neurosocieties: the rise and impact of the new brain sciences Launch Conference of the European Neuroscience and Society Network

November 12-13, 2007, London, UK

This conference will mark the inauguration of the ENSN, a networking project funded by the European Science Foundation and convened by researchers at the BIOS Centre, London School of Economics.

The last twenty years have seen unprecedented innovation in the neurosciences. Despite evidence that advances in the neurosciences are having a significant influence on the lives of individuals across Europe, there has been little formal engagement within the European social sciences with the ethical, social, legal and security implications of recent developments in this branch of scientific experimentation. The European Neuroscience and Society Network (ENSN) has been established to serve as a multidisciplinary forum for timely and necessary engagement with the influence of the new brain sciences on our lives.

The November conference will be the first in a series of international workshops and conferences bringing together leading neuroscientists, philosophers and social scientists for sustained discussions and cross-disciplinary dialogue on the following themes:

·       Neuroscience and society: framing the agenda in Europe

·       Public health and the politics of the neurosciences

·       Neuroeconomies: markets, choice and the distribution of neurotechnologies

·       Sources of the neurochemical self: consciousness, personhood and difference

Plenary speakers include:

Professor Kent Woods (Chief Executive Officer, UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Professor Steven Rose (Open University)

Dr. Philippe Pignarre (University of Paris; Publisher, Les Empêcheurs de penser en rond)

Professor Alexandre Mauron (University of Geneva)

Zack Lynch (Executive Director, Neurotechnology Institute Organization)

Professor Wolf Singer (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany)

Numbers at the Launch conference on November 12-13 are strictly limited to ensure opportunity for participation, so please book early. To indicate your interest and request a registration form, contact Linsey McGoey (l.j.mcgoey@lse.ac.uk <mailto:l.j.mcgoey [AT] lse.ac.uk> ), Programme Coordinator, European Neuroscience and Society Network.

For more information about the ENSN, see: www.esf.org/ensn <http://www.esf.org/ensn> .