Julia Schaeffer, Oxnard, United States, 20-25 March 2022
Gordon Research Conference Central Nervous System Injury and Repair
→ 500€ Prize
Post-doc in the Nawabi team « Central Nervous System: from Development to Repair », Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
In March 2022, I participated in the GRC « Central Nervous System Injury and Repair » that had to be rescheduled several times because of the pandemic. Nonetheless, my motivation to participate in this meeting kept increasing because this event is a « must-attend » of my research field. Indeed, research topics presented are the most up-to-date pieces of work in the field of central nervous system repair. Attending the meeting allowed me to learn about exciting projects that are of particular interest to me, such as the molecular characterization of the growth cone at the transcriptomic and proteomic levels and the subaxonal translation events taking place during regeneration. Besides, I could broaden my knowledge and learnt about cutting-edge techniques to analyse and repair the neuronal circuit – single-neuron molecular analysis, transplantation and differentiation, electrical stimulation – as well as novel concepts indispensable to the understanding of central nervous system injury and repair – such as the structure and function of astrocyte borders in the injured brain and spinal cord.
In addition, attending the GRC allowed me to meet international researchers – principal investigators, post-docs and PhD students – with positive sharing of expertise, experience and knowledge. In particular, the conference was a great opportunity to meet again researchers I first met during my PhD in Cambridge, UK. It was also very nice to share experience, thoughts and aspirations with other post-doctoral fellows who are at the same career stage as me. In this context, the GRC provided an excellent environment to network, which is essential to prepare for the next steps of my academic career.
Finally, the GRC allowed me to present my post-doctoral work about the role of selective translation in axon regeneration. I presented a poster with the intention of collecting as much feedback as possible from international experts of the field. Poster sessions were the ideal opportunity to do so. My research received much attention from many researchers thanks to its novelty and to the add-up to the field of axon regeneration. My research was challenged during stimulating discussions and received positive feedback that will help me make this project move forward. I was very proud to be selected as one of the poster competition winners.
Altogether, this meeting was a real success and I made the most out of it. Being able to meet people « in real » was incomparable, and I thank the SFBD for its support towards my participation in the GRC.