International Society for the History of the Neurosciences (ISHN)
 

ISHN2025 | Paris, France | How to Join the ISHN | Board of Directors | Membership Directory (PDF file) | Awards and Prizes | News






ISHN2025-Paris Announcement, Call for Abstracts, and Submission Instructions
(1-5 July 2025 in Paris, France)

ISHN2025 Preliminary Program

ISHN2025 Preview (PDF slideshow)

ISHN2025 Logo: About the Artist (Christelle Tea)

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2025 schedule of ISHN's series of Neurohistory Programs
hosted by Peter Koehler:

ISHN Monthly Virtual Programs

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Past Annual Meetings

Journal of the History of the Neurosciences: Basic and Clinical Perspectives
(open this link in New Tab or in New Page)


The International Society for the History of the Neurosciences (ISHN) was founded in Montreal on May 14, 1995. Its mission is to:

  • improve communication between individuals and groups interested in the history of neuroscience;
  • promote research in the history of neuroscience; and
  • promote education in and stimulate interest for the history of neuroscience.

The Journal of the History of the Neurosciences: Basic and Clinical Perspectives (open this link in New Tab or in New Page), the official organ of the society, is published by Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis). Now in its thirty-fourth year (2025), publishing four issues per volume, the Journal provides a forum for investigations in the field of neuroscience history, as broadly defined, including the history of basic, clinical, and behavioral neurosciences, ancient and non-western topics, and significant individuals, events, and technical advances. ISHN is a focal point for those interested in neuroscience history and offers, through its journal and annual meeting, opportunities to contribute to this rapidly growing field.


ISHN Membership Directory

2025 Membership Directory - Personal Data Sheet   (PDF: 2 pages)
All new and continuing members should print and complete a "2025 Membership Directory - Personal Data Sheet" and mail or email it to the ISHN Webmaster.



 
HOW TO JOIN THE ISHN

FULL MEMBERSHIP (US$45) in the ISHN for the calendar year January-December 2025 supports production of the Journal of the History of Neurosciences (JHN), hosting our Annual Meeting for an affordable registration fee, the ISHN-L listserv, the society’s website, and monthly online programs in the history of the neurosciences. ISHN is a volunteer organization that welcomes participation of its members.

Journal of the History of the Neurociences (JHN) now is publishing online only, without a print edition, for individuals. Because many members are able to access the online journal without an individual subscription fee (through their home institutions’ licenses), we separated ISHN Membership and JHN Online Annual Subscriptions. ISHN members may register for an annual individual online subscription to JHN for US$40.

To begin or renew a Full Membership in the ISHN, with or without an additional subscription to the journal, please see Instructions on the second page of our Application for Full Membership information notice. Taylor and Francis will send you a pro-forma invoice and additional instructions for completing payment.

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP (Free) includes all privileges and mailings for the calendar year January-December 2025, and does not include an annual subscription to the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences. The signature of a Faculty Sponsor (academic or research advisor, chair of the student's department, or a faculty member of the student's major department) is required as confirmation of the applicant's student status. Print and complete the STUDENT Membership application and renewal form and mail it to the ISHN Secretary, Yuri Zagvazdin.

For more information, please contact the ISHN Secretary:

Yuri Zagvazdin
College of Medical Sciences
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33328 USA

E-mail: yuri AT nova.edu


 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Olivier Walusinski, President
Brou, France
E-mail:  walusinski AT baillement.com

[to be determined], President-elect
E-mail:  [to be determined]

Yuri Zagvazdin, Secretary
E-mail:  yuri AT nova.edu

Diane Friedman, Treasurer
E-mail:  rjohnson AT library.ucla.edu [Diane Friedman's email is offline]

Russell A. Johnson, Past President
E-mail:  rjohnson AT library.ucla.edu

Marjorie Lorch, Member-at-Large (2018-2025)
E-mail:  m.lorch AT bbk.ac.uk

Elisabetta Sirgiovanni, Member-at-Large (2021-2025)
E-mail:  elisabetta.sirgiovanni AT uniroma1.it

