News & Events

The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) and the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on "Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology" were held at HKUST from 28 June to 4 July 2014, respectively. GRC is a prestigious conference designed to promote interactions between neuroscientists. With “Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology” as the main theme, this year’s conference featured diverse areas of modern neuroscience from molecules and cells to circuits, behavior, neuro-degeneration, and regeneration after injury. Two keynote lectures were scheduled at the conference. Prof. Thomas Südhof, from Stanford University and the 2013 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, delivered a talk on “Neurexin Diversity and Synapse Specification”. Prof. Mu-ming Poo, from the University of California Berkeley and the Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a talk on “BDNF and Synaptic Plasticity”. Their participation highlights the first-rate international standing of the conference.

The SKL held the second Members Retreat from 30 March to 1 April 2013 in Shanghai. The retreat offered members the opportunity to come together to re-examine the goals, objectives, and activities of the SKL, and drive our mission forward more effectively in the coming year.  The retreat was held in conjunction with the Annual Joint Meeting with the SKL of Neuroscience, Shanghai. This is the second Joint Meeting between the SKL of Molecular Neuroscience in Hong Kong and the SKL of Neuroscience in Shanghai. Over twenty-five researchers from the two partner SKLs joined the meeting. Through a program of presentations and panel discussions, the joint meeting offered the ideal environment for scientific exchange. It also laid down the foundation for research excellence and strengthened collaborative efforts between the two SKLs.

The SKL held the first Academic Advisory Committee on 22 June 2012. Five advisors, including two Nobel Laureates, attended the meeting. They are: Dr. Aaron Ciechanover (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel), Dr. Martha Constantine-Paton (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Dr. Shumin Duan (Zhejiang University, PRC), Dr. Robert Horvitz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), and Dr. Ronald Lindsay (Sequenom Inc. USA). During the one-day review meeting, SKL team presented their latest research findings to the Committee. The advisors provided strategic and scientific guidance to the SKL team, and evaluated the scientific merits of the research programs.

The SKL organized the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on "Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology" at HKUST from 17 to 22 June 2012. This conference offered the first Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on "Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology". Established in 1931, the Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) has earned an enviable reputation worldwide in fostering dynamic scientific exchange. The 2012 GRC at HKUST plays an important role in promoting interactions between US and Asia-based neuroscientists. It facilitates the interaction of global neuroscientists to demystify brain function and explicate the causes of brain disorders. Furthermore, the GRS is attended only by students and post-doctoral fellows and an invited keynote speaker. The collegial atmosphere of the GRC, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm, and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas of neuroscience.

The SKL held the first Members Retreat at the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel from 13 to 14 January 2012. The purpose of the Retreat is for the Members to consider and deliberate upon key issues related to the development and progress towards the strategic goals of the SKL. Through a program of presentations and panel discussions, Members have the opportunity to explore and discuss strategies and directions related to the six core research themes of the SKL. The Retreat further enhances free exchange of ideas and helps identify new research directions to explore.