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APSN Advanced Neuroscience School 2013

Date: 24th – 27

th June 2013 (Summer School 2013)

Venue: National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Host: Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Prepared by: Mrs Wee Lee TING (Secretariat) 18th Nov2013

Vetted by: A/P Chian-Ming LOW (Chairperson, School 2013) 24th Nov 2013

Approved by: APSN Advanced Neuroscience School Local Organizing Committee^, 28th Nov 2013

Overview

It is, indeed, a privilege for Singapore to be approached by one of the reputable regional society - Asian-

Pacific Society for Neurochemistry (APSN) - to conduct an Advanced Neuroscience School. APSN is a sister

society of the International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) (http://neurochemistry.org/).

During the School, close interactions between participants and lecturers are incorporated at demonstrations

/hands-on sessions (half a day per model system) after being grounded basic principles with lectures in the

morning sessions. We will provide world-renowned researchers based in Singapore from the National

University of Singapore and Research Institutes (IMCB, Temasek Life Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate

Medical School, Yale-NUS) to teach the updated knowledge of advanced molecular and neurochemical

techniques using each model system, and how they are relevant to addressing neurological phenomena

(neuroplasticity underlying learning and memory) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease,

sensory responses (eg. innate response to aversion due to specific odours), so as to enable participants to

acquire new ideas and to learn new techniques and methods that may be beneficial to their and host

institutions future research.

This 4-day Advanced Neuroscience School aims to share various model systems used in neuroscience

research, namely C. elegans, D.melanogaster, X. laevis and D rerio (Zebrafish). These are valuable models to

neuroscientist which are not usually accessible to enthusiastic senior graduate students and junior postdoctoral

fellows within a single workshop/School. Singapore biomedical research community is unique yet strategic to

house scientists who are experts in these various models and applying them in neuroscience research. The

Advanced Neuroscience School will consist of lectures conducted by the experts and laboratory visits to

witness the use of these model systems. Hands-on experiences on each model system are being arranged

immediately after the lectures in the same to augment the theoretical knowledge transferred. The participants

will bring these knowledge and appreciation of the various model systems back to their respective laboratories

in their country in hope to widen their awareness and propagate the valuable experiences with their colleagues.

^ Local Organizing Committee Members: Chian-Ming LOW (Chair), Fengwei YU, Hongyan WANG, Jan GRUBER, Suresh

JESUTHASAN, Wee Lee TING (Secretariat), Xiaoguang XU (Assistant Secretariat), Peter T-H WONG (Advisor)

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Participants

The 4-day Advanced Neuroscience School has accepted 16 participants from 7 countries in Asia-Pacific

(Australia, Japan, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong) and 9 participants from Singapore.

S/No. Name Nationality University/ Organisation

Junior postdoctoral fellows

1 GOH Choo Peng Australia Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of

Melbourne.

2 LAH Grace J (JI Eun

Shin) Australia

Millard Lab, School of Biomedical Sciences,

The University of Queensland.

3 NAGAE Shigenori Japan RIKEN, Center for Developmental Biology.

4 KUMAR Pardeep India School of Life Science, Jawaharlal Nehru

university, New Delhi.

5 PAL Ayantika India India Neurobiology Department, Division of Cell

Biology and Physiology, IICB-CSIR, Kolkata.

6 YADAV Sunishtha Singh India

Developmental Toxicology Division,CSIR -

Indian Institute of Toxicology Research,

Lucknow.

7 LIM Yun-An, Andrea Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

Postgraduates

8 HUANG Yi China Neurology Lab, Department of Neurology, The

First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen

University, Guangzhou

9 WU Di China Genetics Institute, College of Life

Science ,Zhejiang University

10 YANG Yongzhi China Institute of Genetics and Developmental

Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

11 ZHANG Jinyang Hong Kong Institute of Genetics and Developmental

Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

12 CHEN Wenqiang China LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of

Hong Kong

13 KAUR Harpreet India Department of Biochemistry, Panjab

University, Chandigarh

14 SRIVASTAVA Rohit

Kumar India

Department of Physiology, King George’s

Medical University, Lucknow, India

15 CHIA Sook Yoong Malaysia Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of

Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

16 CHAN Su jing Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

17 LEE Ching Li Singapore

Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

18 LEE Hanqing Jasinda Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

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Singapore.

19 LUE Ke Xin Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

20 SHENG Yuan Singapore

Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

21 XING Huayang Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

22 WONG Siew Ying Singapore Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin

School of Medicine, National University of

Singapore.

