1. Mechanisms of sex determination and sex differentiation
2. Stress and the neuroendocrine system

These workshops will be held in Jordan Hall meeting rooms 2A, B and C from 1:00-6:00 PM on June 26. SBN Registration begins at 5 PM.

The workshops will use the "focus group" format to examine questions related to research on each topic. Following a general introduction to the participants and the questions, the participants will be divided into small groups to discuss one question for one hour. If there are about 30 participants, we will have six groups of 5 people to discuss each question. It is possible for two groups to discuss the same question. At the end of the hour, one person from each focus group will give a report on their answer to the question to the group as a whole and there will be a discussion of the issues raised.

The workshops allow people to meet each other, have informal discussions on common research problems and become familiar with research to be presented during the SBN paper sessions. They are particularly useful for graduate students and those attending SBN for the first time. The workshops could also provide the background for developing collaborative research and possibly for writing a multi-authored "state of the art" review paper.

If you wish to attend the workshop:

Contact Richard Brown via e-mail, telephone, FAX or snail mail regarding the program. This will let us know how many people to prepare for. Refreshments will be provided.

Data are not encouraged, but diagrams of apparatus, examples of software, and photographs illustrating various techniques will be encouraged. NO SLIDES. These are not lectures, but discussions.

Questions for 2000.

The purpose of the workshops is to discuss topical issues in hormones and behaviour. If you have questions for discussion, please send them to me or talk to me at the meeting. Many of this years topics were suggested in previous years.

TIMETABLE: The workshops will begin after lunch to allow people enough time to arrive in the morning.

1:30 PM Introduction: Meet participants and survey questions
2:00-3:00 Individual groups work on questions from Workshop 1.
3:00-4:00 Presentation of Answers to questions from Workshop 1.
4:00-5:00 Individual groups work on questions from Workshop 2.
5:00-6:00 Presentation of Answers to questions from Workshop 2.
5:00- Register for SBN and join welcome celebration

Workshop 1. Mechanisms of sex determination and sex differentiation.

Possible topics for discussion (Not an exclusive list).
1. How does the sex determining gene control sexual determination?
2. How does environmental temperature influence sex determination ?
3. What role do androgens and estrogens play in sexual differentiation?
4. How do hormones regulate sexual differentiation of neural tissues during development?
5. Do environmental estrogens and other environmental teratogens influence sex determination and sexual differentiation?
6. How should parents and doctors treat "errors" of sexual differentiation as occur in congenital adrenal hyperplasia, testicular feminizing syndrome,

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Workshop 2: Stress and the neuroendocrine system.

Possible topics for discussion (Not an exclusive list).
1. What hormones are the "stress hormones"?
2. How do adrenal glucocorticoids influence brain function?
3. Does chronic release of stress hormones cause premature aging?
4. Does childhood stress result in abnormal neuroendocrine responses in adulthood?
5. What is the relationship between the H-P-A system and depression?
6. What is the relationship between stress, the neuroendocrine and immune systems?

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Dr Richard E. Brown
Department of Psychology
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
CANADA B3H 4J1

email: rebrown@is.dal.ca
tel: 902-494-3647
fax: 902-494-6585