Post on 12-Mar-2018
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APSN Advanced Neuroscience School 2013
Date: 24th – 27
th June 2013 (Summer School 2013)
Venue: National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore
Host: Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Prepared by: Mrs Wee Lee TING (Secretariat) 18th Nov2013
Vetted by: A/P Chian-Ming LOW (Chairperson, School 2013) 24th Nov 2013
Approved by: APSN Advanced Neuroscience School Local Organizing Committee^, 28th Nov 2013
Overview
It is, indeed, a privilege for Singapore to be approached by one of the reputable regional society - Asian-
Pacific Society for Neurochemistry (APSN) - to conduct an Advanced Neuroscience School. APSN is a sister
society of the International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) (http://neurochemistry.org/).
During the School, close interactions between participants and lecturers are incorporated at demonstrations
/hands-on sessions (half a day per model system) after being grounded basic principles with lectures in the
morning sessions. We will provide world-renowned researchers based in Singapore from the National
University of Singapore and Research Institutes (IMCB, Temasek Life Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate
Medical School, Yale-NUS) to teach the updated knowledge of advanced molecular and neurochemical
techniques using each model system, and how they are relevant to addressing neurological phenomena
(neuroplasticity underlying learning and memory) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease,
sensory responses (eg. innate response to aversion due to specific odours), so as to enable participants to
acquire new ideas and to learn new techniques and methods that may be beneficial to their and host
institutions future research.
This 4-day Advanced Neuroscience School aims to share various model systems used in neuroscience
research, namely C. elegans, D.melanogaster, X. laevis and D rerio (Zebrafish). These are valuable models to
neuroscientist which are not usually accessible to enthusiastic senior graduate students and junior postdoctoral
fellows within a single workshop/School. Singapore biomedical research community is unique yet strategic to
house scientists who are experts in these various models and applying them in neuroscience research. The
Advanced Neuroscience School will consist of lectures conducted by the experts and laboratory visits to
witness the use of these model systems. Hands-on experiences on each model system are being arranged
immediately after the lectures in the same to augment the theoretical knowledge transferred. The participants
will bring these knowledge and appreciation of the various model systems back to their respective laboratories
in their country in hope to widen their awareness and propagate the valuable experiences with their colleagues.
^ Local Organizing Committee Members: Chian-Ming LOW (Chair), Fengwei YU, Hongyan WANG, Jan GRUBER, Suresh
JESUTHASAN, Wee Lee TING (Secretariat), Xiaoguang XU (Assistant Secretariat), Peter T-H WONG (Advisor)
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Participants
The 4-day Advanced Neuroscience School has accepted 16 participants from 7 countries in Asia-Pacific
(Australia, Japan, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong) and 9 participants from Singapore.
S/No. Name Nationality University/ Organisation
Junior postdoctoral fellows
1 GOH Choo Peng Australia Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of
Melbourne.
2 LAH Grace J (JI Eun
Shin) Australia
Millard Lab, School of Biomedical Sciences,
The University of Queensland.
3 NAGAE Shigenori Japan RIKEN, Center for Developmental Biology.
4 KUMAR Pardeep India School of Life Science, Jawaharlal Nehru
university, New Delhi.
5 PAL Ayantika India India Neurobiology Department, Division of Cell
Biology and Physiology, IICB-CSIR, Kolkata.
6 YADAV Sunishtha Singh India
Developmental Toxicology Division,CSIR -
Indian Institute of Toxicology Research,
Lucknow.
7 LIM Yun-An, Andrea Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
Postgraduates
8 HUANG Yi China Neurology Lab, Department of Neurology, The
First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen
University, Guangzhou
9 WU Di China Genetics Institute, College of Life
Science ,Zhejiang University
10 YANG Yongzhi China Institute of Genetics and Developmental
Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
11 ZHANG Jinyang Hong Kong Institute of Genetics and Developmental
Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
12 CHEN Wenqiang China LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of
Hong Kong
13 KAUR Harpreet India Department of Biochemistry, Panjab
University, Chandigarh
14 SRIVASTAVA Rohit
Kumar India
Department of Physiology, King George’s
Medical University, Lucknow, India
15 CHIA Sook Yoong Malaysia Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of
Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
16 CHAN Su jing Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
17 LEE Ching Li Singapore
Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
18 LEE Hanqing Jasinda Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
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Singapore.
19 LUE Ke Xin Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
20 SHENG Yuan Singapore
Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
21 XING Huayang Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
22 WONG Siew Ying Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin
School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore.
