International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (ISAN)

Welcome to the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (ISAN) and to the new ISAN home page. Here you will find information about the society, and links to the past or future meetings, opportunities to work or study in autonomic neuroscience, other relevant societies, as well as members and membership application and renewal.

The autonomic nervous system comprises the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions, and the enteric nervous system, and regulates vital physiological functions, including heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, gastrointestinal motility and secretion, gut microbiota, metabolism, immunity, and inflammation. This regulation, which is based on the bidirectional CNS – visceral organ communication through autonomic nerves, maintains homeostasis and is critical to survival.  Autonomic dysregulation is implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous debilitating and lethal diseases.

We still have much to learn about the autonomic nervous system. Ongoing multidisciplinary research provides new insight into the functional anatomy and the molecular mechanisms underlying the autonomic neural regulation and their alterations in disease settings. This research utilizes state-of-the-art methodologies, including optogenetics, chemogenetics, targeted pharmacology, genetically encoded neuronal mapping and imaging, and advances in bioengineering, machine learning, and AI. Discoveries stemming from this work result in novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolic, inflammatory, and many other diseases. The recent successful clinical exploration of neuromodulation under the umbrella of Bioelectronic Medicine is a prominent example.

ISAN provides a forum for interaction among the diverse and growing community of scientists, clinicians, and trainees, studying the autonomic nervous system across the globe. I am excited to be a part of this amazing organization, which fosters an open dialogue and collaborations aimed at advancing our understanding of the autonomic neural regulation and utilizing this knowledge in novel diagnostic and treatment approaches with the goal to improve human health.

With best wishes,

Valentin A. Pavlov

President