WFSBP 2019 Preliminary Program

WFSBP 2019 3 Dear Colleagues, We are delighted to invite you to attend the 14 th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, a biennial conference of the World Federation of the Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP), in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, from 2 to 6 June, 2019. The theme of the congress, “Neuroscience Discoveries and Translation to Clinical Practice” , was chosen to address two major challenges plaguing the field of mental health, i.e. slow prog- ress in new discoveries, and barriers to evidence-based application of new discoveries in day- to-day clinical practice to improve patient care. The congress will address cutting edge topics through plenaries, roundtable debates, workshops, symposia and short oral presentation ses- sions. Priority will be given to symposia and workshop proposals that report on new methods and tools in biological psychiatry and psychopharmacology and their translational aspects. Several promising new technologies and discoveries are on the horizon in biological psychiatry, and this congress will provide an ideal forum to exchange knowledge related to these innovations in order to advance the field. Some of the key topics that will be addressed in the keynote lectures, plenaries and debates will include leveraging technology to advance discoveries in neuroscience, machine learning and big data, precision medicine and biomarkers, bioinformatics, innovations in clinical trial designs, drug discovery and neuroinflammation. Educational sessions and courses will be offered on pragmatic topics that are of immediate relevance from research and clinical practice perspectives to trainees and clinicians. In addition to state-of-the-art science, Vancouver offers many wonderful tourist activities. Stroll the seawall, explore Stanley Park, shop the Granville Island market, enjoy the downtown museums and galleries, and sample the local seafood specialties – all these experiences and many more are within a few minutes’ walk of the conference centre. We look forward to welcoming you to the congress! Prof. Masatoshi Takeda WFSBP President Prof. Lakshmi N. Yatham Chair, International Scientific Program Committee, President-Elect Prof. Raymond W. Lam Chair of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Invitation to the 14 th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry Masatoshi Takeda Lakshmi N. Yatham Raymond W. Lam