Conference: Stress Neurobiology Workshop

Exposure to stress is ubiquitous in nature and is one of the many factors that shape the development and wellbeing of an organism. The Stress Neurobiology Workshop, a 3-day event in Boston, MA, convenes researchers from diverse disciplines to discuss recent advances in our understanding of the interactions between stress, brain, and behavior. The goals of the workshop are to refine and broaden our systems level understanding of stress neurobiology, foster broader perspectives and use of a wider range of technologies to study stress-brain interactions, facilitate the development of new collaborative efforts among participants, and promote greater diversity among the people who design, execute, interpret, and lead stress neuroscience research. A substantial fraction of the workshop speakers and session chairs are women and members of groups underrepresented in STEM fields. An important aspect of the workshop is the participation of trainees. This funding from the National Science Foundation will enable graduate and postdoctoral students in the field of stress neurobiology to attend the meeting, present their work and participate in discussions, and receive direct mentoring from more senior members of the community. The scientific content of the 2024 Stress Neurobiology Workshop includes five thematic sessions focused on the impact of stress on brain development, psychosocial behavior and cognition, neuroendocrine responses, and neural circuit functions. Keynote and symposia speakers will present work at several levels of investigation, from genetic and molecular, to neural circuits and systems, to behavior and community impacts. Importantly, research elucidating the neurobiology of stress in different organisms will be discussed. The meeting includes ample time for discussion among participants, which is necessary for synthesizing new ideas with existing models and scientific progress. Trainees supported by travel awards will deliver data blitz presentations, participate in poster sessions, and be matched with senior mentors. Funds received through this grant are dedicated exclusively to the support of trainee participation and professional development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.