Peter J. Koehler, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the History of the Neurosciences
E-mail:  pkoehler AT neurohistory.nl

Frank W. Stahnisch, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the History of the Neurosciences
E-mail:  fwstahni AT ucalgary.ca

Paul B. Foley, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the History of the Neurosciences
E-mail:  [email address]


[Former Officers]


 
ANNUAL MEETINGS



 
AWARDS & PRIZES

Annual and Biennial Awards and Honors

The International Society for the History of the Neurosciences and its official publication, the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, offer the following biennial prizes to honor outstanding and distinguished scholarship in the history of the neurosciences:

At meetings held in odd-numbered years, the ISHN will award prizes for (1) Outstanding Article in the History of the Neurosciences and (2) Outstanding Student Essay in the History of the Neurosciences

At meetings held in even-numbered years, the ISHN will award prizes for Outstanding Book in the History of the Neurosciences.

Further information about the 2025 awards may be obtained from the Chair of the ISHN Awards and Prizes Committee:

Douglas Lanska
E-mail: douglas.lanska AT gmail.com

The prizes will be awarded at the Society's annual meeting.

The Lifetime Contribution to the History of the Neurosciences Award may be given annually, at the discretion of the Committee.

Further information about the award for Lifetime Contribution to the History of the Neurosciences may be obtained from the Chair of the ISHN Lifetime Contribution Award Committee:

Dr. Axel Karenberg
History of Medicine and Medical Ethics
University of Cologne
Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 9
D-50931 Cologne
GERMANY
E-mail:  ajg02 AT uni-koeln.de

Award and Prize Recipients

For more details, see: Guidelines for ISHN Awards and Prizes



 
ISHN 25th Anniversary Video

ISHN 25th Anniversary Video
by Wendy Finger, 2021
(running time 34:23)

 ISHN 25th Anniversary Video


 
STATEMENT from the Board of ISHN (April 2022; updated 2023 to include Rennes meeting)

More than an organization for scholars interested in the history of the neurosciences, the ISHN (International Society for the History of the Neurosciences) is a society of friends sharing common goals, including exchanging ideas and furthering education. It has warmly welcomed members from all over the world irrespective of regional politics and has served as a model for how people from different countries and backgrounds can respect and work with one another. As an academic society, we are committed to values of reason and tolerance, and believe diplomacy and dialogue are the only legitimate means of resolving divergences among nations.

We stand with other scholarly organizations wanting to help the victims of the invasion of Ukraine, and we support the courageous Russian academics and other dissidents opposing Russia’s aggressive actions.

Hence:

Registration fees will be waived for Ukrainian academics and students interested in the history of the neurosciences, to help them attend the ISHN meeting in Rennes this July. They also are invited to apply for stipends to help cover other costs.

Should the income from our annual meeting exceed our expenses, the surplus will be donated to a humanitarian charity to help the innocent people displaced by Russia’s war rebuild their lives and their schools.



 
NEWS

News from ISHN2024

  • ISHN President Russell A. Johnson presided at the 2024 meeting, held as an online/remote/virtual conference via Zoom, 25-27 June 2024. The meeting was hosted by UCLA in Los Angeles, California, USA.
  • Olivier Walusinski (Private practice, Brou, France) has accepted and assumed the office of ISHN President for 2024-2025.
  • An online/remote/virtual meeting of the ISHN membership will be scheduled for September 2024, to recruit a President-elect and fill other offices as needed, and to deliver a membership and activities update.
  • ISHN2024 Secretary's Summary Report (August 2024)


News from the ISHN Board

  • The year 2025 will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jean-Martin Charcot. The Journal of the History of the Neurosciences (JHN) plans a double issue that will celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of this seminal figure in the history of medicine and neurology, illustrate the range and robustness of current-day scholarship on Charcot, and foster continued research projecting into a third century of Charcot's legacy. (Call for Abstracts)

International Society for the History of the Neurosciences (ISHN) home page
http://www.ishn.org

Last modified: 5 January 2025