Highlights from Review and Update in Neuroscience for Neurosurgeons Highlights -- RUNN 2000

The annual Review and Update in Neurobiology for Neurosurgeons was held October 15-22, at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The course is sponsored by the Society of Neurological Surgeons, to rejuvenate academic enthusiasm and spark interest among young neurosurgeons in an effort to promote basic neurobiology research and academic careers. The course has received excellent feedback from attendees in the past, and features lecture topics ranging from molecular to systems neuroscience,apoptosis to chaos theory given by a faculty of distinguished scholars neuroscientists. Recently, the course has been condensed from two weeks to one week with the addition of evening lectures.

The RUNN course was conceived by Dr. Henry Schmidek, the first Course Director, in the early 1980's and has since flourished under the leadership of past Directors Dr. Charles Hodge, Dr. Cordell Gross, and current Course Director Dr. Issam Awad. Course Co-Directors this year were Dr. Robert Dempsey, Dr. Allan Friedman, Dr. Charles Hodge, and Dr. Edward Oldfield. The RUNN course is expertly and enthusiastically coordinated by Catherine Awad.

This year's Special Lecture was delivered by Dr. Dennis Spencer, who reviewed a lifetime's experience in the biology of epileptogenesis, and predicted the direction of future understanding and intervention in epilepsy. Dr. Spencer also moderated a panel on academic career development in neurosurgery, which included all the Course Directors. The importance of translational research in the future of neurobiology and neurosurgery was emphasized during the panel discussion, and throughout the course.

Classic neurobiology topics including cerebral blood flow and ischemia, neuronal regeneration, and synapse plasticity were covered in lectures by researchers at the cutting edge of their fields. Neurobiology topics were presented by several long-time RUNN devoted faculty, and also by new and younger neuroscientists including successful young neurosurgeons who are already at the cutting edge of their research fields. In addition, more divergent lectures were given to spark academic ideas and enthusiasm in general: Dr. Issam Awad discussed the philosophy of science, and its applications to neurosurgical research. Kerry Bernstein, computer programmer from IBM, gave a lecture entitled "The microprocessor chip as a brain metaphor." This was one of the course highlights, as Kerry discussed how an IBM supercomputer was designed to defeat Gary Kasparov, and showed the new technologies that will facilitate artificial intelligence and voice recognition.

The Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA was established in 1888 as a non-profit institution devoted to research and education in biology. Since then, it has become one of the great international centers for biological research, and for neurobiology in particular: The action potential was first demonstrated at the MBL in the squid giant axon by Hodgkin and Huxley in 1952, for which they received the Nobel prize. In keeping with tradition, each course attendee dissected a squid giant axon under dark-field microscopy, and demonstrated action potential conduction along the axon.

The MBL is host year-round to American and International researchers for courses, retreats, and seminars in all realms of biology and science. In addition to the MBL, the village of Woods Hole is a vibrant scientific community that is home to the United States Geological Survey, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, among others. Course attendees toured the MBL aquatic resource tanks, where the great diversity of marine life was demonstrated and many rare species examined up close.

The RUNN course is a unique opportunity for complete immersion in neurobiology, with lectures from the premier researchers in neurobiology and neuroscience. Next year's course will be held October 20-27, at MBL of course. Further information on RUNN 2001 will be available next spring. All neurosurgery residents and young faculty are urged to attend at least once in their careers. Some may one day be invited back to the RUNN Course as faculty!