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Industry meets Academia in Middlesex BNA Local Group
BNA Local Group Student Representatives from the Middlesex area pose for a photograph with keynote speaker Gary Gilmour
On May 7th, the Middlesex area BNA Local Group hosted a guest lecture exploring An Industry Perspective on Psychedelic Drugs, delivered by Dr Gary Gilmour from UK-based pharmaceutical company Compass Pathways.
The event built on the group's successes in last year's cross-departmental event, and was designed to bring together Middlesex students with other members of the local neuroscience community interested in the deep relationship between neuroscience, mental health research, and pharmaceutical innovation. Based on feedback from local BNA members, translational neuroscience had emerged as a priority in much of the postgraduate and early career research that Middlesex neuroscience and psychology students aim to pursue. Opportunities for students and academic staff to interact with and learn from in industry and clinical perspectives, however, are limited. This event set out to provide exactly that.
Before the lecture began, attendees had the opportunity to gather for refreshments, tea, and coffee, creating a welcoming atmosphere for students and professionals from different backgrounds to meet and engage with one another. Despite the event needing to be rearranged to a date after the end of term, appetite was still high and around 30 young neuroscientists and psychologists packed into the room. The event encouraged discussion not only about neuroscience research, but also about career pathways and developments within the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr Gary Gilmour delivers a presentation on the industry perspective on translational mental health research
During his keynote lecture, Gary Gilmour shared valuable insight from his experience as Vice President of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology at Compass Pathways, discussing the role of psychedelic compounds within modern neuroscience research and their potential applications in mental health treatment. The talk provided attendees with an industry perspective on how neuroscience research translates into clinical and pharmaceutical settings, while also highlighting current challenges and future directions within the field. The lecture enabled students to expand their understanding beyond the traditional university curriculum and engage with an emerging area of neuroscience research.
Throughout the event, BNA members were on hand to introduce attendees to the idea of getting involved with the Local Group, and to discuss important BNA opportunities like the BNA FENS Forum Bursary, planning future local events, and most importantly getting meaningfully connected with other local students, researchers, and professionals with a shared interest in neuroscience.
The Middlesex area BNA Local Group was launched only two years ago, and has fast become one of the most active and ambitious Local Groups in the BNA, testament to its capacity to put power into the hands of its local neuroscience community to truly make the interventions it needs to thrive. This could not have happened without incredible dedication from the group's Reps, some of whom will be graduating this year and joining other BNA communities around the country. The BNA would like to give special thanks to Aysha Khan, Ana Gonzalez Jorge, Kate Furtado, Roman Navin, Sara Annunziata, and Sidra Fatima for all their work, and wishes them all the best in the next stages of their neuroscience careers.
If you could change one thing about neuroscience in your local area, what would it be? Do your peers and others across the different institutions in your area feel similarly? By joining your BNA Local Group and working with your Local Group Representatives to devise a strategy and secure project funding, together you can drive local change, and take collective ownership over the future of neuroscience where you are.
