ENCODS 2024 ORGANISING COMMITTEE

 

Sara Enrille Lacalle

4th year PhD student in Oliver Stork’s lab, Institute for Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University,  Magdeburg, Germany

“I am interested in the amygdala-hipoccampal circuit in the context of postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and, particularly in the amygdalar modulation of engrams formation in the hippocampus. For that aim, I use engram labelling methods, chemogenetics, learning behavioural paradigms and in vitro electrophysiology. During my PhD, I realised the importance of participating in international conferences to interact with the science community. However, being part of the ENCODS 2024 committee makes the experience even more exciting and interesting.”

 

Julia Braunstein

PhD student at the University of Vienna, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, Austria

“My dissertation topic revolves around pain, painkillers and their influences on social processes such as empathy and prosocial helping. To this end I am combining pharmacological interventions, functional magnetice resonance imaging and psychophysical experiments. As soon as I heard about the idea behind ENCODS I was really eager to attend and even more happy, when I saw the call for applications, to be part of the organising committee. Bringing early career scientists together, in order share (for some) our first results and talk about them in a safe space is one of our core goals. If that is something that of interest to you as well, I would be happy to meet you at ENCODS 2024”.

 

Maissa Ben Mahmoud

PhD candidate,  department of physiology and neurobiology at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

“My Ph.D dissertation Optogenetic trainning of human induced pluripotent stem cells. I’m mainly interested in observing the effect of external stimuli in this case light pulsation on the developmental behaviour of the cells during maturation. For that, I’m performing electrophysiological, molecular, and cellular analysis to track the differentiating process of the cells into forebrain glutamatergic neurons using patch clamp, Multielectrode array, qPCR…  As soon as I heard about ENCODS I knew I instantly applied for a member position because I can contribute to be the voice of many young career neuroscientists and It will be also a push forward in my career.”

 

Imaan Tamimi

PhD candidate currently at the Homem lab, Nova Medical School, Portugal

“My project focuses on identifying and characterising long non-coding RNAs involved in Drosophila neurogenesis. My previous experience involved working with Drosophila connectomics, C. elegans and naked mole rats! Apart from my academic pursuits, I have a tendency to spontaneously take on diverse hobbies ranging from playing the piano to surfing. I’m excited to contribute to the ENCODS committee. It’s been a lovely opportunity to be an integral member of the committee and to be actively involved in creating a conference that can greatly benefit PhD students is exciting!”

.

Bárbara Sousa

PhD student at the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Aveiro, Portugal

“My PhD dissertation revolves around spinal cord injury patients and their improvement during rehabilitation, and establishing personalised combined therapies with clinical relevance to improve neurorehabilitation and neuroregeneration upon spinal cord injury.

I hope to meet you in Vienna at ENCODS 2024 for a dynamic and engaging two-day experience that nurtures scientific exchange in an extremely welcoming environment.”

 

Hanna Schoen

5th year PhD student in the de Bono lab at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria

“My research focuses on investigating and characterising genes of unknown function in the nervous system of C. elegans. The investigation of new genes of unknown function can have an impact on our existing knowledge about signalling pathways, interactions, and molecular/cellular processes. I exploit the advantages associated with the C. elegans model and combine genetics, genomics, biochemistry, cell biology and neural imaging to understand how proteins regulate nervous system function. ENCODS is a great opportunity for early career scientists to share their research. I am thrilled to contribute to ENCODS 2024 and I am looking forward to seeing you there!”

Thomas Karner

1st year PhD candidate at the University of Vienna, Austria, researching the gut-brain axis at the Wagner Lab

“My research employs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), physiological and behavioral measurements, along with microbiome analysis, to explore connections between the microbiome, stress, neural plasticity, and neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Concurrently I am also completing a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and genetics. I’m enthusiastic about ENCODS mission of fostering scientific exchange among early career researchers. Our aim is to offer an ideal and inclusive environment for mutual learning, collaboration and networking with like-minded individuals who share a deep passion for neuroscience. As a member of this year’s organising committee, I’m excited to contribute to ENCODS 2024 in Vienna and look forward to meeting you there.”

Allison Loaiza Zambrano

1st year PhD candidate at the Institute of Biology, OVGU, Germany

“My project focuses on the molecular neurobiology field, particularly on the Hippo pathway during aging. Some of my scientific skills involve: protein biochemistry, fluorescent imaging microscopy, behavioral tests, and molecular cloning techniques. However, I’m not just a lab aficionado, since I’m thrilled to be a part of ENCODS 2024 as one of the marketing and social media officers. Can’t wait to meet you all at the conference in Vienna. Let’s share our work in a friendly environment, learn from others, and have fun! See you there.”