KARACHI:Leading scientists from Spain, USA and the UK came together to share the latest developments in brain research at the 4th Annual Neuroscience Conference at Aga Khan University (AKU) on Saturday.
Experts at the conference discussed emerging research into diseases of the mind, brain and central nervous system while also deliberating on ways to expand the breadth and depth of neuroscience research in Pakistan.
Jointly organised by the Pakistan Society of Basic and Applied Neuroscience (PASBAN), the Advanced Educational Institute and Research Center, and an international consortium of over 200 leading scientists, The Science Bridge, the conference brought together speakers from multiple national and international universities to discuss advances in therapies for brain diseases; new insights into warning signs or biomarkers for brain injuries and tumours; and new developments in our understanding of the mechanisms of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders that have the potential to treat and perhaps even cure such disorders in the future.
“For a subject as important as neuroscience, there is a significant lack of interest in Pakistan,” said Prof Ather Enam, chair of the Department of Surgery at AKU in his introductory remarks. “The Annual Neuroscience Conference is the only conference in Pakistan that brings the basic neuroscientists together.”
Speakers at the conference explored a number of puzzling areas of neuroscience such as how the replication of the brain’s memory circuits using computer simulations is shedding light on the complex operations of the brain.
They also discussed issues such as how brainwave frequencies affect our health and shared progress on whether new electrical stimulation therapies could help treat ailments such as migraine and dry eye syndrome.
The conference was preceded by a two-day short course, essentials of neuroscience, which was aimed at providing students and young researchers an overview of the key topics in this emerging field.
One of the partners on the conference, The Science Bridge, was launched to promote international life science collaboration and global harmony. It is supported by high-ranking institutions and includes 29 Nobel laureates.
Last year, it also paired with PASBAN for the annual conference with the goal of building stronger interactions between neuroscience research institutions in the East and the West.