During the conference, the SyNergy community engaged in three days of stimulating talks, discussions, and networking. The organizing committee consisted of our four SyNergy PhD and Postdoc representatives, along with four community members, who collaboratively planned a diverse program for scientific exchange and networking.
The first day was dedicated solely to PhDs and postdocs. “We wanted to create an opportunity for young researchers from SyNergy labs to connect, ignite their creativity, and explore new opportunities for collaboration,” explained Lis de Weerd, one of SyNergy’s PhD representatives. “Many of us are approaching the phase of designing research projects or applying for starting grants,” added Clara de la Rosa del Val, also a PhD representative. “That’s why we invited our speaker, Thomas Misgeld, to kick off the day with a presentation on how to select a good and feasible project.” After his talk, the students were divided into groups and tasked with developing a collaborative project that could potentially fit within our next funding period and pitch it to their peers.
On Tuesday, the conference began with an inspiring keynote from Stéphanie Debette, the executive director of the Paris Brain Institute, who spoke on the genomics of cerebral small vessel disease, sparking a lively discussion. The day continued with multiple presentations from early career researchers and group leaders. The fruitful dialogue continued during lunch, which included a poster session where nearly 40 PhD students and Postdocs showcased their research projects. To foster team building, an interactive quiz was held, highlighting both the knowledge and the competitive spirit of our community. Bart de Strooper from University College London and KU Leuven concluded the second day with a keynote on the six critical inflection points in Alzheimer’s Disease, leading to many engaging discussions over dinner. On day three, scientific talks continued and the conference concluded with the presentation of the best poster award and a wrap-up by the new SyNergy speakers.
“Overall, we were pleased to see that the engaging presentations, interactive sessions, and enthusiastic audience lived up to the event's name: strengthening and energizing our SyNergy community,” says Postdoc representative Angelika Dannert. Nathalie Beaufort, also a Postdoc representative, adds: “we would like to extend our gratitude to the members of the organizing committee for making this wonderful event possible: thank you, Laura Álvarez Méndez, Amir Tayaranian Marvian, Aditi Methi and Martin Zirngibl. We look forward to future events within our community!”
