GNC support the attendance of student members at the Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2023, and bring home the prizes

The Neuroscience Ireland (NSI) Annual conference brings together the leading minds of Irish, European and International neuroscience to dive deep into the mysteries of the human brain. This year was the first in-person event since 2019, much longed for by Irish neuroscientists after a long break! The conference is a pivotal forum for interdisciplinary collaboration and pushing the frontiers of neuroscience. Held at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, this year's conference highlighted the fusion of neuroscience, technology, and clinical applications.

The GNC launched a bursary call to support the attendance of its student members at the conference and was delighted to award 10 bursaries to the following students:

Catherine Healy,

Kaushik Narasimhan,

Giulia Comini,

Mary Hopkins,

Daria Mozafar,

Angela Ambrosio,

Ying Zhai,

Aoife O Connell,

Liu Wenyi

Jonathan Costello.

Professor Karen Doyle, GNC PI and President of NSI, opened the 2-day event by welcoming everyone to the meeting. Fascinating talks from early-stage career researchers to leaders in their field, helped stimulate the attendees' minds. Scientists from the University of Galway were well represented in attendance, oral talks, and posters by ECRs. Kaushik Narasimhan, a 4th year GNC PhD student under the supervision of Prof Eilís Dowd, gave a short oral talk on biomaterial microcarriers for sustained dopaminergic neurotrophin delivery in cell-based brain repair in the Parkinsonian rat brain. Dr. Cansu Sahin, a postdoctoral research in Prof Doyle lab, gave a flash talk on developing an electrical impedance sensor to predict clot composition and improve stroke patient outcomes in the acute care setting.

The poster sessions were like a visual tour of the Irish brain research scene, sparking conversations and potential collaborations. GNC members were front and centre of the poster session, and Catherine Healy, a PhD student in Prof David Finns lab, received runner up poster prize for her poster on “Pain-related behavioural characterisation of the rat hind paw ischemia reperfusion model”

Guest speakers' talks ranged from clinical and translational, molecular and cellular, behavioural and cognitive, to advances in technology and computational neuroscience, with a fantastic session on

new research horizons in Alzheimer’s disease. This was an excellent meeting blending cutting-edge research with engaging PPI, opening the research discussion with Dementia Research Network Ireland and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Abundant networking opportunities, including a wonderful banquet dinner, facilitated plenty of meaningful connections. Attendees departed enriched with new perspectives and collaborations, invigorated in their quest to advance Irish neuroscience.

*images of GNC Bursary recipients at their posters at the NSI2023 conference