Jeff McIlhinney and Ruth Faram went to this year’s FENS conference in Barcelona. With over 7,000 people in attendance, the conference was a showcase for current research, ideas and discussion, spanning the entire field of neuroscience.
Ruth's DPhil project relies heavily on neuroanatomical techniques, yet her host lab primarily researches aspects of protein and molecular biology. FENS was therefore a fantastic opportunity to explore these very different research areas, both jointly and independently – and she gained much insight into how different aspects of neuroscience research can be integrated, coming away with ideas that she would never have thought possible prior to attending the conference. From a DPhil student’s perspective, the ability to present her research to the wider field, and to be involved in critical discussion, was priceless. The conference was an excellent opportunity to network and absorb current thinking in an environment where neuroscience can only flourish, each day offering multiple plenary talks, special lectures and extra symposia.
She received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback during the poster session. The copine-6 immunopositive ‘granule cell-like interneurons’ that are the backbone of her thesis proved interesting to many visitors: specialists in the olfactory bulb, adult neurogenesis and neural development were keen to discuss various aspects of her current research and offer her critical advice. Judging by the smiles of other students from the unit, we all gained a lot from attending FENS, and the location in sunny Barcelona certainly made it a conference to remember!
Ruth's poster is available to download using the link below.
