MNS awarded Best Poster and Best presentation prizes at the third IBRO-ARC workshop "Central Nervous System Developmental Remodeling and Neuroplasticity" Faculty of Science, Alexandria University EGYPT with the support of IBRO and MNS 17 to 19 December 2020 Alexandria University, Egypt Virtual Workshop    
The Workshop The workshop was held over three days from 17 to 19 December 2020 on Zoom platform. A group of young researchers from Egypt, Tunis, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and India actively participated in this event. Furthermore, the sessions were delivered by distinguished professors from Egypt, France, Malta, Nigeria and South Africa. To maximize the benefit, the lectures were live-streamed over two days through the portals of IBRO and MNS: https://www.facebook.com/IBROarc https://www.facebook.com/MedNeuroSociety/   The workshop curriculum included ten sessions ranging from educational lectures and academic research to the presentation of the opportunities available to students and the current challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak, treatments from cannabinoid-derivatives and its relation with the central nervous system. The workshop also introduced the best methods of scientific publishing, with a commitment to the ethics of scientific research and publication. The workshop reviewed the opportunities available through the participating organizations. The workshop covered three practical sessions on molecular biology techniques, western blotting and brain anatomy. The prizes The workshop also included competitions among young researchers on their research presentations and the design of research posters.   The workshop concluded with a review of the results of the competitions, and MNS President Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni awarded a financial prize (€150) funded by MNS to Mustapha Oluwaseun from Nigeria for his excellence in all his contributions. The first best research presentation prize and the first best poster design were also funded by MNS.   The best research presentation prize The first prize (€150) was awarded to Fatma Ahmed from Lebanon The second prize was awarded to Nour-Eddine Kaikai from Morocco as a certificate of appreciation The third prize was awarded to Islam Ayman from Egypt and as a certificate of appreciation The best poster designs. The first prize (€150) was awarded to Sarah Mahfouz from Egypt The second prize was awarded to Isaac Henneh from Ghana as a certificate of appreciation The third prize was awarded to Yvette Nguizeye from Cameroon as a certificate of appreciation The workshop concluded with congratulating on the success of the workshop and thanking all funding organizations, lecturers, organizing committees, participants and wishes of a happy new year.

As President of the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society I am honored to invite you to join the virtual meeting of the 3rd IBRO (International Brain Research Organization) IBRO Africa Regional Committee workshop: Central Nervous System Developmental Remodeling and Neuroplasticity.The workshop will be hosted by Faculty of Science in #Alexandria University, #Egypt between 17-18 December 2020. Part of the program will be shared live as indicated in the attached program. Please save the dates and join US according to the timeline… We want to thank Amira Zaky for its organization and her valuable support.Join us through the following channels: - https://www.facebook.com/IBROarc/- https://www.facebook.com/MedNeuroSociety/https://fb.me/e/a5NVAKMMq
Giuseppe Di GiovanniMNS President

Expires on January 02, 2021
Postdoctoral Researcher Bioinformatics/NeuroscienceUniversity of California, San Diego (UC San Diego)La Jolla, United StatesWe are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join the labs of Drs. Christopher Benner and Francesca Telese in the Department of Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.The candidate will work in an interdisciplinary environment at the intersection of bioinformatics and neurobiology, using cutting edge genomics profiling and analysis techniques to understand subsistence abuse disorders and addiction.Dr. Benner’s research program is largely focused on decoding the regulatory functions of the genome by developing and applying NGS methods and computational analysis across different biological systems. A major goal of the lab is to study the role of enhancer elements in transcriptional regulation and to investigate disease-associated genetic variation on enhancer function to better understand the impact that non-coding DNA has on regulatory networks.Dr. Telese’s research program is primarily focused on using molecular and next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods to study tissue- and cell type-specific gene regulatory mechanisms that contribute to susceptibility and development of substance use disorders, using animal models. A major goal of the lab is to generate novel hypotheses that can be tested using functional genetic tools to elucidate unknown disease mechanisms and to identify novel therapeutic targets.Successful candidates will be expected to lead a project investigating the molecular and genetic underpinnings of addiction. Using single cell technologies and other advanced NGS techniques, the candidate will be responsible for both data acquisition and analysis, with the goal of elucidating transcriptional networks in the brain and verifying their findings. The candidate will have direct access to an Illumina NextSeq sequencer and extensive computational resources. The candidate will receive training in both laboratories, which will include working on novel NGS techniques and the development of new bioinformatics software and tools to characterize changes in transcription, chromatin states and genome structure during different stages of addiction development. This project is funded by an NIH U01 grant. Candidates should have a strong background in genomics, and serious scientists that specialize in either experimental and/or computational work will be considered for the position.UCSD is part of a vibrant scientific community in Southern California and is committed to build a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. Applications from female and minority candidates are strongly encouraged.Please send a cover letter describing research interest and fit for this position, a recent CV, and contact information of at least two references to Drs. Telese Francesca ftelese@ucsd.edu and Chris Benner cbenner@ucsd.edu  

Dear MNS Members,
The Mediterranean Neuroscience Society is closely monitoring developments related to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our members is the number one priority of our society. Several other conferences and workshops have already made the decision to move to web-hosted events, while other conferences have decided to either change venues, reschedule the event, or to stay the course for now. Due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of having an in-presence conference according the MNS’ aims, we have decided to cancel MNS2021, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The conference has been rescheduled to May 29-June 2, 2022 and will still be held in Dubrovnik. We want to keep all of you informed as best as possible, please continue to check our website for updates about upcoming conference and events.   Wishing you the very best,   Giuseppe Di Giovanni   Mediterranean Neuroscience Society President