Partner Organisations
This Wellcome Masterclass was run in conjunction with two partner organisations, the British Association for Psychopharmacology and the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University.
British Association for Psychopharmacology
The British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) was founded in 1974, with the general intention of bringing together those from clinical and experimental disciplines as well as members of the pharmaceutical industry involved in the study of psychopharmacology. The BAP has 1,000 members and is one of the largest national psychopharmacology associations in the world.
The BAP organises scientific meetings and symposia during the course of the year, covering all aspects of psychopharmacology from basic research to pharmaceutical development and clinical application. The BAP has also produced a range of consensus statements on the treatment of clinical disorders as well as on the investigation of psychopharmaceutical compounds.
BAP events:
Annual Summer Meeting: 450-500 participants meet for a 3-day meeting comprising invited symposia, short oral and poster sessions (250 posters presented at the 2006 meeting), a symposium organised and presented by post-doctoral workers, a session specifically for preclinical scientists and a Guest Lecture. An exhibition (20+ stands) is held at the meeting, together with 6-8 satellite symposia hosted by pharmaceutical companies. Members and non-Members attend the meeting and the audience comprises clinical and experimental scientists and pharmaceutical company personnel.
Preclinical Certificate Course: The aim of this 3-year Course (beginning its third cycle in 2007) is to increase awareness of, and interest in, preclinical psychopharmacology through the provision of a series of training modules that cover key aspects of research on animals and humans as well as career development in this field. Two full and one half-day modules are held each year and venues include London, Bristol and Brighton. Attendance is limited to 40.
Clinical Certificate Course: Launched in 1997 and comprising six 1.5 day modules on topics including Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia, Affective Disorders, Substance Misuse, Dementia, and Child and Adolescent. This Course was developed to provide state-of-the-art psychopharmacology CPD to prescribing psychiatrists. Each module runs once each year and venues include Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham and Newcastle. Attendance is limited to 60 and most modules are fully-booked within 24 hours of details being released.
Clinical Psychopharmacology: A three day Masterclass in Clinical Psychopharmacology, Launched in 2007 is held twice each year in London. The course includes updates of the treatment and management of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, dual diagnosis patients, mental illness around the puerperum, sleep disorder with emphasis on pharmacological aspects. The programme is based around revision of underlying pharmacology prior to presentations related to the clinical use of medication. The programme is specifically designed to allow maximum time for questions and discussion. Held in London, attendance is limited to 80.
Fundamental Psychopharmacology: A Review of the Pharmacology of Psychotropic Medication: This Course has run once or twice each year since 1995, covers psychopharmacology and basic neuroscience and is designed for psychiatrists-in-training, nurse prescribers and basic scientists. Held in London, attendance is limited to 50.
Smaller scientific meetings: These include stand-alone meetings on a topic considered important and timely by the BAP Council, or meetings or symposia in collaboration with other Societies.
Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
The Institute of Neuroscience was formed in 2002 as one of ten flagship research institutes at the core Newcastle University’s research activities. The Institute aims to identify and act upon multi-disciplinary research opportunities in basic, applied and clinical neuroscience, and to initiate integrative development activities that support this core research. Additionally, the Institute aims to foster research training at the postgraduate and postdoctoral level.
The Institute brings together one of the UK’s largest groupings of neuroscientists, spanning a wide range of basic and clinical disciplines at sites across the university and engaging in a broad range of research. There are currently more than 80 academic members, all holding research grants in the neurosciences. By hosting seminars and workshops, developing collaborative links with other organisations, and coordinating research funding applications, the institute enriches the local neuroscience research environment in partnership with these stakeholders.