The Texas Brain and Spine Institute is set to host the 11th annual Neuroscience Symposium on September 25 in the Hall of Champions at Kyle Field.

The goal of the symposium is to help the average person understand their brain better. In previous years the main topics covered in the symposium have been dementia, strokes, brain tumors, concussions and Parkinson's disease.

The headline speaker this year is Iain Mcgilchrist who has spent his career studying how different parts of the brain work together to be able to function in a complex world. His training is as a psychiatrist and he is from Oxford in Great Britain.

There are two basic parts of the symposium. The first part are three simultaneous mini-courses lasting 15 minutes each that are offered to the participants to understand better factors that affect your brain and then our main speaker, Dr. Mcgilchrist will give his talk.

To register you can go to txbsi.com/symposium or call 979.776.8896 but it isn't required.

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Texas Brain & Spine Institute host 11th neuroscience symposium - KBTX

This weeks roundup of recent developments in neuroscience kicks off with a study from MIT, where engineers have devised a way to automate the process of monitoring neurons in a living brain using a computer algorithm that analyzes microscope images and guides a robotic arm to the target cell. In the above image, a pipette guided by a robotic arm approaches a neuron identified with a fluorescent stain.

Neurosurgeons at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University. They report two new ways to improve outcomes of induced pluropontent stem cell-based therapies for Parkinsons disease in monkey brains. The findings are a key step for patient recruitment of the first iPS cell-based therapy to treat neurodegenerative diseases, since one of the last steps before treating patients with an experimental cell therapy for the brain is confirmation that the therapy works in monkeys.

In other Parkinsons news, the FDA has denied Acorda Therapeutics New Drug Application filing for Inbrija. Inbrija is an inhaled, self-administered, form of levodopa for treating Parkinsons disease. According to the FDA, reason for the denial were the date when the manufacturing site would be ready for inspection, and a question regarding submission of the drug master production record. FDA also requested additional information at resubmission, which was not part of the basis for the refusal.

At the University of Turku, in Finland, researchers have revealed how eating stimulates the brains endogenous opioid system to signal pleasure and satiety. Interestingly, eating both bland and delicious meals triggered significant opioid release in the brain.

A young New York woman with severe headaches represented a never-before-seen case for neurosurgeons at New York Presbyterian. She was diagnosed with an unusual form of hydrocephalus/Chiari malformation, in which the skull is too small and restricted the brain. More about her in the video below:

Tinnitus, a chronic ringing or buzzing in the ears, has eluded medical treatment and scientific understanding. A new University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study found that chronic tinnitus is associated with changes in certain networks in the brain, and furthermore, those changes cause the brain to stay more at attention and less at rest. The finding provides patients with validation of their experiences and hope for future treatment options.

In social media news, research by BuzzFeed found more than half of the most-shared scientific stories about autism published in the last five years promote unevidenced or disproven treatments, or purported causes. More disturbingly, families in the autism community are excessively targeted by purveyors of bad information, making them more vulnerable to harmful, unproven so-called treatments.

Top Image: Ho-Jun Suk

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This Week In Neuroscience News 8/31/17 - ReliaWire

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Investigating the neuroscience of contagious yawns - Medical News Today

Dennis Owen Frohlich

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Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2007, Dennis created an educational website to share his story. Today, his academic career focuses on health communication and exploring the internet's role in promoting health and well-being.

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Neuroscience Research & Development | Janssen

Is it a comedy gig? A hip hop gig? A neuroscience lecture? Baba Brinkman's Rap Guide To Consciousness is all three. You may well walk out laughing, humming and wondering if you are a human being or a robot.

Leave any Vanilla Ice expectations in the cloakroom and imagine if Eminem had read philosopher Daniel Dennett. Brinkman wittily weaves together accessible ideas and inventive rhymes. Discussing artificial intelligence he sings "From Aristotle to Thomas Aquinas, people thought if you wanted design, you need a mind first."

The locquacious Canadian employs case studies in an attempt to clarify what consciousness is. In one adorably cute sequence he raps about his new baby Dylan, while an image of his smiling offspring flickers onscreen. Has Dylan got self-awareness yet? And if so did he have it as a tadpole-like embryo, dad asks.

