co-edited three books in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, behavioural neuroscience and psychopharmacology, Professor Robbins is clearly a major figure in today's neuroscience research
- 26th April 2007 - Dr Mark Lythgoe, Director of the new Biomedical Imaging Centre at UCL, Director of the Cheltenham Science Festival, and scientist-artist-communicator extraordinaire, held his audience enthralled as he spoke firstly on his latest MRI techniques, followed by whether we are born scientists or artists (or both?)
- 18th January 2007 - Professor Graham Collingridge FRS, newly appointed President of the British Neuroscience Association, speaking on his involvement in the public engagement of neuroscience via BNA, BA and EDAB: and his career studying how the brain makes and stores memories.
- 30th May 2006 - Professor Richard Gregory FRS, emeritus professor with over 50 years of publishing scientific papers and classic texts delving into such challenging topics as the mind, consciousness and perception.
- 16th March 2006 - Professor Russell Foster, well-known in both academic and popular press for his research on the area of sleep/wake cycles and the impact of 'Our 24/7 World'.
- 21st November 2005 - Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, acclaimed researcher and popular science writer, whose theories on autism and how it relates to stereotypes of the male and female brain have provoked controversy and stimulated research in the field.
- 28th June 2005 - Professor Geoffrey Raisman FRS, holder of the British Neuroscience Association's Award for 'Outstanding contribution to British Neuroscience' in 2004, and recognised, amongst other scientific achievements, as the first to describe synaptic plasticity in the Central Nervous System, and a pioneer in developing Olfactory Ensheathing Cell technology for the repair of spinal cord injury.
- 25th March 2005 - Professor Colin Blakemore FRS, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council and highly respected for both his studies on brain development and his refusal to be intimidated by animal-rights activists even in the face of attacks on home and family
- 3rd December 2004 - Professor Fran Ashcroft FRS, author of over 140 research papers on ion channels and an advocate for the public engagement of science, having written the popular science book 'Life at the Extremes' and chairing the Royal Society Summer Exhibition in 2001
- 23rd September 2004 - Professor Ron de Kloet, holder of the prestigious Academy Professorship from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the first Lord Sainsbury lecturer for BN
- 6th May 2004 - Professor Richard Frackowiak, the 2004/5 BNA president, whose research specialises in imaging the human brain
- 15th March 2004 - Professor Richard Morris FRS, leading researcher on memory and learning, and what causes the loss of memory in dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
- 4th March 2004 - Professor V.S. Ramachandran, world-famous neurophysiologist, whose scientific curiosity in the patients he treats, combined with investigations designed to test his theories, has led to fresh insights into the human brain
FREE drinks and nibbles afterwards - All very welcome
Sponsored by the British Neuroscience Association.
Why 'Callosum Colloquia'?
The Corpus callosum facilitates much of the communication between the two hemispheres of the brain. With 200-250 million connections continually carrying messages between its myriad constituent parts, the Corpus callosum is key to cross-talk and co-ordination in the nervous system, and critical for full cognitive function.
Collaboration is also key to achieving the real breakthroughs in modern neuroscience. Thus the 'Callosum colloquia' seek to emulate the structure that inspired their name by facilitating cross-talk between departments, disciplines, scientists and clinicians throughout Bristol Neuroscience.
*A colloquy; a meeting for discussion
*Corpus; a body of neuroscientists in Bristol
*Callosum; tackling the hard problems of neuroscience
Venue - Queen's Building
Queen's Building is very easy to find; home to Engineering, number 20 on the precinct map, lying right next to the School of Medical Sciences on University Walk (University Walk leads on to Tankard's Close and Royal Fort Road - see map)
View Larger Map.
- From Experimental Psychology, it's on your right hand side as you come down University Walk.
- From the School of Medical Sciences; turn left out of the front entrance, and along to the next building
- From the Dorothy Hodgkin Building: it's on your left if you come from the St Michael's Hill / Tankard Close end of University Walk. If you come up the Steps of Indecision, it's the first on the left when you get to the top.
- From Hampton House: turn right from St Michael's Hill on to Tankard Close then University Walk, and keep going til you get to Queen's building on the left. Or, if you come through Royal Fort Gate from Royal Fort Lodge, turn right on to University Walk when you get to maths and keep going til you get to Queen's building on the left.
To find the Pugsley Lecture Theatre:
- go in the front entrance
- take the stairs on your right hand side and go up one floor
- you should be outside the Pugsley Lecture Theatre
- Carry on up the stairs and into the rear of the hall
- Wine reception is held in the foyer area out the back of the lecture theatre