Sensory Motor Physiology Digitimer 1

Hot Topics of Sensory-Motor Physiology Discussed in Bristol

It may have been hot enough to melt one of Bristol-based Aardman Animations modelling clay creations, but while the UK basked in record breaking temperatures, Bristol University played host to some equally hot scientific research, as the 2nd UK Sensory-Motor Conference was held in the city from June 20th-22nd.  Digitimer attended as an exhibitor and key sponsor for this focused three day meeting held at the University Priory Road Complex and Gareth Thompson took the opportunity to meet and talk to some delegates about their research and equipment needs.

The inaugural Sensory-Motor Conference was held at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2016 and members of this year’s local organising committee, Prof. Richard Apps, Dr Nadia Cerminara and Prof. Ian Gilchrist, were delighted that over 120 delegates assembled in Bristol to present and discuss their latest discoveries in sensory motor physiology research.

Megamorph DigitimerMegaMorph – A well known Bristol resident helping to celebrate
the 40th birthday of his much smaller counter-part at the harbourside.

The Bristol meeting commenced on Tuesday afternoon with a series of talks that encompassed the wide ranging disciplines involved in sensory motor research.  Opening proceedings, Dr Paul Chadderton described whole cell voltage clamp and current clamp studies, which showed how whisker movements are encoded by cells in the cerebro-cerebellum and how that might provide rodents with a complex spatial representation of their surroundings.  Next up, Dr Nadia Cerminara presented research illustrating how the cerebellum is intimately involved in motor adaptation in humans and other species.  A further twenty three talks and two well attended poster sessions were squeezed into a packed programme, which even allowed time for a conference dinner on Wednesday evening at the picturesque Goldney Hall.

[su_lightbox type=”image” src=”/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_20170620_131803731_HDR-scaled.jpg” mobile=”yes” class=””]Digitimer display at Sensory Motor Meeting[/su_lightbox]The Digitimer display at the Sensory-Motor Conference

We are not yet aware of a venue or date for the 3rd UK Sensory Motor conference, but judging by the enthusiasm of the participants at Bristol, we fully expect this annual conference to grow in strength in the coming years and wish it every success.