Middlesex's BNA Local Group senses success with cross-department synaesthesia event

On December 3^rd, the Middlesex area BNA Local Group continued its work to connect up its local neuroscience community by organising a guest lecture by Professor Jamie Ward, Deputy Head for the School of Psychology at Sussex University.

Middlesex University has for many years enjoyed a thriving cognitive neuroscience community (based predominantly within its Psychology department), and this guest lecture – organised by the Local Group's Reps – aimed to extend this collaborative network to include those working and studying in the biomedical sciences and clinical disciplines. This aim was directly related to priorities identified by those who attended the Local Group's launch event earlier this year, where Reps and newly-joined BNA members had discussed their desire to bridge inter- and intra-institutional divisions so that their learning and research could benefit from healthy connection and collaboration. Reps had further investigated the shape of the issue by speaking with community members from PIs to undergraduates and getting everyone together to plan the Local Group's next intervention. Professor Ward's presentation at this event – tying together psychological, molecular, and clinical perspectives within his world-leading synaesthesia research – set the background for scientists from different backgrounds across Middlesex to come together, share ideas, and sidestep disconnect among their local neuroscience community.

Before the lecture, attendees arrived early for tea and coffee, intermingling with each other and already sparking conversation between diverse backgrounds, specialisms and from undergraduates to lecturers. Following on, Professor Ward delivered an excellent lecture on synaesthesia, first talking about the topic more broadly and then focusing on his specific research at the University of Sussex. He and his research group are some of the world's foremost experts on the subject, and his insightful and engaging lecture enabled the neuroscience community at Middlesex to expand their understanding beyond their own specialisms and curricula under the banner and goals of the BNA.

Reps were on hand to speak with attendees about the BNA Local Group both before and after the lecture, and were able to answer questions and support attendees towards greater involvement with their BNA community both at Middlesex and nationally. One Rep – Kate – was also on hand running a stall outside of the event in collaboration with The National Brain Appeal, sharing information from the organisation. This enabled meaningful conversations about neurological conditions and also about the interdisciplinary and translational neuroscience research that the BNA is working to facilitate at Middlesex University.

The event was a huge success, with over 30 attendees from across specialisms, career stages and departments. The Middlesex BNA Local Group continues to grow, and are steadily demonstrating that their unique positionining among the breadth of the neuroscience community means that the BNA is the organisation to join for neuroscientists keen to inform, connect, and influence. If you're based in the Middlesex area, become a BNA member and reach out to one of your Reps to get involved.

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.