Loneliness: the importance of social bonds (Giuseppe Cammarata) I am writing this blog episode while thinking about the recent lockdown early this year. It was a tough time for everyone, a period in which people were, and still are, requested to keep a distance from one another, and to search for complete isolation in case […]
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Syn2Psy Blog Series XI
Journey logbook of a Ph.D. student (Marcos Sintes) Hello everyone, my name is Marcos and I would like to tell you how my journey to become a Syn2Psy Early Stage researcher at Imperial College London began. I could not pinpoint the exact moment that my passion for science started, but I know I was very […]
First Syn2Psy online PhD day
On October 5th, Syn2Psy held its first online PhD day. ESRs, PIs and partners gathered remotely to discuss the projects’ progress. This was a great opportunity for the ESRs to present their ongoing work and to receive feedback from the consortium experts. The discussions were fruitful, and we were glad to meet again, even if […]
Marcos’ results posted on BioRxiv
Marcos Sintes, Syn2Psy ESR5, is one of the authors of a study recently posted as preprint on BioRxiv, on the potential effects of psilocybin for the therapy of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The autors used valproic acid-exposed mice as a model of ASD and assessed the effects of the naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug psilocybin. They […]
Syn2Psy Blog Series X
One year of Swiss cheese and chocolate (Loredana Cumpana) A year ago, in Romania, I packed minimum necessities into a small suitcase, said goodbye to my friends and family, and jumped on a plane to Switzerland to start a new chapter of my life. I felt awe, a mix of excitement and fear, as I […]
Syn2Psy Blog Series IX
An alternative approach to writing protocols (Orsolya Antal) When I first had to choose my time for writing a blog, I thought this month would be just perfect. Back then, I planned to write this after our second meeting in France – cool science and Paris, what more do you need? Then, of course, things […]
Syn2Psy Blog Series VIII
The Myth of Mirror Neurons: A Review of Hickok, 2014 (Daniel Hunter) Thinking back, to when I first began to discover the world of neuroscience, I remember distinctly learning about the concept of mirror neurons from some popular science paperback that I picked up in a second hand bookshop in my hometown. The notion that […]
Syn2Psy Blog Series VII
Back to the future (Flavio Tomasi) 10/05/2020 About 9 months ago I started my PhD at the Sorbonne University, in Paris. The aim of my project is to evaluate whether the modulation of the endocannabinoid system has beneficial effects on a mouse model of autism. The first months of my PhD have gone very well, […]
Syn2Psy Blog Series VI
A Note to Self: Reflecting on the Past and Present, Towards a Better Future (Elizabeth Brockman) Hello! My name is Elizabeth. I am a PhD student currently working at Imperial College London studying how Down Syndrome affects the brain. I have been living in the UK for 18 months, having moved here from Canada last […]
Syn2Psy Blog Series V
A typical day in science (Alessandro Chioino) Hey there, I am your friendly neighbourhood Early Stage Researcher 2, but my friends call me Alessandro. Seven months ago, I moved to Lausanne to start my new life as PhD student and a few things changed since then. I would love to give you all the details […]