[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/kirby.jpg” caption=”Senator Michael Kirby, who represents the province of Nova Scotia, is one of the presenters at CIHR’s Institute Advisory Board meeting hosted by McMaster.”]McMaster is hosting a two-day meeting of the brains and minds behind The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR's) Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA).

Researchers are gathering for CIHR's Institute Advisory Board meeting today and tomorrow at McMaster. The board meets several times a year, either in person or via conference call. McMaster decided to host the event to highlight research at the University and other Ontario universities related to INMHA's mandate. The event is also intended to bring together board members from across Canada to discuss new and potential collaborations.

As part of the conference, McMaster researchers will present their research at a poster session in the McMaster University Student Centre marketplace today (Friday) from 4-6:30 p.m.

In addition, there will be several presentations over the two days, including a talk by senator Michael Kirby, who represents the province of Nova Scotia; McMaster's Stephanie Atkinson, a member of CIHR's Governing Council; John Lavis, Canada Research Chair, Knowledge Uptake and director of the Program for Policy Development; and Brian Haynes, chair, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Tony Valeri, liberal MP for Stoney Creek, will provide a keynote address at a dinner Friday at The University Club.

The Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) – Institute Advisory Board (IAB) supports research to enhance mental health, neurological health, vision, hearing, and cognitive functioning and to reduce the burden of related disorders through prevention strategies, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation. Associated research will advance an understanding of human thought, emotion, behaviour, sensation (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell), perception, learning and memory.

The INMHA is a unique institute because, based on recent discoveries, it has been designed to address all aspects of research dealing with “brain-mind” relationships inclusive of the four pillars of the CIHR, which are: biomedical, clinical, health services and population health research.