Essential metals in brain development and neurodegeneration

International Workshop

21 - 22 May 2012

We are honored to inform you about the International Workshop on Essential metals in brain development and neurodegeneration that will be held on May 21-22 2012 in Trieste (Italy).

The Workshop aims at gathering together researchers with different backgrounds, who are interested in the role of essential metals in brain development and neurodegeneration. Speakers are encouraged to address important open problems, stimulate discussion and interaction among participants.

The event will take place at SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, a leading Italian research institution, and it is sponsored by the SISSA - Young Scientists Grant "Transition metals and metal-binding proteins in neuroscience: from brain development to neurodegeneration" (http://www.sissa.it/main/?p=A7_B5).

People interested in the Workshop can contact the Organizing Committee by April 30. Write an email to benetti@sissa.it or zanuttin@sissa.it

Organizing Committee Scientific Committee:

  • Dr. Federico Benetti Dr. Federico Benetti
  • Dr. Francesco Zanuttin Dr. Francesco Zanuttin
  • Prof. Giuseppe Legname

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM


Essential metals in development

  • Federico Benetti: Physiology of metals and metal-binding proteins
  • Glen Andrews (University of Kansas Medical Center): Studies of the regulation and function of the zinc transporter Zip4 (Slc39a4): Developing mouse models of acrodermatitis enteropathica
  • Stefano Sensi (Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio Chieti Pescara): The neurophysiology and pathology of brain zinc
  • Lisa Gasperini (SISSA): Role of cellular prion protein in metal ion homeostasis and metal-binding proteins expression during development

Essential metals in neurodegeneration

  • Giuseppe Legname (SISSA): Prion protein, prions and copper
  • Luigi Zecca (CNR- Istituto di tecnologie biomediche): Metals and neuromelanins in brain aging and neurodegeneration
  • Michael Aschner (Vanderbilt University Medical Center): Manganese transport and mechanisms of neurotoxicity: lessons learned from C. elegans
  • Ernesto Carafoli (University of Padova, VIMM): Calcium dyshomeostasis and mitochondrial stress in Huntington's disease
  • Fulvio Celsi (SISSA): Mitochondria, calcium and cell death: a deadly triad in neurodegeneration
  • Luigi Bubacco (University of Padova): Interaction between α-synuclein and metal ions, still looking for a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

Metal content determination and tracking

  • Alessandra Gianoncelli (Elettra): Metal tracing with Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence spectromicroscopy
  • Fulvio Celsi (SISSA): Methods for intracellular Calcium determination

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