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) 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.
中国，上海——2024年9月9日至15日，中国科学院脑科学与智能技术卓越创新中心国际灵长类脑研究中心（ICPBR）、上海脑科学与类脑研究中心和上海市松江区灵长类脑研究中心在上海市松江区G60脑智科创基地成功举办了ICPBR非人灵长类系统神经科学国际暑期学校。本次暑期学校由蒲慕明院士与Nikos Logothetis院士共同发起，汇聚了全球顶尖科学家的25场精彩讲座和辅导课程。来自15个国家的42名学生参加了此次暑期学校，彰显了ICPBR致力于推动国际合作、培养青年科研人员并推动系统神经科学领域发展的决心。
ICPBR暑期学校旨在为青年科研人员，特别是博士生和博士后，打造一个集中学习的平台，并重点介绍了非人灵长类（NHP）研究的最新进展及其对理解人类大脑功能和疾病的意义。该课题强调理论和方法论的共同进步，旨在搭建基础研究、临床应用和技术创新之间的桥梁，并鼓励参与者之间的创新思维和跨学科合作。
本次暑期学校为期7天，邀请到了20位国际灵长类研究领域的顶尖专家授课，包括Dora ANGELAKI（美国纽约大学）、Goran ANGELOVSKI（国际灵长类脑研究中心）、Elena BORRA（意大利帕尔马大学）、Gustavo DECO（西班牙庞培法布拉大学）、Henry EVRARD（国际灵长类脑研究中心）、顾勇（中国科学院脑科学与智能技术卓越创新中心）、Tadashi ISA（日本京都大学）、Igor KAGAN（德国灵长类中心）、Vishal KAPOOR（国际灵长类脑研究中心）、Kristine KRUG（德国马格德堡大学）、Nikos LOGOTHETIS（国际灵长类脑研究中心）、Alexander MAIER（美国范德比尔特大学）、Anna MITCHELL（新西兰坎特伯雷大学）、Andreas NIEDER（德国图宾根大学）、Nicola PALOMERO-GALLAGHER（德国尤利希研究中心）、蒲慕明（国际灵长类脑研究中心，上海脑科学与类脑研究中心）、Pieter ROELFSEMA（荷兰神经科学研究所）、Burke ROSEN（美国华盛顿大学）、Stelios SMIRNAKIS（美国哈佛大学），Andreas TOLIAS（美国斯坦福大学）。
此外，本次暑期学校还安排了5场辅导课程，涵盖科研伦理（Jennifer SMUDA，国际灵长类脑研究中心）、公众宣传（Anna MITCHELL，新西兰坎特伯雷大学）、非人灵长类动物的功能性核磁共振成像（Renée HARTIG, 内森·克莱恩研究所）、计算神经科学（Rory BUFACCHI, 国际灵长类脑研究中心）以及非人灵长类行为实验（Ian ANDOLINA, 中国科学院脑科学与智能技术卓越创新中心）。本次暑期学校还邀请了Nature杂志顾问、自由撰稿人Alison ABBOTT，组织了一场以“大脑状态”为主题的专题论坛。学生们和授课专家还参观了位于徐汇区的脑智卓越中心和位于松江的国际灵长类脑研究中心。通过一系列讨论和学术海报展示，ICPBR暑期学校促进了授课教授与学生之间的交流，以及学生、教授与ICPBR研究人员之间的科研合作建设。最后，从中选出了10名优秀学生，有机会在ICPBR的3个研究组和ION的3个研究组进行为期一个月的实习，参与实际科研项目。此次暑期学校不仅丰富了他们的学术生涯，也为未来的合作与研究项目奠定了基础。
ICPBR暑期学校的组织方衷心感谢所有授课教授和参与者的热情与投入，感谢ICPBR的成员们在整个暑期学校期间的全力参与。
本次暑期学校确立了ICPBR作为神经科学研究与培训领先中心的地位，为理解灵长类大脑及其对人类精神健康的重要性做出了重要贡献。在此成功基础上，ICPBR将继续强调培养非人灵长类神经科学青年研究人员的重要性，并促进全球合作，期待在未来举办更多类似活动。