ICNA: Brief History and Past Conferences
Brief history
The International Conference on Neuroprotective Agents (ICNA) began thanks to the foresight and dedication of Drs. William Slikker, Jr. and Bruce Trembly. The initial ICNA meeting was held in Rockland, Maine, in 1991, with meetings held every other year since 1994 at various venues in the U.S. – and also in Lake Como, Italy (1996), Quebec, Canada (2012), Bilbao, Spain 2016), and Cluj, Romania (2022).
ICNA Mission & Vision
The purpose of the ICNA is to bring together clinical and basic science researchers from many countries and disciplines in a common forum to address various approaches to neuroprotection. The atmosphere is intentionally relaxed and informal in order to foster the free exchange of ideas and concepts among the participants. Virtually all registrants give either an oral or poster presentation, and informal discussions are an integral part of each session. The conferences have been held in relatively small venues to encourage interaction among the participants outside of the formal sessions, e.g. during meals, receptions, outings, and spontaneous evening discussions.
Conference Structure
The 2024 ICNA begins with a welcoming reception Monday evening. Oral presentations begin Tuesday morning, with morning and afternoon sessions. On Wednesday there are morning presentations followed by a group outing Wednesday afternoon and evening at a local scenic site and restaurant. On Thursday there are morning presentations prior to conference conclusion at mid-day. There are no parallel sessions so all participants can appreciate all presentations, with interdisciplinary discussions. Each session typically has presentations on a common topic or theme in neuroprotection; a panel discussion with questions from the other participants concludes each session. An integral poster session is held to foster maximal involvement by all participants.
ICNA Proceedings
The proceedings of the second through ninth ICNA conferences were published in the series Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. The proceedings of the tenth ICNA conference were published in the American Journal of Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration. The proceedings of the most recent ICNA Conference have been published in Molecular Neurobiology and Experimental Biology and Medicine.
A timeline of the ICNA conferences follows below:
15th ICNA
2022
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
14th ICNA
2018
Estes Park, CO, USA
13th ICNA
2016
Bilbao, Spain
12th ICNA
2014
Charlottesville, VA, USA
11th ICNA
2012
Quebec, Canada
10th ICNA
2010
Pacific Grove, CA, USA
9th ICNA
2008
Woods Hole, MA, USA
8th ICNA
2006
Mackinac Is, MI, USA
7th ICNA
2004
Pacific Grove, CA, USA
6th ICNA
2002
Hilton Head, SC, USA
5th ICNA
2000
Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
4th ICNA
1998
Annapolis, MD, USA
3rd ICNA
1996
Lake Como, Italy
2nd ICNA
1994
Lake George, NY, USA
1st ICNA
1991
Rockland, ME, USA