Teaser: Hot Topics in the Basic Science of Sex Differences in the Brain
Sex and gender differences in brain and mental diseases exist, for reasons still unclear to science. They are an opportunity for precision medicine and we must study them, for the benefit of both men and women.
The International Forum on Women’s Brain and Mental Health will take participants through the various phases of dissecting and understanding some of the key facts, questions, and opportunities surrounding sex and gender differences in brain and mental diseases.
Panel 1 “Hot Topics in the Basic Science of Sex Differences in the Brain” will look at the biology behind such differences.
The lineup will be as follows:
- Staci Bilbo, Director of Research, Lurie Center for Autism Mass General Hospital for Children, Boston, USA (moderator)
- Liisa Galea, Department of Psychology University of British Columbia, Canada
- Roberta Brinton, Director, Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, USA
- Thorsten Buch, Director, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science at the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Murali Doraiswamy, Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine, Duke University Health System, USA
With speakers with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and opinions, the discussion will range from whether or not there are fundamental differences between a male and human brain, to recent research on sex differences in the creation of nervous tissue in the hippocampus (the region that regulates emotions, plays a role in spatial navigation, and is associated with memory – long-term memory especially).
One of the reasons it is so difficult to have clear-cut answers is related to challenges in the implementation of sex as a biological variable in research, even if scientists are working with mice rather than humans. Find out why!
However, biological sex differences or nuances are not a problem; far from it. They could in fact be leveraged for precision medicine. Funding sex and gender research can improve drug development as well as disease prevention.
Be a part of this first conversation, a building block to the next panels and key to framing the rest of the program! Curious about what comes next?
To see the full program, visit https://www.forum-wbp.com/scientific-program/.
To register to attend the Forum, click here: https://www.forum-wbp.com/register/
