Introduction
Dear colleagues,
A warm and heartfelt greeting to you as we begin a new year. I trust it is happy, prosperous and productive for you and your families.
The Asian College of Neuropsychopharmacology continues to flourish since its inception in 2008. It now has 8 social members and 57 individual/counterpart members in 17 countries/regions, and more than 3,500 members. This growth in interest is essential for our region to meet the burden of neuropsychiatric disorders. The AsCNP aims to promote cutting edge research and excellence in clinical practice in neuropsychopharmacology in the broad Asian region and beyond. It serves as a vehicle to encourage “research and collaboration to promote the communication of ideas in convergent disciplines of neuropsychopharmacology in Asia”. Through this mission the AsCNP seeks to develop new medicines, technologies, biomarkers and interventions to alleviate the morbidity and mortality of neuropsychiatric disorders in individuals, their families and communities. We are in the most populous region of the world and this mission is vast, hence, it is imperative that we continue to come together to share our ideas, discuss and debate the science and work collegially to achieve our mission.
The key forum for our meeting and discussions is our biennial Congress. This year we have the opportunity to conduct our 9th Congress in partnership with the 36th International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP) Congress and this will be held in Melbourne, Australia from June 15 to 18 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The theme of “Advancing Intelligent Horizons Towards Brain Health” will ensure an intense and exciting program covering recent breakthroughs and advances in our understanding of the pathology and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. I am co-chair with Professor Kazutaka Ikeda, current President of CINP, and whom many of you will know as a recent past-President of AsCNP. Together, we warmly extend an invitation for you and your colleagues to attend to share in the science, the ideas, conversations and of course, the camaraderie that only such a large meeting can provide.
Suresh Sundram
January, 2025