Pictured above : Participants of LBBB 1 (1989) and the Blue Monkey bar
Pictured below: Participants of LBBB 18 (2024) and the Blue Monkey icon
Little Brain Big Brain is a meeting like no other
Over the years LBBB has become a biennial young investigators meeting with a solid reputation in the field. Many of the pioneers of LBBB and the later participants went on to become leaders in neurogastroenterology.
Although many participants have attended LBBB, there is only one participant that was present at (nearly) all LBBB meetings. Blue Monkey is the mascot of LBBB and refers to the Blue Monkey Bar where, according to the legend, attendees of the first LBBB ended up. Receiving Blue Monkey endows the responsibility to organize the next meeting to the high scientific standards of LBBB.
History of LBBB
This is the story of the foundation of LBBB, and its Blue Monkey, as told by one of the founders, Prof. Dr. Michael Schemann:
In 1988, at a bar close to Munich, Paul Enck and Michael Schemann discussed the idea of having a meeting with a special and up to that date novel format. First, it was for young investigators only (The definition of “young” turned out to be difficult. Thus we decided that young is everyone who looks younger than Paul). Secondly, it was for colleagues who were still able to make up themselves Krebs solution. Third, the science to be presented had to be absolutely novel and right from the bench. Fourth, the time for presentation was limited to 15-20 minutes but with open end discussion. Thus the schedule was never on time, and we only had to make sure that we break for food. The record discussion time was almost 2 hrs long after a talk from Sean Ward on ICC cells. Fifth, the meeting was by invitation only, limited to a maximum of 30 people. Sixth, we decided to have two senior chairs who had to moderate the discussion. Seventh, all costs including accommodation, meals and travel should be fully covered. Last but not least, it was decided to name it Little Brain Big Brain Meeting. The idea was to discuss issues related to control of gut functions and cell behavior by nerves.
Since then, LBBB has run almost uninterrupted biennially and has been attended by a large number of the current leaders in neurogastroenterology. Being a selected participant indicates you are an emerging leader in neurogastroenterology, and previous participants have formed close friendships and collaborations that continue to fuel the field today.
Dive into the rich history of the science at LBBB and have a look at these previous meeting reports. Please contact us if you have any missing meeting reports or interesting information on LBBB’s history!
XVIIIth LBBB – November 2024 – Suphan Buri, Thailand
Organized by Kristen Smith-Edwards, Khalil Ramadi, Alyce Martin, Alain Benitez and Ada Koo
XVIIth LBBB – September 2022 – Heilighkretzal, Germany
Organized by Peter Neckel, Constanza Alcaino, Florencia Carbone and Naomi Tjaden
The Blue monkey re-appears in Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, this time talking about the anonymisation process of LBBB applications: Alcaino, C, Carbone F, Neckel PH & Tjaden NEB. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2023). Feb; 20: 197-198. doi: 10.1038/s41575-023-00747-6
XVIth LBBB – March 2020/2021 – Adelaide, Australia (online meeting)
Organized by Marlene Hao, Lincon Stamp, Simona Carbone, Luke Grundy and Jaime Foong
XVth LBBB – August 2018 – Kleve, Germany
Organized by John Broad, Barbara Voussen, Roeland Buckinx and Nazar Mazurak
XIVth LBBB – 2016 – Santa Cruz, USA
Organized by Arthur Beyder, Guillaume de Lartigue, Jean-Eric Ghia and Jill M Hoffman
In 2017, the Blue Monkey made it’s first appearance in Nature Reviews Neurogastroenterology and Hepatology. Check out the comment paper on the XIVth Little Brain Big Brain meeting: Beyder A., de Lartigue G., Ghia J.-E. and Hoffman J.M. XIVth Little Brain Big Brain: next-generation enteric neuroscience. March 2017. 14:135-136
XIII LBBB - 2014 - Guangzhou, China
Organised by Patrick Hughes , Tanya Little , Stuart Brierley, Amanda Page and Montri Gururatsakul.
XII LBBB - 2012 - Leuven, Belgium
Organised by Lukas Van Oudenhove, Ricard Farré and Werend Boesmans
XI LBBB - 2009 - Kenosha, WI, USA
Organised by David Linden, Simon Gibbons, Helen Raybould and G. Richard Locke
X LBBB -2007- Jeju, South Korea
Organised by Insuk So and others
IX LBBB - 2005 - Toulouse, France
Organised by Hélène Eutamène, Roberto De Giorgio and Vassilia Théodorou
VIII LBBB - 2003 - S’Agaroa, Spain
Organised by Marcel Jiménez, Mary F. Otterson and Seán M. Ward
VII LBBB - 2001 - Madison, WI, USA (Cancelled)
VIth LBBB – September 1999 – Bilzen, Belgium
Organized by Jan Tack, Guy Boeckxstaens and Jean-Pierre Timmermans
Vth LBBB – February 1998 – Victoria, Australia
Organized by Heather Young, Simon Brookes and Ashley Blackshaw
IVth LBBB – October/November 1995 – Munich, Germany
Organized by Hans Allescher.
IIIrd LBBB – August 1993 – Lancaster, Canada
Organized by Phil Collman, Gary Mawe, Mary Otterson, John Wiley and Keith Sharkey
IInd LBBB – November 1991 – Kansai, Japan
Organized by Kenji Tamura, Michael Schemann and Paul Enck
Grundy D & Wood JD, J. Gastrointest. Mot.* (1992) 4, 77-78 – DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.1992.tb00082.x
* J. Gastrointest. Mot. was the predecessor of Neurogastroenterol. Motil.
Comments from Prof. Dr. Michael Schemann: “ For the next LBBB Meeting which took place in some remote youth hostel in Japan (co-organised by Kenji Tamura), Jan Schuurkes (at that time a young pharmacologist with Janssen Pharmaceuticals) brought a blue monkey which he found at some airport shop in Asia. This monkey became the LBBB mascot and was passed on to every organizer. Everyone was in favor that the LBBB idea needs to continue and should be organized just before the International Motility meetings. Financing the Japan meeting was quite a challenge and only possible through the generous support by Cilag, Germany. In Japan Paul Enck and Michael Schemann suggested to pass on the responsibility for organizing LBBB meetings. Keith Sharkey received the blue monkey and organized the third LBBB in Canada. From then on LBBB took place every other year. Soon it became a tradition that continues to this date.”
Inaugural LBBB meeting - October 1989 - Gmunden, Austria
Organized by Paul Enck and Michael Schemann
Comments from Prof. Dr. Michael Schemann: “Paul Enck and Michael Schemann organised the first LBBB Meeting in the Army Barracks in Munich (budget of 10 Euro per day including meals). This was possible through the help of Claus Mayer (known from the Mayer and Wood papers) who was a General in the German Army. All participants went on to the Meeting of the International Motility Society in Gmunden, Austria (that is how the meeting was called in these days) with a bus. The LBBB meeting was scientifically but most importantly socially extremely intense (also hard on the liver). Some of us went to the house of 100 beers in Munich almost every night and some may have even tried all the hundred (but that is a rumor). While all knew each other quite well before, we became friends during the meeting and decided that we keep on socializing also in Gmunden. We (I think it was Helen Raybould) found a very nice bar in the center of Gmunden called “Blue Monkey” (it still exists and has by now a website) and met every night for a couple of beers. “
