Sidarta Ribeiro chairs conference on neurosciences, cannabis and psychedelics

Neuroscientist and Professor at Instituto do Cérebro, Sidarta Ribeiro, will be the main speaker at the Conference “The Future of Neurosciences, mental illnesses and psychedelic-based treatments”, which takes place online the next day. March 29, between 09:13 and 30:XNUMX. Organized by Piauhy Labs, the Agora Conference also has the participation of Elmo Resende, scientific director of Piauhy, Renato Malcher Lopes, from the University of Brasília (UnB), Miguel Castelo Branco, from the University of Coimbra and Renata Morais, from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). 

The Ágora conference, which takes place in English, has Biocant and the University of Aveiro as partners and will address advances in neuroscience and natural language computational processing with implications for mental health. The focus will be the early diagnosis of disorders such as schizophrenia and the treatment of mood disorders through psychotherapy assisted by psychedelic substances that induce neural plasticity.

The main speaker, Sidarta Ribeiro, is a professor of Neurosciences at the Instituto do Cérebro, at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and author of more than 100 scientific articles, in addition to 5 books, including the bestseller from the New York Times “The Night Oracle: The History and Science of Dreams”. Bachelor in Biology from the University of Brasília (1993), Master in Biophysics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1994) and Doctor in Animal Behavior from Rockefeller University (2000), with a postdoctoral degree in Neurophysiology from Duke University (2005), Sidarta has experience in neuroethology, molecular neurobiology and systems neurophysiology, with an interest in the following topics: memory, sleep and dreams; neuronal plasticity; vocal communication; symbolic competence in non-human animals; computational psychiatry; neuroeducation; medical cannabis; psychedelics and drug policy. His speech at the conference will focus on “The Frontiers of Neuroscience and Mental Health in the XNUMXst Century” and will address the potential of cannabis and psychedelics in mental illness.

Eduardo Sampaio, CEO of Piauhy Labs

According to Eduardo Sampaio, CEO of Piauhy Labs, there were two main reasons why Piauhy decided to embark on organizing this event. “One of the pillars of Piauhy Labs is a brutal scientific curiosity, especially for neurological diseases that have the potential to be treated with innovative approaches. In particular, we believe that by modulating the endocannabinoid system we can further regulate the anti-inflammatory and excitatory response in the brain, treating diseases such as autism, epilepsy and Alzheimer's. The second reason is that one of the means to achieve this is to publicly share these goals and bring together world-class scientists to debate the future and explore the next frontiers of neuroscience”, he explained to Cannareporter, who is a Media Partner of this event. The conference will explore the next frontiers of mental health, from new therapies to new medicines and new applied technologies. The Piauhy Labs research team is currently conducting research to identify alternative treatments for mental disorders such as autism, schizophrenia or refractory epilepsy.

The potential of cannabinoids in Autism
Renato Malcher Lopes, from the University of Brasília, will talk about the neurobiological basis for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. “We will explore information that relates the functions of the endocannabinoid system to the etiology of autism. We will also discuss the most specific scientific data on the use of phytocannabinoids to treat autism symptoms in animal models and in human clinical studies. We will supplement this discussion with speculation, still incipient, about the possible benefits of using psilocybin, alone or in combination with cannabinoids, for the treatment of such symptoms,” he explained to Cannareporter.

The benefits of minor cannabinoids and psychedelics on human health
Elmo Resende, scientific director of Piauhy, will address “Minor cannabinoids and human health”. “We will talk about the importance of minor cannabinoids in human health, their extraction and identification. We will complement the presentation by talking about cannabinoid biosynthesis and its potential for the pharmaceutical industry”, he says in statements to Cannareporter.

Miguel Castelo Branco, from the University of Coimbra, will present “The Mechanisms of Action of Psychedelics and Their Potential Use in Mental Health Disorders”. According to the UC Professor, “In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the role of psychedelics and their potential role in neurotherapeutics. In fact, they can be classified as psychoplastogens, a class of compounds that promote neural plasticity.” At the conference, Castelo Branco will discuss the mechanisms of action of psychedelics and their potential use in neuropsychiatric disorders to address maladaptive behavioral changes that characterize these brain conditions.

Renata Morais, from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, will dedicate her intervention to the “Interconnectivity between artificial intelligence, metaverse and mental health”.

O Piauhy Labs is a Europe-based biotechnology pharmaceutical company focused on neuroscience and medical cannabis, committed to producing high quality personalized medicines. Conference registration is price quotation, more mandatory, and can be performed here.

Agenda:

• 9:00 – 9:10: Eduardo Sampaio- CEO Piauhy Labs – “Research for the Future”
• 9:15 – 9:45: Elmo Resende – “Minor cannabinoids and human health”
• 9:40 -10:30: Miguel Castelo Branco – “The Mechanisms of Action of Psychedelics and Their Potential Use in Mental Health Disorders”
• 10:35 – 11:15: Renato Malcher Lopes: “The neurobiological basis for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders”
• 11:20 – 12:00 Renata Morais : “The interconnectivity between artificial intelligence, metaverse and mental health”
• 12:00 -12:40 : Sidarta Ribeiro : Frontiers of Neuroscience and Mental Health in the XNUMXst Century
• 12:45 - 13:30 : Discussion and Q&A