First Pavlov State Medical University, St.-Petersburg

The 7th St.-Petersburg Brain Awareness Week “Emotions” provided cutting-edge knowledge of how neuroscientists are rethinking the emotions along with new discoveries in the brain science. This year the event was converted into online format with full retention of the announced Program.Topics of lectures included pioneering theories (“Emotiostasis” and addiction: new point from the position of Anokhin theory”, Day 1), as well as very basic talks (“Emotions, non-verbal communication, laugh, brain”, Day 5) and discussions e.g. how emotions can affect health or disease (“Emotions and psychosomatic issues”, “Hormones, emotions, stress”, Day 4).Specific target-focused events were presented as workshop “Emotion-based therapy in children with autism” (Day 2), and master-classes “Musical therapy: correction and prevention of emotional disorders” and “Methods of self-diagnosis and correction of psycho-emotional state” (Day 3).The “University Saturday for school children” (Day 6) finished the Week. The set of short talks (“Are emotions in the 21st century belong to the past or the future?”, “Emotional manifestations”, “Emotions and pain”, and “Emotional intellect”) was presented by young physicians.The goals of BAW “Emotions” – to spread the nowadays knowledge about scientific background of emotions, to discuss how emotions can be both a source of some psychosomatic diseases and the origin for different types of emotion-based therapy, to meet specific target audience (parents, tutors, caregivers) with the experts – were achieved. The fact that BAW 2020 “Emotions” was conducted online had at least the advantage that we received immediate comments and feedback on the lectures, and this allowed us to confirm the above conclusion.

One of the significant indicators, probably, could be the fact that the participants were waiting for the coming BAW. When it became clear that the BAW 2020 format would be online, we received many regrettable emails. In the comments to the uploaded workshop videos, we found such remarks as “this information was very important for small towns.” This suggests that the lectures given in St. Petersburg also benefited other communities interested in learning about advances in neuroscience.

Combined with real meetings, the online format can be helpful. This allows you to significantly expand your audience.