The GNC Annual Research Day was held on Tuesday the 28th of November in the Human Biology Building 

The meeting began with welcoming the attendees and invited guests by the current GNC Director, Dr Michelle Roche. Prof Peter Doran, Director of the Clinical Trails institute, highlighting the importance of neuroscience research in today’s society given the global burden of CNS disorders. He commending the excellent research being performed the GNC academics, students and researchers and highlighting the need for greater dialogue and discussion between centres and institutes to see greater number of clinical trials for CNS disorders.

The first scientific session was Chaired by Dr Michelle Roche and Dr Eoin McEvoy, and opened with a talk by Dr Jeffery Glennon, UCD, who spoke on the role of insulin and neuroimmune signalling in attentional processing and implications for disorders such as autism and Huntington’s disease. This was followed by a series of short oral presentations by GNC PhD students, with a total of six presentation by early career researchers at the meeting.

The second session was chaired by Dr Siobhan McMahon and Daniela Costa, and included two presentations from new GNC investigators and committee members, Dr Eoin McEvoy and Dr Jamie Concannon. The poster session took place over lunch with 30 posters by early career researchers on display.  

The third session was chaired by Dr Andrea Kwakowsky and Dr Jamie Concannon, and began with a presentation by the second invited speaker, Prof Yvonne Nolan, UCC. Prof Nolan presented her latest research examining the role of the microbiome in Alzheimer’s Disease and the identification of the underlying molecular and biochemical pathways. Dr Catalina Vatalina Vallejo Giraldo, then presented her latest research examining novel biomaterial approaches to limiting brain injury and gliosis association with electrode implantation. This was then followed by a panel discussion on “Neuroscience in Ireland” and included the past, present and future Presidents of Neuroscience Ireland, Prof Eilís Dowd, Prof Karen Doyle and Prof Dara cannon, and the current president of the NSI- early careers researcher network (ECRN), Daniela Costa. This was an informative discussion highlighting the role and support Neuroscience Ireland, FENS and ECRN can provide GNC researchers. The discussion was concluded by tips and advice for undertaking a career as a neuroscientist.

The meeting concluded with the awarding of several prizes for best oral and poster prizes which were supported by Neuronal Signaling.