News & Media
Neuro News
The Neuro News is a monthly electronic newsletter highlighting activities at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. If you have any comments, please send them to Communications. To subscribe and receive e-mail notification when a new issue becomes available, click here.
September 2009
Director's Corner: The Brain and the Creative Urge
"The way I see it, happiness could be had if every child born were
issued a banjo at birth."
Linus, in "Peanuts" (Charles Schulz)
As some of you know, the MNI of McGill University and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) are making a multi-million dollar IMAX film about the mysteries of the brain. The film, entitled "Neuropolis," is targeted to the pre-teen and up audience (please click on this link for a fuller description Neuropolis [.pdf]). We hope that it will encourage young people to think about careers in science, and in particular, of course, neuroscience.
In one film segment, the MNI's Dr. Robert Zatorre comments about the "universal need" for music. Yes, music. Zatorre's point is that we really do need music in our lives. It does not occupy the same biological niche as hunger, thirst or sex, because it has no clear survival value, but nevertheless, it is a compelling preoccupation of our minds.
So it should come as no surprise that our musical urges run deep in our genes. Some 35,000 years ago, in at least one cave in Germany, our ancestors sat around a fire, playing upon flutes carved out of the hollow wing bones of the Griffon vulture, and paradoxically, the mute swan. The tunes these instruments could produce were very similar to modern pentatonic scale-based music (New York Times article). And, oh yes, nearby the flutes had been found a singular small figurine of a large-busted, nude woman painstakingly carved from mammoth ivory (link). Archaeologists are convinced that this was a fertility icon, but I say, cavemen must have had a sense of humor...
Speaking of which, Dan Dennett, (who, in the opinion of many, is Philosophy's Poet Laureate), has commented that humor is also a need in much the same way as music; it too is universal, although of course what is thought of as funny differs widely between cultures.
Perhaps the compulsion to produce music, humor, and figurative art serves to connect us intimately with our fellow beings; after all, we are for the most part intensely social creatures (or have been, pre-iPod and Blackberry). Art, music and humor are most satisfying as shared experiences. And perhaps these emotionally-linked activities fine-tune the chemistry of our brains, balancing hormones and creating a sense of well-being in the process.
Come to think of it, I find that I sleep better if I listen to a banjo tune
or two before retiring...
Please send any comments about the Director's Corner to David Colman
Recent News
Brenda Milner wins prestigious Balzan Prize
Brenda Milner received the 2009 Balzan Prize from the International Balzan
Foundation for her fundamental work in Cognitive Neuroscience. The
foundation recognized Milner “for her pioneering studies of the role
of the hippocampus in the formation of memory and her identification of
different kinds of memory system.”
With 4 annual prizes in literature, moral sciences and the arts; and in the physical, mathematical and natural sciences and medicine, the Balzan Foundation mandates that each winner use half of their prize (valued at one million Swiss Francs) to develop a research project for young colleagues.
The International Balzan Prize Foundation was founded in 1956 by Angela Lina Balzan, with funds from her father’s estate. Eugenio Balzan (1874-1953) spent his career at Milan’s daily paper, moving from editorial assistant to partner in the firm’s publishing company. He lived in Milan and Lugano, and supported charitable causes in Italy and Switzerland. Milner will travel to Bern in November to receive her award.
The NEURO·Science·Letter
The NEURO·Science·Letter, a new electronic publication from the researchers
at the MNI, features news about neuroscience from the labs at the Neuro.
This peek into the workings of science brings the excitement and buzz of
neuroscience to a general audience, and with a regular feature,
Neuroscience 101, explains some basic mechanisms of the nervous system.
Watch for the next issue of The NEURO·Science·Letter in October on the
MNI
website.
A change of pace for Marilyn Jones-Gotman
Marilyn Jones-Gotman has retired from her clinical responsibilities as
Coordinator of Neuropsychology Epilepsy Service at The Neuro. At McGill
since 1971 when she began her graduate studies in physiological psychology,
Marilyn did her post-doctoral training with Brenda Milner in 1975 and
became a staff psychologist in 1977. Marilyn will maintain her position as
Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and continue her
research and supervision of students.
Welcome to 20 new neuroscience nurses
A record number of new nursing grads chose neuroscience careers at the
MUHC. Working at The Neuro or on the 14th floor of the Montreal General
Hospital, these twenty new nurses are graduates of McGill, University of
Montreal and other area schools. The linguistic and cultural diversity of
the group, and their enthusiasm for nursing make them a valuable addition
to our team.
Thank you, Veronique. Hello, Tara
The Neuro’s Annual Fund surpassed its target of $1 million last year under
the volunteer leadership of Lorena Cook and Leigh Taylor. Thank you to
former Leadership and Annual Fund Development Officer Véronique Geoffrion
for her 5 years of full time support for this effort. This fall, Véronique
will take on a special mandate for the Neuro Development Office, focusing
on the 4th annual Faculty and Staff Campaign.
Welcome to Tara Graham, The Neuro’s new Leadership and Annual Fund Development Officer. A McGill graduate, Tara has over 10 years of experience in direct marketing with Médicins Sans Frontières Canada, the Trans Canada Trail and other not-for-profit organizations. Tara’s expertise will be valuable as we expand the national profile of The Neuro’s Annual Fund.
