Teresa H. Horton - US grants

The Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (SBN) is fairly young (founded 1995),
and expects attendance of around 300 at this sixth Annual Meeting. The SBN, in its
meetings and its journal (Hormones & Behavior) uniquely emphasizes multidisciplinary
integration of cellular and molecular concepts into a functional framework involving the
brain, behavior, development, evolution and the ecology of social behavior. This
concentration linking hormones to many areas of behavior, including both field and
laboratory approaches, makes this focal meeting different from other meetings in the
field. The conference organizers are highly regarded and experienced, the topics are
timely, and in addition to scientific talks there are particular sessions planned for
students and trainees on 'survival skills', 'meet-the-professor' lunches, 'alternative
careers' and poster sessions with awards expanded to include undergraduate work.
Dissemination of the conference findings will be through a special supplemental issue of
Hormones & Behavior. The SBN meetings strongly emphasize bringing in students
(graduate and undergraduate, representing 1/3 of the total membership) and postdocs
for interdisciplinary interactions with established investigators.
The potential impact of this conference is high in the fields of neuroendocrinology and
behavioral neuroscience, because of the focused discussions shaping future work, the
potential to develop new cross-disciplinary collaborations, and the likely interactions and
introductions essential to career development of young investigators. Funding from NSF
is important to help students, postdocs, and young researchers attend, and for some
career development workshop speakers who are not currently society members.