Invitation to Attend

On behalf of the Organising Committee for the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research (ASPR) Conference, I am delighted to invite you to participate in this year’s “Glial-Neuronal Networks in Neuropsychiatry” annual meeting which will be held in Sydney from 5 – 8 December 2010.

The Conference will be held at the Swiss Grand Hotel set on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. It is in close proximity to the CBD and a short walk to a range of hotels, shops and restaurants.

The 2010 event will challenge the traditional format of ASPR conferences with a topical debate series over the duration of the meeting, an engaging social program and a focus on making the conference more pertinent for students and early-career researchers.

The theme for this year, Glial-Neuronal Networks in Neuropsychiatry, will consider the relationships between changes on the synaptic complex, specific glial-neuronal networks and those changes in emotions, cognition or behaviour that are characteristic of the major neuropsychiatric syndromes. The international and national keynote and plenary speakers, invited symposia and proffered papers will cover clinical, epidemiological and biological neuroscience streams, focusing on new knowledge that will lead to improved health and the effective transfer of research outcomes into health policy and practice. We will welcome abstracts that address the conference theme, in addition to our selection of sub-themes.

The scientific content will appeal to members of the Society and trainees, with streams catering for various groups of mental health practitioners and researchers, addressing novel approaches to imaging, clinical staging of adolescent onset clinical disorders, primary care in health services research and cognitive remediation, to name but a few.

This year the Organising Committee has also increased the number and scope of pre-conference workshops and seminars. The pre-conference workshops and seminars will be run by experts in their fields and will include clinical application of neuroimaging, assessment and treatment of circadian and sleep-wake disturbance in psychiatry, undertaking psychological assessments, and conducting statistical analysis.

We look forward to seeing you at the ASPR Annual Conference 2010.

Professor Ian Hickie, AM, MD, FRANZCP, FASSA
Executive Director, Brain & Mind Research Institute
Conference Convenor, ASPR 2010 Conference

Conference Highlights include:

• International keynote speakers Professor John O’Brien, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, Newcastle University, United Kingdom and Professor Ranga Krishnan, Duke University School of Medicine, Singapore and USA
   
• Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry, Chair of Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne and Executive Director of ORYGEN Research Centre
   
• Plenary speakers Professor Bernard Balleine, Brain & Mind Research Institute, Professor Richard Banati, Ramaciotti Centre for Brain Imaging, Professor Max Bennett, Brain & Mind Research Institute, A/Professor Neil Cole, Monash Medical School, Professor Ian Everall, University of Melbourne, Professor Rhoshel Lenroot, University of New South Wales and Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Professor Julio Licinio, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Professor John Mendoza, ConNetica Consulting, Professor Chris Pantelis, University of Melbourne, and Dr Margie Wright, Queensland Institute of Medical Research
   
• The Debate Series which will focus on topical issues in mental health
   
• Our range of practical, expert-led pre-conference workshops and seminars
   
• The Gala Dinner

What’s new this year:

• A series of exciting and topical debates over the course of the conference
   
• Dedicated poster presentation sessions, enabling delegates to meet with authors and discuss research outcomes

ASPR 2010 Conference Committee

Professor Ian Hickie
Associate Professor Sharon Naismith
Associate Professor Nick Glozier
Associate Professor Naomi Rogers
Dr Keri Diamond
Ms Nicole Cockayne
Dr Daniel Hermens
Dr Antoinette Redoblado-Hodge
Mr Norman Crothers
Ms Jacqui Hutcheon
Ms Belinda Batkin

The committee thanks the many individuals and groups providing invaluable input and support for the development of the ASPR 2010 Conference.

ASPR 2010 Scientific Committee

Associate Professor Sharon Naismith
Nick Glozier
Associate Professor Naomi Rogers
Daniel Hermens
Antoinette Redoblado-Hodge
Zoe Terpening
Adam Guastella
Richard Porter
Cyndi Shannon Weickert
Rob Battisti
Robyn Langdon
Tracey Davenport
Patrick Clarke
Dean Carson
Kerrie Goldston
Anthony Harris
Olivier Piguet
Alison Celear
Stewart Einfeld
Gin Mahli
James (Mac) Shine
Tim Lambert
Louisa Norrie
Georgina Luscombe
Tony Fernando