Advancing Neuroscience: PainLab Researchers at Twinning TrePsy School in Bordeaux

From September 23rd to 27th, 2024, PainLab members Magda Białoń and Katarzyna Popiołek-Barczyk participated in the Twinning TrePsy School workshop, hosted by the Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux.

This prestigious event convened 15 researchers from Germany and Poland, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. The primary focus of the program was “In vivo & in vitro recording of the neuronal basis of physiological and pathological behaviors in rodents.”

The institute in which we work is the leader of the Twinning TrePsy project – “Towards new treatments for psychiatric disorders – a systems-oriented approach”. The mission of the project is to create a unique, advanced research curriculum for students and early-career scientists who will lead future neuropharmacological research, and to form a cluster of institutions of excellence in the field of neuropsychopharmacology. The TrePsy project provided PhD programme participants and yung researcher with lectures and training in emerging topics and research methodologies. One of the activities in which our institute’s employees participated was the Twinning TrePsy School workshop, hosted by the Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux. 

Magda Białoń and Katarzyna Popiołek-Barczyk participated in the Twinning TrePsy School workshop, hosted by the Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux**, from September 23rd to 27th, 2024.  This prestigious event convened 15 researchers from Germany and Poland, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. The primary focus of the program was “In vivo and in vitro recording of the neuronal basis of physiological and pathological behaviors in rodents.”

Magda and Kasia engaged in specialized training sessions designed to assess the activity of distinct neural circuits underlying animal behavior. The curriculum featured theoretical lectures delivered by eminent experts in the field, complemented by three intensive hands-on workshops covering fiber photometry, Ca2+ imaging, and in vitro bioenergetics.

Founded in 2007, the Neurocentre Magendie operates under the auspices of INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) and is situated on the University of Bordeaux campus in France. As a leading multidisciplinary research institute, it is dedicated to advancing neuroscience through an integrative approach, spanning from neurological and behavioral disorders to the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern neural function. The center’s research agenda particularly emphasizes addiction, traumatic memories, fear, cognitive decline, obesity, neurodevelopmental disorders, and stress-related pathologies. Renowned for its scientific excellence, the Neurocentre Magendie also serves as a pivotal venue for CAJAL Training Programme events.

The Twinning TrePsy School in Bordeaux provided an invaluable platform for knowledge exchange and the establishment of new research collaborations. The initiative is part of the project „TrePsy – Towards new treatments of psychiatric disorders: a systems-oriented approach,” which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101079256.