Wayne State to host neuroscience symposium on aging and Alzheimer's
May 13, 2008 Wayne State University will host the meeting on Saturday, May 31, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center on its main campus. The event will begin with breakfast and a poster session featuring current research in neurology, followed by two keynote speakers; Dr. Scott Moffat, assistant professor at Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, and Dr. Charles J. Duffy, professor of neurology, neurobiology and anatomy, and ophthalmology at Rochester University's Center for Visual Science. Both professors will present their research on the cognitive neuroscience of aging.
The purpose of the society's annual meeting is to share research, generate discussion and award outstanding research in neurology and its related fields. Participants include researchers and students at various levels of higher education as well as clinicians working in the field.
"We're very excited to provide a venue where neuroscientists can engage in an active dialogue about their research," said Dr. Hilary Ratner, vice president for Research at WSU. "So much of research depends on communication, feedback, and collaboration, that the value of meetings like this is immeasurable."
Dr. Moffat's research focuses on the structural, cognitive and functional changes the human brain undergoes as it ages. He uses virtual reality to investigate the behavioral and neural mechanisms that cause the decline of an aging person's spatial cognition and ability to create "cognitive maps" of a virtual environment. He also studies the effects of lowered testosterone levels in aging men.
Dr. Duffy's research investigates the effects that both aging and Alzheimer's disease have on navigational perception and cognitive control. By studying the cerebral cortex, Duffy is working to characterize the neuronal mechanisms that create the perception of self-movement, an ability that deteriorates in people with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Admission for the event is $25 for graduate and undergraduate students and $40 for researchers, technicians and the public. The event does require early registration; the deadline for both attendees and presenters is May 19, 2008.
For more information and to register, visit http://neuroscience.science.wayne.edu/Site/Welcome.html
Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.
- Contact: Julie O'Connor
- Voice: (313) 577-8845
- Email: julie.oconnor@wayne.edu
- Fax: (313) 577-3626
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