As per tradition, the annual ANA General Assembly meeting was held during the FENS Forum 2024. This year in Vienna, drawing a record attendance of Austrian neuroscientists on June 28, 2024. This reflects ANA's steady growth to over 400 members and its dedication to representing and supporting Austrian neuroscientists. In addition to financially supporting 10 students to attend the FENS Forum, ANA was thrilled with the success of its many supported satellite events. Of particular note were the many contributions to the Forum by the Student Host society. 

Below, Sigismund Huck (Chair of the FENS Host Society Committee) and ANA President Sébastien Couillard-Després reflect on the last year's achievements. To further support the Austrian neuroscience community, Hugo Malagon-Vina presented new plans to establish and incentivize local satellite groups in neuroscience hotspots across Austria. M.Sc., Ph.D. students, and early-post docs are particularly encouraged to join this initiative.

Don't forget to save the date for the next ANA meeting on September 8-10, 2025!

The Austrian Neuroscience Association (ANA) is proud to have sponsored travel grants for two promising Ukrainian researchers, Mariia Shypshyna and Ludmilka Kasatkina (center left), enabling them to participate in the FENS Forum 2024 in Vienna. This initiative highlights ANA's commitment to fostering international collaboration and supporting the next generation of scientists, even in challenging times. The travel grants were handed over by our president Sébastien Couillard-Després (center right), Sigismund Huck (Chair Host Society Committee, left) and our treasurer Petra Scholze (right).

Congratulations to Valeria Mussetto!

winner of the ANA Best Thesis Award 2024

Her PhD work in Jürgen Sandkühler’s lab at the Center for Brain Research in Vienna aimed at understanding the neurobiological substrates of the emotional components of pain. In particular, she focused on the lateral parabrachial nucleus, a brainstem center that is crucial for pain aversion, and investigated how neuro-glial transmission can be modulated in this area.

She discovered two novel forms of synaptic plasticity at glutamatergic synapses triggered by opioid administration, identifying the parabrachial nucleus as a new site of opioid-induced neuronal adaptations and describing the first direct evidence of plasticity in this structure. Additionally, Valeria’s work shed light into the largely unexplored roles of parabrachial glial cells, expanding our understanding of regional variability in neuro-immuno-glial networks in the brain and providing insights into the differential contribution of glia to specific aspects of pathological pain.

Valeria’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of opioid abuse and chronic pain mechanisms and can open new avenues for the treatment of these conditions. Details of her findings can be found on JPain and Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience.

link to the meeting website: https://ana-meeting-2025.ista.ac.at

The European Society for Neurochemistry invites all ANA Members to register for free at the FENS Forum Satellite "Neurodevelopment in Health and Disease". Meeting participants are also invited to contribute a publication to a special issue of the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience.

It is with great sadness that the ANA learned about the recent passing of Hans Tuppy (*22 July 1924, Vienna – †24 April 2024).

Hans Tuppy was an outstanding figure in Austria’s academia. With the prospects of a brilliant academic career, he chose to serve the academic world in a truly altruistic manner. He held various prestigious positions: Dean of the Medical Faculty (1970-72), Rector of the University of Vienna and President of the Rectors' Conference (1983-85), President of the Austrian Science Fund (1974-82), President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (1985-87), and Minister for Science and Research (1987-89). In its obituary, the IMP acknowledged Hans Tuppy for his role in “providing crucial support for the development of IMP and the Vienna BioCenter.” On the occasion of his 90th birthday, his student Peter Palese delivered a touching speech. Despite all the positions he held, he was a wonderful, lovely person with a curious, open mind who made you feel like a colleague. His occasional critical remarks always came with a humorous, chuckling smile.

I remember Hans Tuppy very well. He delivered brilliant lectures in chemistry and biochemistry (unfortunately, very little molecular biology at the time), which were always packed with us, the students. I passed my “Rigorosum” with distinction, even though I somehow messed up my practical exam by not getting the expected results. He did not mind, as I could somehow prove that I understood the principle.

