Shanghai, China - From September 9 to 15, 2024, the International Center for Primate Brain Research (ICPBR) - a newly established center affiliated with the Institute of Neuroscience (ION) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences - held its esteemed ICPBR Summer School in Non-Human Primate Systems Neuroscience in Songjiang, Shanghai. Sponsored by the Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology (Shanghai Brain Center) and the Shanghai Songjiang Center for Primate Brain Research, the program featured 25 outstanding lectures and tutorials delivered by leading global experts. With 42 students from 15 different countries, the ICPBR Summer School highlights the ICPBR's commitment to fostering international collaboration and educating the next generations of scientists, advancing the field in Systems Neuroscience.
The ICPBR Summer School aimed to create an intensive educational platform for young researchers, particularly PhD students and postdocs, by highlighting the latest advances in non-human primate (NHP) research and their implications for understanding human brain function and disorders. Emphasizing both conceptual and methodological developments, the program sought to bridge the gap between basic research, clinical applications, and technological innovation. It also encouraged creative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration among participants.
The seven-day program included a carefully crafted mix of 20 lectures delivered by esteemed professors from renowned institutions worldwide, including Dora ANGELAKI (New York University), Goran ANGELOVSKI (ICPBR), Elena BORRA (University of Parma), Gustavo DECO (Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona), Henry EVRARD (ICPBR), Yong GU (ICPBR, ION), Tadashi ISA (Kyoto University), Igor KAGAN (German Primate Center), Vishal KAPOOR (ICPBR), Kristine KRUG (Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg), Nikos LOGOTHETIS (ICPBR), Alexander MAIER (Vanderbilt University), Anna MITCHELL (University of Canterbury), Andreas NIEDER (University of Tübingen), Nicola PALOMERO-GALLAGHER (Research Center Jülich), Mu-Ming POO (ICPBR, ION), Pieter ROELFSEMA (Netherland Institute for Neuroscience), Burke ROSEN (Washington University St.-Louis), Stelios SMIRNAKIS (Harvard University), Andreas TOLIAS (Stanford University).
In addition, there were 5 tutorials on research ethics (Jennifer SMUDA, ICPBR), public outreach (Anna MITCHELL, University of Canterbury), NHP fMRI (Renée HARTIG, Nathan Kline Institute), computational neuroscience (Rory BUFACCHI, ICPBR), and NHP behavioral experiments (Ian ANDOLINA, ION), as well as an exciting and timely forum on Brain States animated by the freelance journalist and Nature consultant Alison ABBOTT. The students and speakers visited both the ICPBR in Songjiang and the ION in Xuhui. Through a series of discussions and poster presentations, the ICPBR Summer School promoted exchanges between speakers and students, and networking between students, speakers and ICPBR researchers. Finally, a selected group of 10 outstanding students was offered the opportunity to do a 1-month internship in 3 ICPBR labs and 3 ION labs, participating in actual lab projects and further connecting with the local research community. This intensive experience not only enriched their academic careers, but also helped pave the way for future collaborations and research projects.
The ICPBR Summer School organizers wholeheartedly thank all speakers and participants for their enthusiasm and commitment, all the ICPBR community for its dedicated involvement throughout the School, and its generous sponsors.
This milestone establishes the ICPBR’s position as a leading center for neuroscience research and training, significantly contributing to the global understanding of the primate brain and its importance to human mental health. Building on this success and emphasizing the importance of fostering the next generation of NHP neuroscience researchers and promoting global collaborations, the ICPBR is looking forward to hosting similar events in the future.