The Neuro on Facebook
If you’re on Facebook, please check out The Neuro's
new Fan page and become a fan!
Upcoming Events
Sir John Bell to deliver Penfield Lecture, September
23
Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor at the University of Oxford will
deliver The Neuro’s Wilder Penfield Lecture on Wednesday, September 23.
Canadian born Professor Bell is an expert in genetics and genomics, known
for his work on genetics and autoimmune diseases and the discovery of genes
for diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. He is advisor to UK Prime Minister
Gordon Brown and to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the
coordination of research and health policy. This fall, Professor Bell will
receive the 2009 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research
from the Friends of CIHR who, with McGill University and The Neuro, are
supporting his visit to Canada.
Professor Bell’s lecture, Will genetics transform clinical
medicine?, will be at 4 pm on Wednesday, September 23 in the Jeanne
Timmins Amphitheatre. All are welcome to the lecture and the reception.
Celebrate the Neuro, September 25
This fall represents an important milestone in The Neuro’s history – our
75th Anniversary. On September 25th at 3 pm (Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre)
we will start our celebrations with a birthday cake to mark the official
opening of The Neuro seventy-five years ago and give you some details of
our key anniversary events in November. This is your chance to learn more
and get involved. We will also take this opportunity to screen our TV ad
which premiered over the summer thanks to a donation of ad space from
Astral Media. All Neuro staff are welcome!
Denis Melançon Neuroradiology Lecture: Migraine and AVM, October
1
Karel Terbrugge, Chair in Interventional Neuroradiology at the University
of Toronto, will deliver the Denis Melançon Lecture, BAVMs,
correlation of angioarchitecture and clinical findings with implications
for treatment at 4:15 pm in the Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre.
Starting at 1:15 pm, experts from The Neuro and McGill will present talks
on the diagnosis and treatment of migraine and arteriovenous
malformations.
All are welcome to attend this event to honour Melançon’s dedication to
patient care and commitment to training future neuroradiologists.
Registration is free and required by September 16. Participants may receive
CME credits for attending. For information, contact Debbie Rashcovsky at
Deborah Rashcovsky or
514-398-6047.
Osler Library exhibit celebrates The Neuro’s 75
years
Fascinating books and archival material about the quest to understand and
treat the brain are now on display at the Osler Library in celebration of
The Neuro’s 75th anniversary. The exhibit showcases work by Dr. William
Osler (1849-1919) and Dr. Wilder Penfield (1891-1976) whose vision and
drive led to the founding of the Montreal Neurological Institute and
Hospital in 1934. A shift in scientific sensibilities and increasingly
accurate representations of the brain and nervous system is seen in books
from the 16th-18th centuries along side actual brain and spinal cord
specimens. All are welcome to visit the Osler Library exhibit in McGill’s
McIntyre Building.
My Tool Box adds program for individuals with spinal cord
injuries
Deborah Radcliffe-Branch and colleagues will develop a self-management
program for individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI), thanks to a
grant from La Fondation pour la recherché sur la moelle épinière and the
Association Paraplegics de Quebec. Unique in Quebec, this program will
include a tailored version of the My Tool Box program, as well as
supervised exercise and nutrition components. The My Tool Box SCI program
will begin in October and run for 6 weeks. For information, visit My Tool Box. or call 514-934-1934, local
71585.
Congratulations to ...
Bill Feindel and Brenda Milner , who
celebrated their 91st birthdays in July with cake and coffee for the Neuro
community. Dr. Feindel whimsically suggested that Dr. Milner act as
neurosurgeon, inviting her to dissect the hippocampus from the cake.
Ji Hyun Ko, neuroscience graduate student, who received
the 2009 European Journal of Neurology Best Publication Award at a meeting
in Warsaw. The article, co-authored by O. Monchi, A. Ptito, P. Bloomfield,
S. Houle and A. P. Strafella, points to the importance of the interplay
between prefrontal neural circuits and dopamine release in the striatum for
understanding the neuronal mechanisms underlying the cognitive symptoms of
patients with Parkinsons' disease. To read the full article, see EJN 28,
2147-2155 (2008).
Condolences to ...
To the friends and family of William Gibson, MDCM, DSc (1913-2009) who died on July 4 in Victoria, BC. Dr. Gibson was the last living person who attended the opening of The Neuro on September 27, 1934. He was an enthusiastic protagonist of The Neuro, the Osler Library and McGill, and in recent correspondence with Bill Feindel, confirmed that he was planning to attend the Neuro’s 75th anniversary celebrations on November 2-4. Gibson received his medical degree from McGill and DSc from the University of Oxford, and trained at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, specializing in neurology and psychiatry. Gibson was an original member of the Faculty of Medicine at University of British Columbia, Director of the Kinsmen Laboratory for Neurological Research, and Head of the History of Medicine and Science Department. Gibson was a prolific writer, and was active in politics and social causes in Vancouver.
Director - David R. Colman, PhD
Senior Management - Mark Angle, MD; Phil Barker, PhD; Rob Dunn, PhD; Tom
Gevas; Martine Alfonso; Elizabeth Kofron, PhD; Patricia O'Connor; Catherine
Rowe; Donatella Tampieri, MD
Neuro News: Elizabeth Kofron, PhD & Sandra McPherson, PhD
Please send any items for the Neuro News to Sandra McPherson or Beth Kofron.
