Neuroscience 2023 - Series of Sessions part 5

[Julia Araujo]

My last post about Neuroscience 2023’s presentations couldn’t be any different. I chose another of my favourite sessions to talk about and I’m so glad for the incredible content I was able to watch. Learned so much once more!

Accompanied by Sydney Brenner’s video - source of huge inspiration - and a glimpse of Dr. Stryker’s accomplishments - summed up at the 2023's Ralph W. Gerald Prize in Neuroscience award - the session was a source of incredible amount of learning. All the knowledge simply cannot be brought up as a single post I write. I just hope to transcribing into words (perhaps translate) some of the dazzle I got to experience by watching it.

All additional awards remarked by Dr. Steward at the session include SfN’s support towards Early Career researchers - for either their works and their participation at the Meeting. Personally, I take this moment to appreciate my own experience as a volunteer at the Community Leader program and as an undergraduate student. I shall share more of this context in a post over the following weeks. Although, for now, some of what I can say is that it has been an amazing year.

Back to the session, Dr. Schuman’s remark begging at the individual neuron and its own source of curiosity for the field. From this concept, she stablished a goal on understanding what makes this individuality compose an entire functioning collectiveness: the synapses.

From the what to the how, our affirmations, questions, answers and more of those merge towards the proteins. After all, just as a initial sample: Proteins are storing memories. But how many proteins are there? They are being synthesised and degraded. But where are they coming from? It all comes from decentralisation of the process. What else can we discover? 

The search for a response to the latter question mark let Dr. Schuman to years of her work. Alongside, after years of her discoveries, we get to take a step back and visualize a whole path of improvements, newer technologies, adaptation and validation not only of hypothesis, but also more inspiration, support and assurance. Mostly it’s an indication to keep with the affirmations, questions and answers that keep coming within each successful scientific cycle.

Clustering data, technology and productivity, Dr. Schuman’s work thrives. To my view, with so much to teach us, her lecture shall remain as a sample of knowledge, followed by the next researches as further opportunities to amaze us with even more fascinating results. 

If you want to watch it at Neuroscience 2023, you can look for the title "LEC10Presidential Special Lecture: Cell Biology at the Synapse: Local Protein Synthesis and Degradation — Erin M. Schuman” among more incredible available virtual components in the Livestream section.

By the end of this series of posts, I just would like to emphasise my appreciation for all SfN staff with us (Community Leaders) and wish my most sincere congratulations to all participants of Neuroscience 2023. Thank you for the opportunities of engaging and learning!