Big questions in neuroscience and current limits of knowledge

Big questions in neuroscience and current limits of knowledge

Are you interested in what are the key open research questions in different fields of neuroscience?
What are the current conceptual and methodological limitations?
What are the biggest hurdles for effective prevention and treatment of psychiatric and neurological diseases?

Come and hear our top neuroscientists discuss these and other timely questions in the context of their research.
The events are open to students, postdocs, group leaders, or anyone interested in neuroscience, and science in general.

Host / organizer: Professor Iiris Hovatta, Doctoral Programme Brain & Mind

Professor Eija Kalso, University of Helsinki: Pain: from protection to suffering – why?

Wednesday 4.12.2019 at 16:00-18:00

16:00-17:30 lecture and discussion

17:30-18:00 coffee/tea

Place: Haartman Institute (Haartmaninkatu 3, Helsinki), lecture hall 2

Eija Kalso, MD, DMedSci, is professor of Pain Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki. As an anaesthesiologist, her first interest was in acute pain management, followed by a strong interest in cancer pain management. As cancer pain became better managed and chronic pain was more recognized, she extended her work to the chronic pain field. She developed the pain clinic at the Helsinki University Hospital into a truly multidisciplinary pain management centre. Dr. Kalso is interested in the mechanisms of acute pain turning into persistent pain, including genetics and psychosocial factors, and how this process could be prevented. Pharmacology of opioids, from basic mechanisms to clinical efficacy, has been one of her long-term interests with ramifications to the alpha-2-adrenergic system, COMT, and drugs used in the management of neuropathic pain. Interest in the role of glia in neuropathic pain and opioid-induced hyperalgesia introduced her to the glyphic system and ignited her interest in the role of sleep in pain.

Dr. Kalso did her postdoctoral studies at the University of Oxford. She has also worked at the Karolinska Institute for several years. She is a past president of the International Association for the Study of Pain and the founding president of the Finnish Association for the Study of Pain.

Registration: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/87489/lomake.html

The previous lectures are available at the course Moodle page (enrolment key: ”bigquestions”)
Credits: NEUBM-601 (1-2 cr)
Students will receive credits if they write a 1-2 page essay based on each lecture (5 essays = 1 cr, 10 essays = 2 cr, if accepted)

Upcoming events in spring 2020

29.1.2020 Professor Jari Koistinaho, University of Helsinki

11.3.2020 Professor Mart Saarma, University of Helsinki

15.4.2020 Professor Heikki Tanila, University of Eastern Finland

29.4.2020 Professor Anna-Elina Lehesjoki, Folkhälsan & University of Helsinki

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Katri Wegelius, PhD, Planning Officer
Doctoral Programme Brain & Mind (B&M)
Master’s Programme in Neuroscience (MNEURO)

katri.wegelius@helsinki.fi
+358 (0)50-4480405