The 17th Biennial Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry

The 17th Biennial Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry (APSN 2023) Conference jointly organised by LKCMedicine, Duke-NUS and NUS Medicine in conjunction with the APSN and International Society for Neurochemistry commenced on 18 June. The event brought together more than 200 participants, including renowned scientists, researchers, and young investigators in the field of neuroscience and neurochemistry. Pre-conference activities, such as the APSN Event for Young Researchers held at LKCMedicine and a Welcome Reception, set the stage for fruitful knowledge exchange and collaboration.

The three-day conference officially began on 19 June, with a warm welcome address by the organising Chairman and LKCMedicine’s Vice Dean for Research Professor Lim Kah Leong who expressed his gratitude for the attendees' participation and emphasised the importance of their contributions to the field of neuroscience. This was followed by opening remarks by Professor Ying-Shing Chan, the APSN President who shared his vision for the conference and highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing understanding of the brain and nervous system.

The plenary lectures delivered by Professor Paul M. Matthews from Imperial College London, Professor Hideyuki Okano from Keio University, and Professor Su-Chun Zhang from Duke-NUS Medical School, respectively, were engaging and thought-provoking; covering topics ranging from genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease to innovative approaches in modelling neurological diseases and the use of stem cells for neuroscience research and therapeutics. This was followed by the ISN Special Symposium led by University of California San Diego’s Professor Don Cleveland and Stanford University’s Professor Aaron Gitler .

The parallel symposiums, Young Investigator Colloquiums and workshops held throughout the conference were effective platforms for ground-breaking research findings, networking, and nurturing the next generation of neuroscience experts. This included a special talk on neuroscience research in Singapore by Prof Lim. Among the participants were LKCMedicine faculty as well as postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from the School. Participants were also treated to an evening banquet which featured sharings by APSN and ISN and featured a musical performance by High Notes. The collaborative atmosphere and stimulating discussions enriched the conference, enabling researchers to explore innovative approaches to collectively unravel the mysteries of the brain.

The APSN 2023 Conference left participants inspired and motivated to continue advancing the field of neuroscience and neurochemistry and gaining a deeper understanding of the complexities of the brain, as well as rekindling old friendship and building new ones. Overall, the conference was a resounding success, with numerous delegates congratulating the organisers and the event committee, made up of staff from Research Administration and Support Services and other LKCMedicine departments, on an impressive job well done.