Networking for molecular explanation of behaviour
MCC is an emerging branch of neuroscience that involves the study of cognitive processes with approaches that integrate molecular, cellular and behavioural mechanisms. Understanding these mechanisms facilitates the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders. The EU-funded project ‘First European meeting on molecular and cellular cognition’ (Euromemo) aimed at the establishment of a European forum for the development of molecular and cellular approaches, to study cognition, emotion and behaviour. The established forum integrated basic and clinical science with pharmaceutical research in order to set the foundations for treatments of neurological and psychiatric disorders. The first European meeting of the Molecular and Cellular Cognition Society (MCCS) was held in Lisbon in 2004 for three days, as a satellite of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) meeting. Among the organisers were pioneers in the field hailing from such institutions as Weizmann Institute, Israel, Merck, United Kingdom, San Raffaele Research Institute, Italy, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), United States, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, University of Zurich, Switzerland and Mount Sinai, United States. Advertisements of the meeting were posted on different sites, including MCCS and FENS websites and in one of the most important neuroscience journals, Neuron. In total, more than 124 scientists participated in the meeting from EU and EU Associated Countries, including 21 speakers and 31 poster presenters. Junior researchers and PhD students were awarded with travel fellowships, in order to take part in the meeting.