23 YE Zu Singapore Cancer Research Lab, IMCB

24 SINGSAI Kanathip Thailand Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of

Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

25 SRISUWAN Supawadee Thailand Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of

Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Accommodation

Free accommodation was provided for all the overseas participants during the School. They stayed in the NUS

student hostel, Raffles Hall, which offered them easy and quick access to food outlets, transport and

school/workshop to encourage interactions. They were provided 4 days of stipend at S$30 daily & S$15

(once-off) transport allowance. In addition to providing campus map, Singapore map & instructions on how to

reach the various lecture locations, we had divided them into 3 groups; every group was taken care by at least

one local participant to guide them around the campus and island.

Safety and Insurance

Besides the free accommodation, their most economy return airfares were covered 100% by the School.

Insurance (NTUC) was purchased for all the participants during the 4 days’ workshop.

Safety briefings in laboratory hands-on were given to all participants on Day 1 after Welcome speech and

prior to each lab workshop. Personal protection equipments (PPEs) were provided to each participant on each

lab workshop.

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Program (Overview)

Time (hr) 24 Jun (Day 1)

The “Worm”

25 Jun (Day 2)

The “Fly”

26 Jun (Day 3)

The “Frog”

27 Jun (Day 4)

The “Fish”

Venue

NUS

Opening Ceremony:

8.50-9.00

Temasek Life

Sciences Lab NUS IMCB, A*STAR

9:00-10:15

Lecture 1

(Prof Gruber)

@ MD6, #01-02B

Lecture 1

(Prof Yu)

Lecture 1 + Lab

(Prof Low)

@ MD6, #01-02B

Lecture 1

(Prof Jesuthasan)

10:15-10:45 BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK

10:45-12:00

Lecture 2

(Prof Gruber)

@ MD6, #01-02B

Lecture 2

(Prof Wang)

Oral Presentations

@ MD6, #01-02B

[10:45-12:15]

Lecture 2

(Prof Jesuthasan)

12:00-13:00 LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH

13:30-17:00

Laboratory

(Hands-on in Prof

Gruber’s lab)

Laboratory

(Hands-on in Profs

Yu / Wang’s lab)

Laboratory

(Hands-on in Prof

Jesuthasan’s lab)

17:30-18:15 Group Discussion

Special Lecture 1:

Prof Yukio Yoneda

@ MD6, #01-02B

Special Lecture 2:

Prof Andrew

Lawrence

@ MD6, #01-02B

(17:45-18:45) 18:20-19:00

Travel

Reimbursement

Group Discussion

19:00-1930

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Opening (Day 1)

Opening Ceremony by Chairman, A/P Low Chian

Ming

Opening Speech by APSN President, Prof Peter

Wong

Lecture

Day 1

Dr. Jan Gruber Yale-NUS

http://yale-nus.edu.sg/ index.php/about/facu lty/ jangruber

Students were introduced to the history, anatomy and life-cycle of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).

Several learning paradigms were introduced.

Lecture 1 An introduction of C. elegans

Lecture 2 How to get start with C. elegans

Hands-on session - students were provided the opportunity to handle C. elegans (chunking and picking) and to

observe simple nematode behaviours (exploration, feeding behaviour) in WT and mutant C. elegans.

Lecture C. elegans Workshop

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Group Discussion

Group picture taken with the lecturers

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Day 2

A/P Yu Fengwei Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore

http://www.tll.org.sg/grou p-leaders/feng-wei-yu/

and

A/P Wang Hongyan Duke-NUS

htt p://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/content/wan g-hongyan

Introduced basic knowledge and technical skills in Drosophila neural development to budding

neuroscientists. Two lectures were delivered on the topics of fly neurogenesis and neuronal remodelling,

focused on

1. how epithelial cells are specified to become neuroblasts (neural progenitors/neural stem cells)

2. how neuroblast produce mature nerve cells in the central nervous system via asymmetric divisions

3. how differentiated neurons undergo remodelling, including pruning and apoptosis.

Lecture 1 Neuronal Pruning in Drosophila

Lecture 2 Neural Stem Cells

Hands-on session- participants were shown

1. how to dissect Drosophila larval brains from the third instar larvae

2. Confocal imaging of Drosophila neuroblasts labelled with a GFP reporter by in larval brains

3. how to prepare muscle fillets and take confocal images of sensory neurons.

Lecture by A/P Wang Hongyan Lecture by A/P Yu Fengwei

Drosophila Workshop

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Special Lecture 1

Prof Yukio Yoneda Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences,

Kanazawa University Graduate School, Japan.