23 YE Zu Singapore Cancer Research Lab, IMCB
24 SINGSAI Kanathip Thailand Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of
Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
25 SRISUWAN Supawadee Thailand Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of
Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Accommodation
Free accommodation was provided for all the overseas participants during the School. They stayed in the NUS
student hostel, Raffles Hall, which offered them easy and quick access to food outlets, transport and
school/workshop to encourage interactions. They were provided 4 days of stipend at S$30 daily & S$15
(once-off) transport allowance. In addition to providing campus map, Singapore map & instructions on how to
reach the various lecture locations, we had divided them into 3 groups; every group was taken care by at least
one local participant to guide them around the campus and island.
Safety and Insurance
Besides the free accommodation, their most economy return airfares were covered 100% by the School.
Insurance (NTUC) was purchased for all the participants during the 4 days’ workshop.
Safety briefings in laboratory hands-on were given to all participants on Day 1 after Welcome speech and
prior to each lab workshop. Personal protection equipments (PPEs) were provided to each participant on each
lab workshop.
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Program (Overview)
Time (hr) 24 Jun (Day 1)
The “Worm”
25 Jun (Day 2)
The “Fly”
26 Jun (Day 3)
The “Frog”
27 Jun (Day 4)
The “Fish”
Venue
NUS
Opening Ceremony:
8.50-9.00
Temasek Life
Sciences Lab NUS IMCB, A*STAR
9:00-10:15
Lecture 1
(Prof Gruber)
@ MD6, #01-02B
Lecture 1
(Prof Yu)
Lecture 1 + Lab
(Prof Low)
@ MD6, #01-02B
Lecture 1
(Prof Jesuthasan)
10:15-10:45 BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK
10:45-12:00
Lecture 2
(Prof Gruber)
@ MD6, #01-02B
Lecture 2
(Prof Wang)
Oral Presentations
@ MD6, #01-02B
[10:45-12:15]
Lecture 2
(Prof Jesuthasan)
12:00-13:00 LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH
13:30-17:00
Laboratory
(Hands-on in Prof
Gruber’s lab)
Laboratory
(Hands-on in Profs
Yu / Wang’s lab)
Laboratory
(Hands-on in Prof
Jesuthasan’s lab)
17:30-18:15 Group Discussion
Special Lecture 1:
Prof Yukio Yoneda
@ MD6, #01-02B
Special Lecture 2:
Prof Andrew
Lawrence
@ MD6, #01-02B
(17:45-18:45) 18:20-19:00
Travel
Reimbursement
Group Discussion
19:00-1930
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Opening (Day 1)
Opening Ceremony by Chairman, A/P Low Chian
Ming
Opening Speech by APSN President, Prof Peter
Wong
Lecture
Day 1
Dr. Jan Gruber Yale-NUS
http://yale-nus.edu.sg/ index.php/about/facu lty/ jangruber
Students were introduced to the history, anatomy and life-cycle of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).
Several learning paradigms were introduced.
Lecture 1 An introduction of C. elegans
Lecture 2 How to get start with C. elegans
Hands-on session - students were provided the opportunity to handle C. elegans (chunking and picking) and to
observe simple nematode behaviours (exploration, feeding behaviour) in WT and mutant C. elegans.
Lecture C. elegans Workshop
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Group Discussion
Group picture taken with the lecturers
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Day 2
A/P Yu Fengwei Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore
http://www.tll.org.sg/grou p-leaders/feng-wei-yu/
and
A/P Wang Hongyan Duke-NUS
htt p://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/content/wan g-hongyan
Introduced basic knowledge and technical skills in Drosophila neural development to budding
neuroscientists. Two lectures were delivered on the topics of fly neurogenesis and neuronal remodelling,
focused on
1. how epithelial cells are specified to become neuroblasts (neural progenitors/neural stem cells)
2. how neuroblast produce mature nerve cells in the central nervous system via asymmetric divisions
3. how differentiated neurons undergo remodelling, including pruning and apoptosis.
Lecture 1 Neuronal Pruning in Drosophila
Lecture 2 Neural Stem Cells
Hands-on session- participants were shown
1. how to dissect Drosophila larval brains from the third instar larvae
2. Confocal imaging of Drosophila neuroblasts labelled with a GFP reporter by in larval brains
3. how to prepare muscle fillets and take confocal images of sensory neurons.
Lecture by A/P Wang Hongyan Lecture by A/P Yu Fengwei
Drosophila Workshop
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Special Lecture 1
Prof Yukio Yoneda Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Kanazawa University Graduate School, Japan.
