The Institute for Neurosciences celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

12 de February de 2024

With the aim of celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, has celebrated the conference 'Women in Neuroscience: Exploring the Unknown!'. The event, which was held last Friday, included a special seminar given by the Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert Nuria Oliver, a talk session by several IN researchers, and a round table in which the staff of the center actively participated to address the role and challenges of women in science.

Nuria Oliver (center), together with IN researchers Silvia De Santis (left) and Sandra Jurado (right).

During his speech, Oliver shared his extensive experience, both in the academic sector and in private industry, in the development of computational models of human behavior, and their application in new technologies aimed at improving the well-being of our society. Through her personal experience, the expert motivated the young researchers to pursue their concerns and scientific vocation.

Oliver, who is scientific director and co-founder of the ELLIS Alicante Foundation, claimed that “talent is the most valuable asset that a society has” and during her seminar she shared some of the initiatives that the foundation is carrying out to attract talent to improve European competence in AI.

IN researchers Isabel Bustos, Sandra Jurado, Macarena Lorena Herrera, Manuela de las Casas, Marta Neto, and Silvia De Santis.

After the seminar, a talk session took place by IN researchers Marta Neto, Manuela de las Casas, Macarena Lorena Herrera, and Isabel Bustos. Finally, a round table was held where the speakers and the IN staff who attended the event delved into the main challenges women encounter in developing a scientific career, mainly in ​​biosciences and future perspectives.

This day is one of the initiatives that the Equality Commission of the Institute of Neurosciences has organized to vindicate the role of women in science throughout February. This commission, represented by IN researchers Sandra Jurado and Silvia De Santis, has also launched a cycle of informative talks and workshops given by IN researchers in different centers in Alicante to share the science they carry out in their daily lives with ESO and Baccalaureate students.

Furthermore, to make visible the importance of women's contributions to neuroscience, this commission has launched a social media campaign made up of a series of videos starring several IN predoctoral researchers. The objective of this initiative is to make visible the work that these young researchers carry out at the laboratories of this center of excellence and the importance of their work for society.

These videos can be watched on all the social media platforms of the Institute of Neurosciences with the hashtag #TodasHacemosCiencia:  X @NeuroAlc, Instagram @instituto_neurociencias, Facebook Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH y YouTube @institutoneurocienciasumhcsic1

On YouTube:  #TodasHacemosCiencia

Source: Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH (in.comunicacion@umh.es)