There is lots to take in. Is there free will or are we all just glorified machines, slaves to our firing neurones? Apparently most of you reading this will have a "Jennifer Aniston neurone", triggered whenever you think of the Friends star, whether you like it or not.

Sara Pascoes favourite comedy venue, and with good reason: the Soho Theatre is arguably Londons finest place to see both up-and-coming and established acts. Being a theatre, rather than a comedy club per se, expect to see full sets from individuals rather than bills with a few comics. Its three rooms host all sorts of things, from the latest Edinburgh winners to big names road-testing their latest bits. The standard is reliably excellent: even if youve never heard of a comedian, chances are, if theyre playing here, theyll be worth watching.

Another old favourite, the Comedy Store benefits from being built for purpose: no other venue in London suits stand-up quite so well (and the beer isnt too ridiculously priced, either). After starting out above a strip club in Soho, this place made its name throughout the eighties by breaking the pioneers in alternative comedy. Its happy to host mainstream stars these days, and never struggles to draw top acts, but if you can only make one thing, try The Comedy Store Players, old pros whose improvised shows on Wednesdays and Sundays all but guarantee hilarity. Tuesdays The Cutting Edge is best for those who like topical humour.

Old Rope is popular with circuit veterans and newbies alike, so the weekly show usually has a mix of big names, comedy veterans and ones-to-watch. Host Tiff Stevenson leads an evening of new material yes, lots of jokes given their test run and its given its name for the noose that hangs over the stage. Ironically, this noose is a bit of a life-saver: if the new act is going badly, comics can grab the rope and fall back on old material.

Always top value, the Knock2bag nights offer the chance to indulge in the odder end of the comedy spectrum: expect serious helpings of whimsy, eccentricity and surrealism. If you're looking for something different, this is your place to go.

A first-rate comedy club and well worth travelling for. Wed pick the Thursday night over Saturday, but youll get a decent show on either day. Theres a mix of big names and up-and-comers, and host Martin Besserman is a pro wholl keep you laughing in between acts. Of which, theres often as many as twelve a night, so youll get your moneys worth. If one isnt to your taste, another promises a laugh.

The Banana Cabaret Club hosts a lot of top drawer comics, and is well loved in comedy circles in part, because theyve been going a good thirty years and in part because of the man running things, David Vickers, whose had everyone from Eddie Izzard to Stephen K Amos performing. Stars pop-in, and comedy circuit regulars play often, but its also on the finest spots to see new talent . No wonder Marcus Brigstocke name-checked it as his favourite London comedy club. Besides, once the two-hour show is done (typically wrapping up around 11pm), DJs strike up and everyone dances till 2am. Splendid.

http://vivivi.co.uk/

Hats off to the Piccadilly for keeping comedy cheap: their shows cost 10 at the most, and they do a meal deal, where you can eat at Tiger Tiger and see the show for 20 all-in. A bargain. Expect a mix of well-known TV regulars alongside the best newcomers on the scene. Line-ups are particularly well thought out here: they dont just sling together anyone, so the nights tend to be uniformly excellent.

The Leicester Square Theatre draws the big names, so expect to see top flight acts: Richard Herring hosts a weekly podcast here on Wednesdays, and the likes of Bridget Christie, Micky Flanagan and Frankie Boyle all make it a stopping point on their tours. That said, check the website for whats upcoming there are chance to see some under-the-radar sets too.

The excellent Brasserie Zdel whose Bar Americain is one of the finest drinking spots in the capital relaunched Crazy Coqs as Live At Zdel last year and following a successful first run, are launching their second season. Besides comedy the standard is usually very decent they also host musical theatre and drag acts. The cocktails are terrific and there's at-table service. Eat in the restaurant beforehand (or after), too: we swung by recently and the food is as good as its ever been. Cheap, too.

This fortnightly show boasts the best new up-and-coming acts in the capital, combined with big name hosts expect the likes of Miles Jupp, Sara Pascoe and Holly Walsh who keep the standard up to scratch. Definitely up to par, somewhere to find your new favourite comedian.