At the 2016 Meeting at the ISTA, ANA awarded Hans Tuppy its Honorary Membership. He deeply regretted that he could not attend in person. Keeping his generosity and kindness in our hearts, we will miss him greatly.

Sigismund Huck & the Austrian Neuroscience Community

On behalf of the meeting organizers, we would like to invite you to the 3^rd Locus Coeruleus meeting in Innsbruck

About the meeting:

The Locus Coeruleus Meeting is a small and quite diverse meeting that tries to understand the early vulnerability of the locus coeruleus and other neuromodulatory nuclei in aging and neurodegenerative conditions.

About the participants: 

The meeting aims to bring together researchers with a background in clinical research on neurodegenerative conditions, cognitive neuroscience, MRI Physics, neuroscience in animal models, and other relevant disciplines with an interest in neuromodulatory systems and in particular the noradrenergic locus coeruleus in health and disease. 

Where and when:

The meeting will take place at the Grillhof in Innsbruck from the 9th to the 11th of September 2024.

>> CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO & REGISTRATION <<

Registration will be open until the 15th of April 2024

Please do not hesitate to email us with any questions

email: LCMeeting2024'at'uibk.ac.at

  We look forward to welcoming you at our 3rd Locus Coeruleus Meeting! 

On behalf of the meeting organizers

Dorothea Haemmerer

Professor for Developmental Psychology

Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck

Principal Investigator

Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research,

Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg

Associate research fellow

Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London

Hello, FENS Forum 2024 participants!

The SHSC team is thrilled to invite you to join our exclusive video competition, where you can share your scientific journey in a captivating video. Dive into the world of visual storytelling with a 20-30-second video clip tailored to your scientific journey. Whether you're showcasing the magic of Live Cell Imaging or giving us a glimpse into your daily life.

The three winners will earn a € 300 reward and exclusive SHSC merchandise!

How to participate:

• Exclusively for FENS Forum 2024 participants who consider themselves young scientists
• The Video/Clip should be in landscape format and last c.a. 20-30 seconds, with the following criteria:
• 20-30 seconds if it shows an experiment (e.g.: Live Cell Imaging)
• up to 30 seconds if it shows a “Day in My Life as Scientist”
• up to 30 seconds if it shows the production and/or the presentation of your Forum poster
• You may apply AI to complement your content. However, you have to clearly indicate where you used it (submission form)
• Ensure that the music you intend to use is copyright-free if you plan to incorporate it.
• Please add your personal data by filling out this form
• Please keep it classy! Avoid explicit content, such as dissection and animal experiments, which will not be admitted.
• The three winners will be selected by the SHSC, but we know that there will be many more wonderful clips. So, all the participants submitting a significant contribution will receive a document honouring their work.

Submission opens April 1 and ends June 1, 2024

SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO: link coming soon

Note: By submitting you agree that we may show your video clip by our social media channels, on the Austrian Neuroscience Society (ANA) homepage, and at the “Open Theatre” stage, which is in the heart of the Forum poster session.

For inquiries and further information, please contact the team from the SHSC: shscfens@gmail.com

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Spread the word! Shine a light on your scientific narrative! Lights, camera, science! May the most outstanding and creative videos steal the spotlight!

Dear Neuroscientists,

Will you unlock the Mysteries of the Mind at Brain Awareness Week 2024?

Join us for a captivating journey into the depths of neuroscience and cognitive exploration.

From enlightening workshops to engaging talks by leading experts, discover the wonders of the brain and its extraordinary capabilities.

Whether you're a curious novice or a seasoned enthusiast, there's something for everyone at Brain Awareness Week 2024. Don't miss this chance to expand your knowledge and gain insights into the most complex organ in the human body. Join us in celebrating the power and potential of the human brain

Follow this link for info and registration

Dear Neuroscientists,

Don't miss out on the opportunity of attending the 7th Alpine Chapter Symposium Innsbruck 2024, on November 28, 2024.

 For more information about this excellent event follow this link

Registration & info: alpinechapter-innsbruck@i-med.ac.at