ALBA-FENS webinar: Understanding sex-based differences in brain research
24 November 2023
FENS News
Organiser: FENS
Additional Organiser: ALBA Network
Attendance type(s): Virtual
Event Dates: 13 Dec 2023
FENS and the ALBA Network have joined forces to organise a webinar on integrating sex as a variable into both in vivo and in vitro experiments.
In neuroscientific research, recognising and comprehending the role of sex and gender is crucial. Most psychiatric and neurological disorders manifest differently between men and women. Yet historically, research has often neglected these differences, leading to incomplete understandings of disorders and less effective treatments. Recently, organisations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the European Commission (EC) have released guidelines emphasising the importance of considering sex as a biological variable (SABV). These guidelines have helped to define sex as one of the instrumental factors for experimental design, analyses, and reporting across preclinical and clinical studies.
This webinar will discuss essential methodological aspects when integrating sex as a variable into both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Speakers will provide practical insights for researchers to delve into the tracking of sex hormone levels, differentiate between sex differences and sex-related behaviours, and explore how biological sex influences pharmacological properties.
Speakers
- Christina Dalla (GR), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Co-Chair
- Emma Yhnell (UK), Cardiff University – Co-Chair
- Laura Castro-Aldrete (CH), Women’s Brain Project – Speaker
- Georgia Hodes (USA), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Speaker
This webinar is organised by the FENS Communication Committee and the ALBA Network.