The Polish Neuroscience Society (PNS) brings together researchers conducting neurobiological, neuropsychological, neuroinformatics and neuropsychopharmacological studies. PNS is involved in dissemination of knowledge on the nervous system and progress made in nervous system research. It is also engaged in popularization of neuroscience, organization of training courses, publication of related materials and represents Polish community of neuroscientists both in Poland and abroad. PNS is a member of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS).
The main forms of PNS activity include organizing:
- International Congresses of the Society (biennially since 1995). PNS congresses have been held till now: I – Warsaw 1992, II – Krakow 1995, III – Łodz 1997, IV – Gdansk 1999, V – Torun 2001, VI – Warsaw 2003, VII – Krakow 2005, VIII – Krakow 2007, IX – Warsaw 2009, X – Łodz, 2011, XI – Poznan 2013, XII – Gdansk 2015, XIII – Warsaw 2017, XIV – Katowice 2019. Next congress will be held in Kraków, in 2021 (August or September).
- Spring Schools of PNS;
- Annual neurochemical conferences;
- Popular science lectures during annual Brain Awareness Weeks (since 1998) in cooperation with the international organization DANA and the weekly newsmagazine „Polityka”.
PNS initiates and supports organization of numerous scientific meetings, symposia, conferences and sessions, focused on different subjects related to neurobiology. Training sessions organized till now concentrated on:
- molecular bases of addiction,
- mechanisms of learning and memory,
- plasticity of the nervous system,
- cytokines and the brain,
- sensory and motor systems,
- neurogenesis and development,
- neuroimmunology of the brain,
- neurodegeneration,
- pain,
- neuropsychology,
- cortical integrative mechanisms,
- neuroinformatics.
Popularizing activity of PNS involves the organization of annual open events during Brain Awareness Weeks: lectures, discussions, workshops and brain knowledge contests for high school and university students.