Just how a comedy club should be: small, crowded and above a pub. Best of all, its free, and each night offers something different, from open-mic nights to well-known names giving their latest sets an airing. Check the website for details, but you wont be let down just get down early, as it fills up quickly.

Following a decade of success in Shepherd's Bush, this comedy club has found a new home at the ever-popular Roof Gardens. Known as 'Jimmy Carr's favourite comedy club', the Ginglik has had everyone from Al Murray to Robin Williams play, and is set for more success.

The likes of Stewart Lee, Reginald D Hunter and Tony Law play these nights, which gives an idea of just how decent they are. Laugh Out London always do a good job of bringing the highlights from Edinburgh festival to town, so take the chance to see who everyones been tweeting about.

This Leicester Square club is much, much better than you might expect for a place that continually flyers. A big favourite with the Chortle Awards, it always attracts big names it runs a little like Live At The Apollo but on a smaller scale. There are three acts a night, and shows are fairly priced: some are as cheap as a fiver, though most will cost around 10 - 15. Theyve also got venues in Soho and Covent Garden.

Bit of a shame that shows here are so few and far between usually about once a month but theres no place more beautiful than the Union Chapel to see comedy in London. The upside is that, with so few performances, they always get the big names headlining, with unfailingly impressive support. Plus theres usually a live band, who are fab. The atmosphere is everything.

Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

These various plates are kept spinning thanks to Brinkman's enthusiasm and amiability. He is not the world's coolest rapper, but he might be the funniest and most well-read. Exercise any free will you have and buy a ticket.

Until Sept 3, 2 Northdown; tickettext.co.uk

Are you a budding artist? Enter the Evening Standard Contemporary Art Prize in association with Hiscox and you could win 10,000. Visit standard.co.uk/artprize

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Baba Brinkman, comedy review: Comedy, hip hop and neuroscience will make your brain buzz - Evening Standard

EngelNovitt has maintaineda longstanding commitment to activelysupporting the College of Science, its pioneering research and novel degreeprograms that benefit Virginia Tech, its students, and the research community more broadly, said John Engel, manager of EngelNovitt. As soon as the School of Neuroscience and its neuroscience degree programs were announced, we wanted to broaden that support to include theEngelNovitt Undergraduate Research Fellowship to enable undergraduates to benefit even more directly in theadvancement of the schoolsmission by actively participatingin its cutting-edgeresearch in the lab.

Particpating students included:

Noah Feld, of Woodbridge, Virginia,and a senior in neuroscience who worked in Sontheimers lab withSusan Campbell, a research assistant professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, said he enjoyed the experience of hands-on research. Having the privilege to be constantly immersed in an environment where I was challenged, but also able to learn, gave me a feeling of excitement, as though a new discovery was just around the corner, Feld said.

Amanda Patterson, of Mount Airy, Maryland, and a senior in neuroscience, worked in the laboratory ofGeorgia Hodes, an assistant professor of neuroscience. There, Patterson carried out experiments to understand sex differences involved in stress susceptibility and resilience. The focus of this lab was to determine connections between the immune system and the peripheral nervous system.This fellowship gave me first-hand experience with techniques I didnt even know existed until I was admitted in this program, she said.

Madison ODonnell, of Forest, Virginia,and a senior in neuroscience, worked in the laboratory ofElizabeth Gilbert, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, part of theCollege of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and an affiliated faculty member of neuroscience. ODonnell contributed to eight experiments on neural control of food intake in chickens and quail, with four experiments being of her own design.

Receiving the fellowship this summer was the greatest success of my undergraduate career and the best experience Virginia Tech has given me, she said. Being able to spend 40-plus hours in the lab every week gave me the opportunity to be taught many lab techniques by my mentors and gain experiences that I would not have gotten anywhere else.

ODonnell expects her summer work to result in two publications, and she plans on pursuing a doctoral degree in cellular and molecular neuroscience at the University of Southern California after she graduates in 2018.

Sontheimer said, We hope to be able to continue this successful program in future summers, providing generations of students a chance to sample the excitement that comes with discovery, which defines the future career path of many of our students.