Lecture Title: Acquired NMDAR channels in human embryonic kidney cells

Special Lecture by Prof Yukio Yoneda

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Day 3

A/P Low Chian-Ming NUS

http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/medphc/members/staff/academic/ low cm.html

www.lcmlab.org

Introduced oocytes harvested from Xenopus laevi s as a model system for ion channels/receptor structure-

function studies. Ionotropic glutamate receptor (NMDA-subtype) was presented as an example. How to

prepare cRNAs, oocytes and two­electrode voltage clamp technique and principles were shared.

Lecture 1 Electrophysiological Technique –Two Electrode Voltage Clamp (TEVC)

Demonstration via animation - Micro injection of cRNA into oocytes and two-electrode voltage-clamp

electrophysiological recordings will be shown and explained to students to

augment the lecture.

Lecture

Preparation for group presentation

Group Presentation

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Day 4

A/P Suresh Jeyaraj Jesuthasan NRP/Duke-NUS

http://www.nrp.a-star.edu.sg/research. htm l?sciiD=4&sciType=O

Zebrafish larvae respond to a variety of stimuli, including light and odors, with innate or learnt responses.

Innate responses include aversion to specific odors, while learning includes operant conditioning. In these

lectures, students learned how behavior is assessed.

Lecture 1 Fluorescence tools in neuroscience: applications using the zebrafish

Lecture 2 Control of neural activity by light (By Dr Ajay Mathuru)

Maging neural activity - The transparency of zebrafish larvae means that neurons in the entire brain can be

visualized. By expressing genetically encoded calcium indicators, neural activity

in populations can be monitored. Students learned how two-photon and wide field

fluorescence microscopy can be used to analyse neural activity in response to

specific stimuli.They had the opportunity to handle zebrafish and mount them for

imaging analyses.

Lecture

Workshop

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Special Lecture 2

Prof Andrew J Lawrence Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia

Lecture title: Wanting a model of wanting: can animals relapse?

Special Lecture by Prof Andrew J Lawrence

Certificate of Participation by APSN President-Prof Peter Wong

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1 Day APSN Symposium on “Nervous Systems and diseases: Mechanisms and Models”

Date: 28th

June 2013

Time Event/title Speaker

8.30 – 8.55am Registration

8.55 – 9.00am Welcome Address by Chairman,

Local Organising Committee

A/P Low Chian Ming

Plenary Lecture ( Chair: Professor Peter Wong)

9.00 – 9.45 am Recent advances in Alzheimer’s Disease

research

Professor Edward Koo

(USA)

9.45 – 10.25am Tea Break

Session 1 (Session Chair: A/P Gavin Dawe)

10.30 – 11.00am

Orexins & reward‐seeking Professor Andrew Lawrence

(Australia)

11.00 – 11.30am

Molecular pathology of PTSD Professor Yukio Yoneda

(Japan)

11.30am – 12.00nn

Medial septum, a gateway for pain A/P Sanjay Khanna

( Singapore)

12.00 – 12.55pm Lunch

Special Lecture ( Chair: A/P Soong Tuck Wah – co-host by Dept of Physiology)

1.00 – 2.00pm Metaplasticity mechanisms for homeostatic

regulation of synaptic plasticity

Professor Wickliffe C

Abraham (New Zealand)

2.00 – 2.10pm Stretch-&-Relax

Session 2 (Session Chair: A/P Low Chian Ming)

2.15 – 2.45pm Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor ameliorates

brain stem cardiovascular dysregulation as an endogenous antioxidant in animal models of

diseases

Professor Samuel H.H. Chan

(Taiwan)

2.45 – 3.15pm

Motoneuron death and mitochondrial dynamics Professor Woong Sun

(Korea)

3.15 – 3.45pm

BDNF regulates plasticity in spatial coding Professor Ying‐Shing Chan

(Hong Kong)

3.45 – 4.15pm Physiological functions of amyloid precursor

protein

A/P Gavin Dawe (Singapore)

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Welcome Address by A/P Low Chian Ming

(Symposium Chairman)

Welcome Address by Prof Peter Wong

(APSN President)

Plenary lecture by Prof Edward Koo Lecture by Prof Yukio Yoneda

Lecture by A/P Sanjay Khanna Lecture by Prof Wickliffe C Abraham

Lecture by Prof Samuel H.H.Chan Lecture by Prof Woong Sun

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Lecture by Prof Ying-Shing Chan Lecture by A/P Gavin Dawe

APSN officials, Committees Members & Invited

Speakers

APSN School Participants with the APSN officials,

Committees Members & Invited Speakers