The American Society for Neurochemistry (ASN) is a

professional society A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...

for neurochemists and

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, Biological neural network, n ...

s from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, whose research concerns the role and interactions of small molecules (

proteins Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

peptides Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A p ...

nucleic acid Nucleic acids are biopolymers, macromolecules, essential to all known forms of life. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomers made of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main cl ...

lipids Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...

sugars Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double s ...

) in the development, growth, function, and pathology of the

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...

History

The ASN was incorporated August 5, 1969, and is guided by a set of

bylaws A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

and standing rules that incorporate amendments to the bylaws. The first president was Donald B. Tower,

Jordi Folch Pi Jordi Folch Pi (March 25, 1911October 3, 1979) was a Spanish biochemist at Harvard University (McLean Hospital) who is recognized universally as one of the founders of the field of structural chemistry of complex lipids and as a leader in the d ...

was the second president. The current president (2013–2015) is Etty Benveniste (

University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a Public university#United States, public List of research universities in the United States, research university in Birmingham, Alabama. Developed from an academic extension center established i ...

) and the current president elect is Babette Fuss (

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

). Elections are held ever 2 years to elect the next president, treasurer, secretary, and council members.

Organization

The officers and council members are assisted by a number of standing committees. An informal history of the ASN has been put together by Claude Baxter.

Annual meeting

Annual meetings include plenary lectures, symposia, colloquia and workshops over the course of 4 days. The first such meeting was held March 16–18, 1970 in

Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. Every 6 years, the ASN helps organize a joint meeting with the

International Society for Neurochemistry The International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) is a professional society for neurochemists and neuroscientists throughout the world. History The idea of an organization like the ISN began in the mid-1950s as scientists began to devote more att ...

Publications

The ASN publishes the textbook ''Basic Neurochemistry'' for use by undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate students and instructors. The founding editor was George Siegel, and the current chief editor is Scott Brady. It is currently in its 8th edition, which was published in December 2011. The ASN launched an

open access Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 definition), or libre op ...

online journal, '' ASN Neuro'', at the 40th annual meeting which took place in March 2009. It was initially published by

Portland Press Portland Press Limited is the wholly owned publishing subsidiary of The Biochemical Society. It is a publisher of journals and books in the cellular and molecular life sciences. The surplus from the sales of its publications are returned to the s ...

, and taken over by

Sage Publications SAGE Publishing, formerly SAGE Publications, is an American independent publishing company founded in 1965 in New York by Sara Miller McCune and now based in Newbury Park, California. It publishes more than 1,000 journals, more than 800 books ...

in 2014. ''ASN Neuro'' furthers the ASN missions to advance, promote, support, encourage and facilitate communication among cellular and molecular neuroscientists.

Awards

The Jordi Folch-Pi Award is given to an outstanding young investigator who has demonstrated a high level of research competence and originality, who has significantly advanced our knowledge of neurochemistry and who shows a high degree of potential for future accomplishments. The Marian Kies Memorial Award is given to a junior scientist for outstanding research conducted during graduate training. The Bernard Haber Award recognizes an individual whose leadership skills have fostered collaborations among the world's neuroscientists. The ASN offers Young Investigator Educational Enhancement awards to graduate students in their last year of studies and who reside in the Americas to travel to the annual meeting. Beginning at the 2010 meeting, one YIEE awardee is selected to receive the ''ASN Neuro'' travel award. ASN also offers Young Latin American Award scholarships for young neuroscientists from

Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...

countries. These awards subsidize travel expenses to attend the Annual Meeting, along with a short visit to an established neuroscience laboratory in North America.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:American Society For Neurochemistry Neuroscience organizations Learned societies of the United States 1969 establishments in the United States Organizations established in 1969