Optogenetic approaches, which include the activation, inhibition and modulation of specific circuit components using light-sensitive genetically-encodable proteins, have greatly advanced our ability to study how the brain gives rise to behavior. The ability to manipulate and observe the activity of specific cell-types with millisecond precision has completely revolutionized the field of neuroscience and launched us into an era of studying neural circuits, including those deep within the brain such as the basal ganglia or limbic circuits Indeed some of the most impactful studies in a number of fields have been made possible with optogenetics, including breakthroughs made in understanding sleep processes, emotional valence processing, memory formation, habit formation, reward seeking and compulsive drug-taking behaviors. The 2016 Optogenetic approaches to understanding neural circuits and behavior which will be held July 17 - 22, 2016 at the Sunday River Resort, Newry, ME will be the inaugural meeting. The development of this meeting has been hotly anticipated as similar one-time meetings have been wildly successful in terms of the participants, the lively discussion and the impact on future work. Now, we have turned to the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) format to establish a meeting that will occur with regularity (biennially) and will feature the most exciting unpublished findings from internationally renowned basic and clinical researchers. Within the 5 day format, we will foster a collegial and interactive atmosphere with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings to encourage scientists from different fields (ranging from sensorimotor systems to emotion and motivation processes) to brainstorm, initiate collaborations and compare notes on the bleeding edge of technology development and application.
This application is to provide funding for the 2016 Gordon Research Conference on 'Optogenetic approaches to understanding neural circuits and behavior.' Optogenetic approaches have allowed us to manipulate and observe the activity of specific cell types with sub-second temporal precision and have accelerated our ability to establish causal relationships between the brain and behaviors relevant to substance abuse/addiction, Parkinson's disease, psychiatric disease and other neurological disorders. This conference will bring together leaders of a variety of fields working to apply optogenetic approaches in exciting and novel ways to discuss recent insights and challenges that come with application of this approach.
