Swiss Society for Neuroscience

Swiss Society for Neuroscience
Name	Swiss Society for Neuroscience
Native name	Société Suisse de Neurosciences
Formation	1990
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Geneva
Region served	Switzerland
Language	German; French; Italian; English
Leader title	President
Leader name	Prof. Olivier Blanchard

Swiss Society for Neuroscience

The Swiss Society for Neuroscience is a national learned society that promotes neuroscience research and collaboration across Switzerland. It connects researchers from institutions such as the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, and University of Basel to foster exchange among laboratories, clinics, and industry. The society maintains ties with international organizations including the European Brain Council, the International Brain Research Organization, and the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies.

History

Founded in 1990 amid growing European networks in neuroscience, the society emerged as a platform linking persons from Brown Institute of Neurobiology-type centers (examples: Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel University Hospital) and clinical departments such as Inselspital. Early figures associated with Swiss neuroscience development included researchers trained at Max Planck Society institutes, alumni of Columbia University, and collaborators from Imperial College London. The society organized its first national meeting in the early 1990s, modeled after congresses like the Gordon Research Conferences and influenced by multinational projects such as the Human Brain Project and the Blue Brain Project. Throughout the 2000s the society expanded outreach to regional hubs in Bern, Lausanne, and Lugano and established cooperative programs with the Swiss National Science Foundation and cantonal hospitals.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s mission is to advance basic and translational neuroscience in Switzerland by supporting investigators at institutions such as University Hospital Zurich, CHUV, and research centers like the Paul Scherrer Institute. Key objectives include promoting interdisciplinary research across laboratories affiliated with École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, encouraging interactions with pharmaceutical stakeholders such as Novartis and Roche, and facilitating training that bridges departments at the University of Basel and international partners like the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust. The society emphasizes ethical conduct in studies influenced by guidelines from organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Council of Europe.

Organization and Governance

Governance is carried by an elected board with representation from faculties at ETH Zurich, University of Geneva, University of Bern, University of Fribourg, and research institutes including the Neuroscience Center Zurich and the Center for Neuroprosthetics. Officers include a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and committee chairs for education, policy, and outreach; terms follow statutes aligned with European learned societies such as the European Molecular Biology Organization. Annual general meetings rotate between host institutions like University of Basel and conference venues in Zurich or Lausanne. Advisory panels comprise emeritus professors and leaders from clinical centers including University Hospital Basel and the Geneva University Hospitals.

Activities and Programs

Programs include an annual national congress, thematic workshops, and summer schools modeled after the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory practical courses. The society runs mentoring schemes linking early-career researchers trained at institutions such as Université de Genève with senior investigators from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and international visitors from Harvard Medical School and Karolinska Institutet. It coordinates collaborative grants with the Swiss National Science Foundation and bilateral initiatives with partners like the German Research Foundation and the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Outreach programs engage museums and public venues including the Swiss Science Center Technorama and media partners to communicate findings from labs such as the Friedrich Miescher Institute.

Publications and Communications

The society disseminates information through newsletters, position statements, and conference proceedings. It encourages members to publish in journals including Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, The Journal of Neuroscience, and field-specific outlets like Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain. The communications office issues policy briefs influenced by reports from bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and maintains social media channels to highlight work from groups at ETH Zurich, University of Lausanne, and partner hospitals like Inselspital Bern.

Membership and Funding

Membership encompasses investigators, clinicians, technicians, students, and industry scientists affiliated with institutions including Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, and academic centers such as University of Zurich and University of Fribourg. Funding derives from membership fees, conference registration, corporate sponsorships from pharmaceutical and technology firms, and grants from agencies like the Swiss National Science Foundation and private foundations such as the Novartis Foundation. The society also manages sponsored fellowships and travel grants for trainees from laboratories at University Hospital Zurich and the Center for Neuroprosthetics.

Awards and Conferences

Annual awards recognize excellence in research, teaching, and translational impact, with categories honoring work by scientists trained at centers like École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of Basel, and international sabbatical hosts such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The flagship conference brings together keynote speakers from institutions such as Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Karolinska Institutet, Harvard Medical School, and industry leaders from Roche and Novartis to present advances in areas ranging from synaptic physiology to neuroengineering initiatives exemplified by the Blue Brain Project.

Category:Scientific societies based in Switzerland