Lecture Title: Acquired NMDAR channels in human embryonic kidney cells
Special Lecture by Prof Yukio Yoneda
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Day 3
A/P Low Chian-Ming NUS
http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/medphc/members/staff/academic/ low cm.html
www.lcmlab.org
Introduced oocytes harvested from Xenopus laevi s as a model system for ion channels/receptor structure-
function studies. Ionotropic glutamate receptor (NMDA-subtype) was presented as an example. How to
prepare cRNAs, oocytes and twoelectrode voltage clamp technique and principles were shared.
Lecture 1 Electrophysiological Technique –Two Electrode Voltage Clamp (TEVC)
Demonstration via animation - Micro injection of cRNA into oocytes and two-electrode voltage-clamp
electrophysiological recordings will be shown and explained to students to
augment the lecture.
Lecture
Preparation for group presentation
Group Presentation
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Day 4
A/P Suresh Jeyaraj Jesuthasan NRP/Duke-NUS
http://www.nrp.a-star.edu.sg/research. htm l?sciiD=4&sciType=O
Zebrafish larvae respond to a variety of stimuli, including light and odors, with innate or learnt responses.
Innate responses include aversion to specific odors, while learning includes operant conditioning. In these
lectures, students learned how behavior is assessed.
Lecture 1 Fluorescence tools in neuroscience: applications using the zebrafish
Lecture 2 Control of neural activity by light (By Dr Ajay Mathuru)
Maging neural activity - The transparency of zebrafish larvae means that neurons in the entire brain can be
visualized. By expressing genetically encoded calcium indicators, neural activity
in populations can be monitored. Students learned how two-photon and wide field
fluorescence microscopy can be used to analyse neural activity in response to
specific stimuli.They had the opportunity to handle zebrafish and mount them for
imaging analyses.
Lecture
Workshop
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Special Lecture 2
Prof Andrew J Lawrence Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia
Lecture title: Wanting a model of wanting: can animals relapse?
Special Lecture by Prof Andrew J Lawrence
Certificate of Participation by APSN President-Prof Peter Wong
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1 Day APSN Symposium on “Nervous Systems and diseases: Mechanisms and Models”
Date: 28th
June 2013
Time Event/title Speaker
8.30 – 8.55am Registration
8.55 – 9.00am Welcome Address by Chairman,
Local Organising Committee
A/P Low Chian Ming
Plenary Lecture ( Chair: Professor Peter Wong)
9.00 – 9.45 am Recent advances in Alzheimer’s Disease
research
Professor Edward Koo
(USA)
9.45 – 10.25am Tea Break
Session 1 (Session Chair: A/P Gavin Dawe)
10.30 – 11.00am
Orexins & reward‐seeking Professor Andrew Lawrence
(Australia)
11.00 – 11.30am
Molecular pathology of PTSD Professor Yukio Yoneda
(Japan)
11.30am – 12.00nn
Medial septum, a gateway for pain A/P Sanjay Khanna
( Singapore)
12.00 – 12.55pm Lunch
Special Lecture ( Chair: A/P Soong Tuck Wah – co-host by Dept of Physiology)
1.00 – 2.00pm Metaplasticity mechanisms for homeostatic
regulation of synaptic plasticity
Professor Wickliffe C
Abraham (New Zealand)
2.00 – 2.10pm Stretch-&-Relax
Session 2 (Session Chair: A/P Low Chian Ming)
2.15 – 2.45pm Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor ameliorates
brain stem cardiovascular dysregulation as an endogenous antioxidant in animal models of
diseases
Professor Samuel H.H. Chan
(Taiwan)
2.45 – 3.15pm
Motoneuron death and mitochondrial dynamics Professor Woong Sun
(Korea)
3.15 – 3.45pm
BDNF regulates plasticity in spatial coding Professor Ying‐Shing Chan
(Hong Kong)
3.45 – 4.15pm Physiological functions of amyloid precursor
protein
A/P Gavin Dawe (Singapore)
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Welcome Address by A/P Low Chian Ming
(Symposium Chairman)
Welcome Address by Prof Peter Wong
(APSN President)
Plenary lecture by Prof Edward Koo Lecture by Prof Yukio Yoneda
Lecture by A/P Sanjay Khanna Lecture by Prof Wickliffe C Abraham
Lecture by Prof Samuel H.H.Chan Lecture by Prof Woong Sun
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Lecture by Prof Ying-Shing Chan Lecture by A/P Gavin Dawe
APSN officials, Committees Members & Invited
Speakers
APSN School Participants with the APSN officials,
Committees Members & Invited Speakers