Past events

Since our inception, the Brain Research Foundation has played a vital role in advancing the field of neuroscience. Here, you can take a look at some of our past events to get a sense of what we’ve been up to.

Society for Neuroscience 39th Annual Meeting
Neuroscience Day 2008
Make Waves Benefit 2007

Society for Neuroscience 39th Annual Meeting

The Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting is the primary yearly opportunity for neuroscience researchers to introduce and share their work and to meet their colleagues from around the world. The meeting provides thousands of research abstracts, lectures, symposia, workshops, and other events, and will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center. Find more details about the meeting here.

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Neuroscience Day 2008

On December 12, 2008, the Brain Research Foundation sponsored the 10th Annual Neuroscience Day. This was the first year that Neuroscience Day was open to members of the greater Chicago area community.

A total of 74 abstracts were presented, all from different levels of study: Graduate Student, Post Doc, and Clinical Research. Abstracts were graded by judges from Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Chicago, and Rush University Medical Center.

Lectures followed the poster presentations. Guest speakers included: D. James Surmeier, Ph.D., from Northwestern University; Scott T. Brady, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois at Chicago; Jeffrey H. Kordower, Ph.D., from Rush University Medical Center; Nicholas G. Hatsopoulos, Ph.D., from the University of Chicago. The keynote speaker was Robert C. Malenka, M.D., Ph.D., from Stanford University School of Medicine. Sangram S. Sisodia, Ph.D., from the University of Chicago, was the moderator for this event. Awards of recognition for service were presented by the Brain Research Foundation President, Nathan T. Hansen.

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Make Waves Benefit 2007

On September 27, 2007, the Brain Research Foundation held its much-anticipated fund-raising gala. The event took place on a privately chartered Odyssey Cruise with the Chicago skyline serving as a beautiful backdrop. The theme, Make Waves, spoke to the Brain Research Foundation’s mission of creating change and advancing neuroscience research.

Co-chairs Pat Koldyke and Tom Reynolds organized a fabulous evening that raised money for a wonderful cause: the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Mental Retardation Research Center (Kennedy Center) at the University of Chicago. The Kennedy Center is one of the largest research centers in the United States committed to advancing the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of developmental disabilities, including autism, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The evening was picture-perfect—unseasonably warm and wonderful. During cocktail hour, guests participated in a raffle and silent auction. The silent auction had fantastic items, including an iPhone, a Marc Jacobs handbag, and a Raymond Weil watch. We were happy to award the 1st place raffle prize of $10,000 to Jeanne Borchardt.

The fun continued as the Mistress of Ceremonies, NBC5’s Natalie Martinez, charmed the audience and kept the evening moving. After dinner, we were privileged to experience a fiery performance by Grammy award winner and Chicago legend Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine. She certainly proved she is still the undisputed “Queen of the Blues.”

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