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Neuroscience marks end of inaugural summer research experience for 18 undergrads - Augusta Free Press

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience (NEUS)at Drexel University College of Medicine embraces the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience. By incorporating expertise across departments and areas of research, the program offers a broad exposure to cellular, molecular, behavioral, developmental and systems neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on disease, injury and therapeutics. Students engage in rigorous research training using multidisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge technology. Their educational experience is not limited to the bench - they benefit from extensive interactions with the faculty, participation in scientific meetings and training in the panoply of skills (writing, teaching, formulation of hypotheses, experimental design) required for independence and success in a variety of career possibilities.

Students in the program can earn an MS or PhD degree, leading to careers in academic research, teaching, pharmaceutical research, industry, government, academic administration, public policy and beyond.

Immunostaining the the developing spinal cord for neurofilament proteins reveals the distribution of axons within the spinal cord and innervating the internal organs and the muscles of the limbs. Image taken by Lyandysha Zholudeva (PhD candidate).

Drexel's Neuroscience program focuses on several key areas of research, including:

The MS program offers both a master's degree with a requirement of a laboratory research project for a thesis-based degree and a non-thesis degree program in which students can earn the degree by taking additional classes and writing a literature review paper. Students who wish to continue their graduate training after the master's degree may apply to the PhD program, and their credits may be applied to the doctoral program.

The PhD program involves the same rigorous course work as the MS program but a more intensive research component. Graduates of the PhD program will be thoroughly prepared for a variety of career options, including the option of moving on to postdoctoral work at the world's most prestigious research institutions.

Graduating Division of Biomedical Science Programs students (27 PhD, 5 MD/PhD, 11 MS) accepted teaching, industrial, residency and postdoctoral positions at:

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PhD / Master of Science in Neuroscience - Drexel University ...

Source: Society for Neuroscience

Scientists who study the brain do so for many reasons. For some, the opportunity to study the most complex living structure in the known universe is itself an exciting quest. So much is still unknown about brain function and development.

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What is Neuroscience? - BrainFacts.org

August 29, 2017NEW YORKA year after the NFL pledged $100 million in support of independent medical research and engineering advancements, a huge chunk of that soon will be awarded to such research, primarily dedicated to neuroscience.

A Scientific Advisory Board assembled by the NFL is set to launch its program to solicit and evaluate research proposals for funding. The board, comprised of independent experts, doctors, scientists, and clinicians, and chaired by retired US Army General Peter Chiarelli, will provide direction for the $40 million allocated under the league's initiative.

"Prevention should always be a focus," Mr. Chiarelli says. "Nevertheless, the development of biologically based diagnostics is critical for return-to-play decisions for the NFL, and return to combat/training for the armed forces. Imagine if you had a handheld analyzer that with a single drop could determine whether a player or a soldier had a concussion and determine the severity of that injury."

The NFL has an ongoing affiliation with the armed forces and in April partnered with the US Army Medical Research and Material Command on a three-year venture to collaborate on head health research and development.

Any sports-oriented medical studies must be all-encompassing. Developing improved tools for research and design is front and center, as the league's scientific advisory board is seeking to be, with significant financial outlay.

Doctors say CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) can cause memory loss, depression, violent mood swings, and other cognitive and behavioral issues in those exposed to repetitive head trauma.

"There have been significant learnings in recent years that have changed the way we look at traumatic brain injury, notably CTE," says Dr. Allen Sills, who came aboard this year as the league's chief medical officer. "I agree with many medical experts that there are still a lot of unanswered questions relating to the cause, incidence, and prevalence of CTE. But what is clear is that there's a problem that impacts some athletes in sports like ours, others possibly, too, and we are eager to see CTE research move forward and begin to assemble more pieces of the puzzle.

"The NFL has a responsibility to do everything it can to make the game safer and drive research that advances treatment and prevention and, as we make advances, share them with the broader sports world. Most of the issues we face in the NFL are sport issues, and beyond that they are society issues."

A year out from Commissioner Roger Goodell's pledge to "look at anything and everything to protect our players and make the game safer," one of the areas receiving concentrated attention by the league is developing equipment that could provide even more specific and enhanced feedback on improving safety in football. Helmets, shoulder pads and other pads, and footwear all have seen improvements, but many believe there's much more to be done.

