Summer School on Stress: From Hans Selye’s original concept to recent advances

• An interactive educational experience -

Organized by: Selye International Institute for Advanced Studies & IUPHAR GI Section

Hosted by: Osaka City University School of Medicine

Original program accredited by: University of California-Irvine, School of Medicine

June 23 - 26, 2018, Osaka, Japan

Course directors: Profs. Arpad Somogyi, Sandor Szabo & Yvette Tache                                                                                

 (All former PhD students of Hans Selye, the ‘father of biologic stress’; hence the school is very authentic, free of frequent distortions & over-implications of stress. It is comprehensive & interactive since it covers virtually all aspects of stress, based in part by oral or poster presentations of participants.)

Faculty:  Internationally known experts & investigators (e.g., basic scientists & clinicians) who made original discoveries in the field of stress research & stress-related diseases, as well as local & regional experts.

Course goals: better understanding the concept of biologic stress, its manifestations, mechanisms & its pharmacologic ramifications (e.g., the anti-inflammatory & immune-modulating actions of glucocorticoids & the possibility of drug-interventions in severe distress), & to learn new avoidance, management & coping strategies. Certificate of attendance will be provided!

Main topics:

• The origins of stress concept &  the seminal discoveries of Hans Selye
• What is stress, what is not
• Stress: distress vs. eustress & transtress – similarities in the adrenal glands, big difference in the brain
• The neuroendocrine mechanisms of stress; physiologic & pharmacologic actions of glucocorticoids
• Effect of stress on immune response & its role in the mechanisms of various diseases
• Stress & structural GI diseases, e.g., gastro-duodenal ulcers, IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases)
• Stress & functional GI disorders, e.g., motility disorders, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
• PTSD & organ systems involved in biologic stress
• Management strategies for stress: Pharmacologic interventions and/or life style changes
• My good & bad experience with stress: Challenges & lessons learned (Short, oral or poster presentations by attendees)
• Stress in our daily lives – from distress to eustress: Open forum with participation of all registered attendees

Venue:  Osaka, Japan –  After five years of annual conferences in several countries of Europe, the 6th Summer School on Stress will be held Osaka, Japan. The course directors thank Professor Tetsuo Arakawa, president of Osaka City University and Professor Kazuhide Higuchi, chairman of the Department of Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School for hosting this renown and focused international conference on stress and stress-related diseases. The conference will be held at the famous Conrad Hotel, not far from the historic Osaka Castle.                         

Chair of Local Organizing Committee:  Prof. Kazuhide Higuchi, MD, PhD

Abstracts submission (for oral or poster presentation): Abstracts should be sent to Prof. Martina Rojnic-Kuzman mrojnic@gmail.com   before the deadline of  May 10, 2018.  Authors of submitted abstracts get 20 euros discount (enter Abstract2017 code at checkout!)

Registration fee (includes access to all presentations, course material, lunch, coffee breaks, welcome reception & one group dinner & one sight-seeing tour): 120 euros for undergraduate students; 150 euros for PhD students ; 200 euros for others. Please register at our website: www.stresseducation.org

Contacts:  For scientific & professional issues:  Sandor Szabo, MD, PhD, MPH  szs@selyeinstitute.org . For local issues, including accommodations: Yoshiki Kunitomo/Rina Shiratori, Secretariat of Summer School on Stress 2018, c/o Keiso Shobo Publishing Co., LTD, Address: 2-1-1 Suido, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 112-0005, Japan. Tel: +81-3-3814-7112/Fax: +81-3-3814-6904. Email: sss2018@keiso-comm.com