The Bristol-Cardiff Neuroscience Collaboration - BCNC

BCNC Travel Prize

The BCNC Steering Group for 2010

Representatives from Cardiff: Vanessa Davies Jon Erichsen Frank Sengpiel Mike Owen

Representatives from Bristol: Graham Collingridge Anne Cooke Iain Gilchrist

Please get in touch with any questions or suggestions for BCNC

The Bristol Cardiff Neuroscience Collaboration - BCNC - was launched in April 2006 as an initiative to enable greater contact and crosstalk between Cardiff and Bristol neuroscience communities.

In many areas of neuroscience there are complementarities in approach at Bristol and Cardiff such that collaboration is very profitable in furthering research.  To promote and formalise this working relationship, BCNC runs an ongoing program of projects and activities. The scheme has high level support of Vice Chancellors at both Universities.

BCNC takes full advantage of the Internet era: It builds on the well-established virtual institute of Bristol Neuroscience, with its website and email bulletins (circulated to both Bristol and Cardiff neuroscientists), and on the virtual Cardiff Neurosciences Centre, officially launched in January 2008.

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The main initial thrust of BCNC has been formation of focus groups in specific areas of neuroscience.  These have been developed through holding joint meetings, running lab exchange visits, choosing neuroimaging as the topic for the 2006 BN Annual Symposium, organising tours of Cardiff's neuroimaging centres CUBRIC and EMRIC, arranging training days - and much more.  Current and planned focus areas include -

• Psychiatry
• Neuroimaging
• Schizophrenia and the biological basis of psychosis
• Systems neuroscience
• Dementia
• Glutamate receptors
• Addiction
• Vision

A large and exciting development of BCNC was the co-hosted Young Neuroscientists' Day, held on Monday 29th October 2007.  This was the first time such a meeting had been jointly organised between Bristol and Cardiff. Planned and run by a committee of young neuroscientists from both Universities, this event forged real working relationships and ongoing collaboration.  Plans are currently underway to host the second Young Neuroscientists' Day at Cardiff University in October 2009.

BCNC have also introduced a Travel Prize Scheme to further encourage collaboration between the two Universities.  (Find out how to apply and read about the first winners of the scheme.)

In summary, BCNC enables brain science to be enhanced and advanced through capitalising on the combined resources of talent and expertise present at Bristol and Cardiff.

Please look out for notices of forthcoming BCNC developments, and please feel free to get in touch if you are interested in setting up a new focus group within the BCNC initiative.

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