ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM

Australia's science future 3-4 May 2000
Full listing of papers

Dr Pankaj Sah received a PhD from the John Curtin School of Medical Research for studies of ion channels in neurones in the limbic system. He did postdoctoral studies at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Queensland. In 1996 he received the Sylvia and Charles Viertel Medical Research Fellowship and moved to the Neuroscience group at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. His research has concentrated on the properties of neurones and their connections in the limbic system.

Symposium themes - Mind and brain
Memories and emotion: Two sides of brain function
by Pankaj Sah

Abstract
The mind is produced by activity of the brain; it is what makes us human. Memories, stored within the brain, make us the persons we are. Any loss or change in memory has a devastating impact on a person’s life. Emotions represent one of the cognitive aspects of brain function and are events that give meaning to our lives. Memory and emotion are intimately tied together. The amygdala is the part of the brain where emotions are processed. Memories of emotional events are thought to be stored by changes in the strength of connections within this structure. A resurgence in physiological and behavioural studies involving the amygdala has led to the development of new ideas addressing questions in memory and emotion. These developments will have a major impact on our understanding of these features of the brain in the coming years and will lead to dramatic changes in the way we treat people with disorders of memory and emotions.