Wednesday, March 25, 2009

NCSWA Spring Dinner: What’s happening in the other ninety percent of your brain?

Registration for this dinner is currently closed

Practically all of brain scientists’ attention has gone to the study of neurons, which account for perhaps 10% of the cells in the human brain. But what about the other 90% – what are those cells, chopped liver? Nope, they’re glial cells, and their importance is only now beginning to be understood. Our guest speaker on Wednesday March 25 will be Ben Barres, MD/PhD, award-winning scientist, chairman of Stanford University’s neurobiology department, and the proponent of a paradigm shift in brain research.

When neurobiologists talk about “brain cells,” they’re invariably talking about neurons, those glorified strings of fat that evolution has tarted up to convey the electronic impulses that add up to thought, memory, emotion, and action. But something like 90% of the cells in your brain aren’t neurons. They’re called glial cells, and until recently their function was believed to be somewhere between that of packing peanuts (filling space so our neurons don’t rattle when we run) and nannies (serving up nutrients to and picking up after those clever neurons).

We all know what happened with “junk DNA.” Once assumed to be little more than packaging for our genetic material, it’s turned out to be loaded with gold nuggets. Likewise, glial cells’ known roles are expanding to include not only metabolic support, but immune activity and such crucial tasks as creating and degrading synapses (those specific inter-neuronal connections, uniquely arrayed within each person’s brain, that shape thought, memory, feelings, and activity). Come and listen to what Dr. Barres, a pioneer in the burgeoning study of glial cells and a top-tier brain scientist, has learned about glial cells – what they are, how they interact with neurons, and which neurological conditions they may trigger when they act inappropriately. Dr. Barres will also let us know where he sees this research heading, why it’s so important, and how soon practical payoffs are in the offing.

SCHEDULE:
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm No-host happy hour
7:30 pm - 8:45 pm Dinner
8:45 pm - Speaker

RESTAURANT DETAILS:
Helmand Palace
2424 Van Ness Ave., between Green and Union streets (see Yahoo MAP).
San Francisco, CA

Dinner includes appetizers: aushak (leek- & scallion-filled ravioli), banjan (spicy eggplant) and kaddo (pumpkin topped with ground beef sauce). Dessert (rice pudding, cream pudding or baklava) and non-alcoholic drinks (soda, coffee, tea) are also included.

Dinner Entree Choices (Please choose one)

• Seek Kabab: charbroiled leg of lamb marinated in puree of onion, sun-dried baby grapes and garlic, served with sauteed eggplant and pallow rice
  
• Lawand: leg of lamb sauteed with onion, tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, fresh cilantro, capers, hot peppers, yogurt, served with challow rice and spinach (hot)
  
• Kofta Kabab: ground beef mixed with green onion, fresh cilantro, garlic and hot pepper then grilled, served with sauteed eggplant and challow rice (hot)
  
• Mourgh Challow: chicken breast sauteed with spices and yellow split peas, then sauteed with yogurt, cilantro and curry, served with challow rice.
  
• Vegetarian special: a platter of baked pumpkin, pan-fried eggplant with garlic yogurt sauce, sauteed spinach and okra sauteed in fresh tomatoes, served with pallow rice
  

Registration for this dinner is currently closed

PAYMENT:
The cost is $31 for NCSWA members who can bring one guest at same rate; $26 for student members of NCSWA, and $37 for non-members.

Please reserve your seat by March 18.