More than 1,000 of the world's leading neuroscientists gathered this week at the 51st Annual NCDEU Meeting to discuss the future of mental health treatments. Representatives from academia, the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, European regulatory agencies and industry discussed key aspects of neuropsychiatric drug development, including the impact of diagnostic changes and personalized interventions based on biomarkers or genetic information.
"We were inspired by the breadth of more than 200 abstracts and presentations from a diverse field of researchers. Both small and large companies and public/private partnerships have demonstrated an unyielding dedication to developing new treatments for brain disorders," noted steering committee co-chair William Potter, M.D., Ph.D., formerly of Merck & Co., Inc. Nina Schooler, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behaviorial Sciences, State University of New York served as co-chair of the steering committee.
In addition to the science program, the meeting always serves as an opportunity to foster the next generation of researchers through a New Investigator Award Program and mentorship within the field. The NCDEU New Investigators Program is given to 20 outstanding junior faculty, residents, and fellows interested in brain research and who have not been the Principal Investigator on an NIH R01 grant. This year's recipients participated in a day-long workshop with research career advice from mentors in academia, government and industry.
This year's meeting in Florida was again sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP), a professional medical society working to advance research, education and practice of clinical psychopharmacology. Representatives from federal research agencies, regulatory agencies, academic institutions, and industry continue to guide the meeting through the NCDEU Steering Committee.
"We were very pleased with the success of this year's meeting and its focus on the future of drug development," noted ASCP President John Kane, M.D. "The presentations and discussion underscored the important opportunities for establishing common targets for drug discovery across central nervous system disorders."
Next year's 52nd Annual NCDEU Meeting will be held May 28-31 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix.
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