Meheli Banerjee: Neuroscience Chronicles: A diary of my first big conference as a PhD researcher, SFN Neuroscience 2023
In the chilly embrace of November in Finland, I found myself glued to my computer screen, putting the finishing touches on my 160×120 cm SFN Neuroscience 2023 poster. Society for Neuroscience (SFN) has been playing a critical role in navigating the neuroscientific world and has had a great influence on it for more than half a century. The upcoming conference was a mix of nerves, excitement, and just a dash of “oh boy, what have I gotten myself into.”
The whole saga began way back in the sunny days of summer—writing abstracts, anxiously waiting for acceptance emails, doing the visa cha-cha, perfecting that poster, and planning for which session to attend at the conference.
My supervisors warned me to have a well-planned schedule and comfortable shoes which, looking back, was very good advice. The conference days were a whirlwind of fascinating lectures, mind-bending discussions, and a fair share of running from one room to another. The wise words of my supervisors helped me streamline the things I wanted to hear and the running my heart could take. Oh, and let’s not forget the time-zone tango that left my body clock in a state of utter confusion. I was thankful to have my colleague and friend, Natallie, with me in this. It turned the conference into a tag-team adventure.
I learnt a great deal of fascinating things during the six days along with sharing my scientific progress with what seemed like the whole world. I was very excited to present my work on non-coding RNA(ncRNAs) and their relevance in seizures. Epileptogenic brain insults and seizures in animal models and humans are known to trigger dysregulation of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in brain tissue in vivo. Rat primary cortical cell cultures were exposed to 11 chemoconvulsants to study the dysregulation in ncRNAs in-vitro. The results I observed were very interesting and I am looking forward to be writing my first manuscript on it. Consider this just a glimpse into the journey I’ve embarked upon. Stay tuned for more revelations as we unravel the mysteries of non-coding RNAs in the context of seizures and traumatic brain injury!
On the last day, we had a few hours in hand which we used to explore Washington DC. From the serene landscapes of Finland to the hustle of DC this journey was my very own neurological odyssey. I left the conference with newfound knowledge, a grateful heart, and suitcase full of neuroscience swag. We waved goodbye to SFN Neuroscience 2023—a journey that left us buzzing with excitement and ready for the next scientific escapade.
Meheli Banerjee works as a doctoral researcher in the Neuro-Innovation PhD programme. Her research focuses on non-coding RNAs in the context of seizures and traumatic brain injury.