Save-the Date

Stress and the Brain will be the Focus of NIH Symposium during Brain Awareness Week, March 10-16, 2003

What: A scientific symposium, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in recognition of Brain Awareness Week. The meeting will focus on the various ways that stress can impact the brain, body, and ultimately, peoples' lives. Brain Awareness Week is a nationwide effort, organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research.

Who: The National Institute on Drug Abuse, is coordinating this year's NIH Brain Awareness Activities, in partnership with NIH's National Institute on Aging; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders; National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; National Institute of Nursing Research; National Eye Institute; and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

When: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 8:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M. (EST)

Where: William H. Natcher Conference Center National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland Why: Researchers have long known that stress and coping ability can have a great impact on health. To commemorate Brain Awareness Week, the NIH will hold a symposium to highlight scientific findings related to the various ways that stress can affect the brain and the body. Speakers will discuss the influence of early rearing on behavioral development, the impact of stress on brain function, the neurobiology of fear and emotion, and the role of trauma in mental health and substance abuse disorders.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.