Workshop in sex-role evolution (Hungary)

WORKSHOP INVITATION

SEX-ROLE EVOLUTION: INTEGRATING NEURAL, BEHAVIOURAL AND PHYLOGENETIC APPROACHES

We are glad to invite you to our Workshop that will take place between 6th April 2017 and 9th April 2017 in Tihany, Hungary. The event will start with wine-tasting on Thursday 6 April, will include 2 full days for research talks by top scientists, post-docs and students, and an optional excursion on Sunday to a hot spa (Heviz) and/or the historic Festetics Palace in Keszthely.

Theoretical, experimental, phylogenetic, demographic and neuro-genomic studies of sexual selection, mating systems, pair-bonding, parenting and reproductive behaviours are rapidly advancing. The objectives of the workshop are to overview recent developments in sex roles and associated behaviours, and allow scientists and students to develop new ideas. The Workshop will take place at the guesthouse of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences at Lake Balaton. The guesthouse offers a great venue for up to 60 participants, see www.blki.hu/vendeghaz/index_en.html

Balaton is a major tourist destination in Central Europe (see http://balaton.gotohungary.com/), and the Workshop will be before the peak tourist season; so we’ll have all the scenery, folklore and tradition without the crowd. Balaton is one of the best wine-growing regions in Hungary famous for white wines including the Szurkebarat and Juhfark.

The Workshop will focus on three main themes:

(i) behavioural variations in sex roles and their ecological and demographic causes,

(ii) phylogenetic analyses of sex role variations, and

(iii) neuro-genomic regulation of sex roles.

In each theme there will be seminars by invited speakers and contributions by young scientists, post-docs and PhD students. We will also discuss the future of sex role research: what are the outstanding questions, what techniques will need to be developed, and how should the field as such develop. The combination of different research skills and variety of model organisms will provide outstanding opportunities to synthesize major research directions.

Confirmed invited speakers include:



1. Variations in sex roles


Professor Franjo Weissing

University of Groningen, Groningen


Dr Franziska Lemmel-Schadelin

University of Veterinarian Medicine, Vienna


Dr Lutz Fromhage

University of Jyvaskyla, Jyveskyla


Professor Wolfgang Goymann

Max Planck Institute, Radolfzell


Professor Jan Komdeur

University of Groningen, Groningen



2. Phylogenetic approach to sex roles


Dr Laszlo Garamszegi

Donana Biological Station, Sevilla


Dr Elina Immonen

University of Uppsala, Uppsala


Professor Jean-Michael Gaillard

CNRS-University of Lyon, Lyon


Dr Veronika Bokony

Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest



3. Neuro-genomic regularion of sex roles


Dr Dora Zelena

Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest


Dr Araxi Urrutia

University of Bath, Bath


Dr Clemens Kupper

Max Planck Institute, Seewiesen


Professor Hans Hofmann

University of Texas, Austin


Registration fee that includes the welcome wine-tasting on Thursday and the farewell dinner on Saturday will be 80 EUR for students and 125 EUR for non-students. Accommodation will be around 25 EUR per night in shared rooms, and 30-40 EUR per night in single rooms or apartments. Lunch and dinner will be around 10-15 EUR per meal.

Spaces are limited to 60 and we will give priority to students offering a talk. This will be an excellent training opportunity for young scientists, and we encourage senior scientists to bring along their students and post-docs. We recommend registering early, since spaces will rapidly fill up.

Application deadline: Friday, 17 February 2017. Registration will be available soon on the workshop website. For scientific details feel free contacting one of the organisers. For administrative questions and further information on the venue, please, contact Bea Golovanova, CongressLine Ltd. Address: Revay koz 2, H-1065 Budapest, Hungary. Phone: + 36 1 429 0146. E-mail: golob@congressline.hu

This will be a family-friendly event so do consider bringing along your family. CongressLine Ltd will be glad to accommodate individual requests so that you’ll benefit from the off-season prices around Balaton.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,



Prof Arpad Dobolyi, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, dobolyia@caesar.elte.hu, dobolyi.arpad@med.semmelweis-univ.hu

Prof Andras Liker, University of Pannonia, andras.liker@gmail.com

Prof Tamas Szekely, University of Bath, T.Szekely@bath.ac.uk