Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science
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| Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science | |
|---|---|
| Name | Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science |
| Abbreviation | CSBBCS |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Learned society |
| Headquarters | Canada |
| Region served | Canada |
| Membership | Researchers, students, clinicians |
Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science is a Canadian learned society that brings together researchers in neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science to promote research on brain, behaviour, and cognition. The society connects investigators working in experimental laboratories, clinical settings, and computational groups through meetings, publications, and awards, linking communities affiliated with institutions such as University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, and McMaster University.
History
The society emerged in the late 20th century amid growth in cognitive neuroscience and behavioural neuroscience influenced by figures associated with Donald Hebb, Brenda Milner, Karl Lashley, Wilder Penfield, and institutions like Montreal Neurological Institute and Toronto Western Hospital. Early organizational meetings involved researchers from Canadian Psychological Association, Society for Neuroscience, Association for Psychological Science, and international collaborators from National Institutes of Health, Max Planck Society, University College London, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Founding members included faculty from Queen's University, Dalhousie University, University of Waterloo, University of Calgary, and Western University, inspired by conferences such as Cognitive Neuroscience Society and historical programs at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Mission and Scope
The society's mission emphasizes advancing empirical research and theoretical synthesis rooted in work by scholars like Noam Chomsky, Alan Baddeley, Steven Pinker, Michael Gazzaniga, and Eric Kandel while fostering interdisciplinary ties to fields represented at Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Scope covers experimental paradigms from labs at Salk Institute, Francis Crick Institute, Karolinska Institute, and clinical research associated with Toronto General Hospital, including methods such as functional imaging used at Montreal Neurological Institute and computational modeling inspired by work at University of California, Berkeley.
Membership and Organization
Membership draws graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, principal investigators, and clinicians affiliated with departments like Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Neuroscience Program, McGill University, and research centres such as Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Rotman Research Institute. Governance typically follows structures similar to Royal Society, with elected officers analogous to positions in Society for Neuroscience and committees modeled on panels at Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. The society has collaborations with provincial organizations including Ontario Neuroscience Association, Québec Brain and Cognition Network, and training consortia at University of Ottawa and Simon Fraser University.
Conferences and Meetings
Annual meetings mirror formats used by Society for Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience Society, and European Society for Cognitive Psychology, featuring symposia, poster sessions, and keynote lectures by scholars similar to Patricia Churchland, Anne Treisman, Nicholas Humphrey, Tim Shallice, and Richard Dawkins. Special sessions have hosted international visitors from MIT, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford, and satellite workshops have collaborated with conferences at Banff Centre, Perimeter Institute, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Publications and Awards
The society supports dissemination via newsletters and partnerships with journals modeled on Journal of Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychologia, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, and regional outlets similar to Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. Awards recognize early-career researchers, teaching excellence, and lifetime achievement following precedents set by Royal Society of Canada medals, Governor General's Academic Medal, and prizes comparable to those administered by Society for Neuroscience and Association for Psychological Science. Recipients have included investigators affiliated with McGill University Health Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, and research groups led by prominent scientists akin to Donald Hebb and Brenda Milner.
Outreach and Education
Outreach initiatives coordinate public talks, school programs, and media engagement modeled on activities by Canadian Science Policy Centre, Let’s Talk Science, Science World British Columbia, Perimeter Institute Public Lectures, and museum partnerships with institutions like the Canadian Museum of Nature and Ontario Science Centre. Educational efforts include graduate training workshops, postdoctoral symposia, and professional development in collaboration with funding bodies such as Canadian Institutes of Health Research and networks linked to Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction and academic training programs at University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.