The 14th Oxford Neuroscience Symposium

Researchers from five Departments took part, with speakers representing the Department of Psychiatry, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, the Department of Experimental Psychology, the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and the Department of Pharmacology. 

Professor Kevin Talbot, Head of the Nuffield Department for Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), who opened the event, said:

“The Neuroscience Symposium is one of my favourite events of the year. I come away with a sense of awe at the strength and breadth of neuroscience research in Oxford. It is a real thrill to be part of such a vibrant and collaborative community.”

The symposium is a celebration of new and emerging talent across our Oxford neuroscience community and provides graduate students and early career researchers in particular with opportunities to network across departments. 

Research areas presented varied from sleep and memory, immuno-metabolic dysfunction and severe mental illness, to motor impairment in Parkinson’s Disease and the role of peroxismes in Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Dr Sara Costi, Wellcome Trust Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, presented on her research into the ketamine effects on negative biases for pre-infusion acquired emotional memories. 

“This was my first time presenting at the event, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share our research. It was an engaging and inspiring day, and I was particularly struck by the breadth of neuroscience research showcased - highlighting how it extends beyond individual departments. 

“The event not only provided insight into diverse approaches and perspectives but also created valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues, catch up on ongoing projects, and foster collaborations. It was an enriching experience that extended beyond the individual talks.”

Professor Esther Becker, who chaired the first session, from NDCN, said:

“I really enjoyed learning about the exciting neuroscience research that is happening across the different departments in Oxford. The breadth of topics in my session was fascinating, ranging from recording neural activity during sleep in humans to studying single neurons in the fly brain.”

There were also 77 posters on display with researchers summarising their work to colleagues, as well as a number of trade stands. 

This year’s plenary lecture was by Professor Ole Jensen, the Chair of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience, who spoke on his work investigating parafoveal processing during natural visual exploration and reading. Professor, who works across the Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, said:

"Having joined Oxford last October, the Oxford Neuroscience Symposium served as a great introduction. Listening to the presentations and engaging with the poster presenters has made me even more enthusiastic about being part of this community. I was especially impressed by the breadth of the research, ranging from single-cell patch clamp recordings in flies to studies of psychiatric disorders using fMRI considering metabolism and inflammation. The quality of the students' and early career researchers' work was truly inspiring, underscoring that neuroscience at Oxford has a bright future ahead.”