Press Release

In the 1990s, the "Decade of the Brain" in the United States, enormous progress was made globally in understanding basic workings of the central nervous system. This period saw a blossoming of sophisticated new techniques for peering into the inner workings of neurons and whole neural systems, including neuroimaging procedures, advanced genetic approaches, neuronal circuit analysis, and biophysical methods. These new avenues of experimentation will likely open up entirely new approaches to the treatment of nervous system disorders and will allow a great refinement in our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying innate and learned behaviors.

At the De Lange Conference on Neurobiology of Perception and Communication, we will have an opportunity to hear firsthand from more than a dozen scientists and scholars leading this revolution. They will address the critical areas of memory, language, sensation, perception, and attention. Their lectures and the ensuing discussions will review recent discoveries as well as provide a glimpse into the future of novel methods, advances in theory, treatment of diseases, and new understandings in the philosophy of mind. We invite you to join us for two days of stimulating lectures and opportunities for discussion with these leading figures, along with outstanding faculty from Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine and other Houston institutions, and with visiting faculty, students and others.

The conference will take place at Rice University, just a short distance from the Texas Medical Center, on March 5-6, 2001, when Houston's azaleas are in full bloom and the weather is nearly ideal.