The league has embarked on what it calls "The Engineering Roadmap," a $60 million program designed to improve head protection equipment.

"This is a comprehensive and dedicated plan intended to spur innovation and significantly improve head protection for NFL players in three to five years," explains Dr. Jeffrey Crandall, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Applied Biomechanics and chair of the NFL's head, neck and spine engineering subcommittee.

The program is managed in collaboration with NFL Players Association's engineering consultants, Dr. Kristy Arbogast, co-scientific director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Dr. Barry Myers, director of innovation at Duke University's Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

"A key component of the engineering roadmap is to accurately measure the motion and acceleration the head experiences during play in the NFL by player position, to give design direction for protective equipment," Dr. Arbogast says. "To date, we have been doing that via video reconstructions and injury event recreations using crash test dummies. These approaches are incredibly time intensive and, by design, focus on 'events' that must be subjectively selected from game film or injury reports."

But "the engineering roadmap leverages the modeling approach used in other fields to apply computational models to helmet design and evaluation," Dr. Crandall adds.

"Many fields have transitioned from primarily an experimental evaluation and design of products to a largely computational development program. Computational models that simulate various designs and use conditions can greatly enhance the thoroughness and efficacy of the design process while simultaneously reducing the time of product development."

Of note is a focus on sensors that can determine all sorts of data to help enhance safety. The league and the players' union are working to develop novel sensor technology capable of accurately recording the motion of the head during impact in varying game conditions and positions. The plan is for the NFL, when the technology is ready, to offer mouth guards instrumented with such sensors to players to measure their impact response.

"This athlete exposure data will inform the testing of protective equipment so that future helmet test methodologies and design evolution are relevant to what is actually experienced on the field," Arbogast says.

With a recent study into brain trauma stating that significant numbers of former NFL players are among those examined suffering from CTE, many say that the emphasis on injury prevention of all kinds must be paramount.

That means pushing hard on all fronts, particularly equipment innovation and testing.

Crandall sees the engineering roadmap as the correct, well, road to take.

"Beyond the particular outcome of the roadmap," he says, "we will develop an improved understanding of the types and severity of impacts players experience on-field through video analysis and sensors that will be available to examine a broader array of medical and engineering questions."

This story was reported by The Associated Press.

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NFL dedicates large portion of $100 million pledge to neuroscience - Christian Science Monitor

HOUSTON (AP) - Hurricane Harvey has forced both the Houston Astros and Houston Texans to play home games well away from home. It's left players wondering when they will be able to come back. The Astros will play a three-game series against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, this week, starting Tuesday, and the Texans will wrap up their preseason NFL schedule against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington instead of NRG Stadium.

UNDATED (AP) - A big weekend college football game is also on the move due to Hurricane Harvey. The BYU-LSU game will be played Saturday night at the Superdome in New Orleans after massive flooding in Houston. The game is still scheduled to kick off at 9:30 p.m. Eastern and be televised on ESPN.

DETROIT (AP) - A person familiar with the deal says Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions have agreed to a $135 million, five-year extension that makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms were not disclosed. The team announced the deal keeps the quarterback under contract through the 2022 season. Detroit drafted Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009. He helped the Lions reach the playoffs last season for the third time in six seasons.

NEW YORK (AP) - A year after the NFL pledged $100 million in support of independent medical research and engineering advancements, a huge chunk of that soon will be awarded to such research, primarily dedicated to neuroscience. A Scientific Advisory Board assembled by the NFL is set to launch its program to solicit and evaluate research proposals for funding. The board will provide direction for the $40 million allocated under the league's initiative.

HAMILTON, Ontario (AP) - Ex Baylor coach Art Briles is having a little trouble with his job search in the wake of his firing over a sexual assault scandal allegedly involving some players. Less than 11 hours after the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League announced the hiring of Briles as an assistant coach, the league and the team backtracked in the face of public pressure and said he will not be joining the team after all.

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Harvey forces sports changes...Stafford gets a new deal...NFL promoting neuroscience research - WCTI12.com