12th International Symposium on Catecholamines and Other Neurotransmitters in Stress

On June 15 – 19, 2019, the 12th International Symposium on Catecholamines and Other Neurotransmitters in Stress took place in Smolenice, organized by the Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. This important event takes place every four years and its tradition dates back to 1975. The symposium is one of the most important scientific events of recent years on our territory, its chairman was prof. PharmDr. Daniela Jezova, DrSc. from the Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Center of SAS in Bratislava.

More than seventy foreign and domestic scientists from 13 countries attended the symposium. The strongest representatives were Russia and the US, but also scientists from Australia, Iran and the European Union. The opening ceremony of the “Twelfth Symposium on Catecholamines and Other Neurotransmitters in Stress” took place on Saturday, June 15, in the historical building of the National Council of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava, attended by symposium participants and invited guests from important academic institutions. The symposium participants were welcomed by its chairwoman prof. Daniela Ježová, DrSc. Mgr. Pavol Šajgalík, DrSc., Director of Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences prof. Mgr. Silvia Pastoreková, DrSc, and Chair of the Local Organization Committee RNDr. Natasa Hlavacova, Ph.D. On the occasion of the symposium, the Kopin Award was announced to support young scientists supported by The Foundation for Catecholamine Research in the USA.

Winners were announced during the opening ceremony and travel grants were awarded to three young scientists from Italy, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.

Senior scientist, editor-in-chief of Stress magazine, prof. James P. Herman of the University of Cincinnati, USA, spoke at the opening of the symposium with a plenary lecture entitled “Rethinking Stress, Glucocorticoids, Context, and Adaptation”. The opening ceremony ended with a concert of classical music by The Ladies Ensemble and a reception desk.

Another program of the symposium was transferred to the Congress Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Smolenice, where its participants discussed until the 19th of June.