450 of the world's top alcohol experts meet in Sydney
7 September 2006
How social drinking can turn into addiction, whether alcoholism can be inherited and the latest cutting edge alcoholism research are just some of the topics that will be discussed when 450 of the world's leading alcohol experts gather in Sydney from 10 September.
Representatives from 50 countries are expected to attend the ISBRA 2006 World Congress on Alcohol Research (10-13 September), co-chaired by the University of Sydney's Professor Clive Harper.
Professor Harper will outline the results of a novel health program that involved enriching Australian bread with thiamine since 1991. The program has resulted in a three quarter reduction in the incidence of Wernicke Korsakoff's syndrome in Australia, saving an estimated $70-80 million per year.
Professor Harper's staff at the NSW Tissue Research Centre,a unique research facility dubbed the 'brain bank', will be releasing the latest data from their work. Research groups from around the world that use tissues from the brain bank will also be presenting their findings at the Congress.
A public symposium on alcohol and Australian indigenous communities, organised the University of Sydney's Associate Professor Kate Conigrave,will be held on Wednesday 13 September (5pm to 6.30pm). Professor Conigrave will also be speaking in a special open session on alcohol policy and practice on Monday evening from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Other University of Sydney speakers include Associate Professor Jillian Kril on alcohol, aging and dementia, Professor Paul Haber, who will present his research findings about whether the most common drug treatments used for serious alcoholics are effective, and the University's Professor Iain McGregor, who will be talking about his latest research on animals and alcohol addiction.
International speakers include Marc Schuckit (University of California in San Diego), who will outline how the risk for alcohol dependence is both genetic and environmental.
Karl Mann (Central Institute of Mental Health in the University of Heidelberg) will discuss his recent work using MRI scans to measure changes in the brain caused by alcohol promises to help identify patients with high risk of relapse.
Karen Szumlinski and colleagues (University of California) will present research showing that repeated binge drinking upsets the neurotransmitter levels in the brain region linked to addiction, an imbalance that may drive the addiction process forward.
Editor's note:
ISBRA, the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, is the world's pre-eminent alcohol research society. Professor Clive Harper is the co-chair of the conference, along with Queensland University's Professor John Saunders.
What: ISBRA 2006 World Congress on Alcohol Research
Where:The Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, Australia
When: 10-13 September, 2006
Web: www.isbra2006.com
Contact: Kath Kenny
Phone: 02 9351 2261 or 0434 606 100