Report: The 15th BRI International Symposium

The 15th annual BRI symposium took place at Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, on March 15, 2025. This year's theme was "Single-Cell Sequencing and Spatial Transcriptomics for the Research of Brain Tumors and other brain diseases."

At this international symposium, presentations on the application of single-cell analysis and spatial transcriptomics to elucidate the pathophysiology of various diseases--including brain arteriovenous malformations, Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, and brain tumors--were followed by lively discussions among researchers from diverse specialties, making the event a highly stimulating and engaging experience.

From overseas, Dr. Annie Huang (The Hospital for Sick Children), Dr. Fausto Rodriguez (University of California, Los Angeles), and Dr. Satoru Osuka (University of Alabama at Birmingham) delivered in-person lectures, while Dr. Ed Lein (University of Washington) and Dr. Dana Silverbush (University of Pennsylvania) participated online. From Japan, Dr. Chung-Chau Hon (RIKEN), Dr. Masashi Nomura (The University of Tokyo), Dr. Yuhei Takado (QST), and Dr. Nariko Arimura (Tohoku University), along with BRI researchers Dr. Masaki Ueno, Dr. Norikazu Hara, and myself, presented their latest research findings. The symposium was notable for three key aspects: (1) it was a methodology-oriented symposium rather than a disease-specific symposium that brought together researchers from various fields using shared analytical approaches; (2) it fostered interdisciplinary exchange among basic researchers, clinicians, and pathologists; and (3) it featured participation by leading researchers from both Japan and abroad in their respective fields. The discussions provided valuable feedback and suggestions for future research, as well as inspiring ideas for potential collaborative projects.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the speakers, session chairs, and participants of the symposium, as well as to the many administrative staff who supported the event and colleagues in the Department of Neurosurgery who were involved in its preparation and management.

By Manabu Natsumeda (Advanced Treatment of Neurological Diseases Branch, Dept. of Neurosurgery)

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