Neuroscience is an enormously diverse discipline encompassing research areas from the cellular-molecular to the neural circuit level and from theoretical/computational approaches all the way to neuropsychology and neuropharmacology. Scientists from all these specialisms are drawn every two years to the largest neuroscience conference in Europe, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum of Neuroscience. This July, as a first-year PhD candidate, I was given the opportunity by the Principal’s Go Abroad funding to travel to Berlin and participate in this huge event. During this time, I attended inspiring talks from some of the most distinguished scientists in the field. Even more importantly in my view, I had the chance to meet young researchers like me from all over the world and discuss their work and my own during the poster sessions. Through these exchanges, I have been able to think of new directions for my own research in Autism Spectrum Disorders but also to gain better understanding of the current trends of the field. Of course, I also made time to explore Berlin, which was surprisingly reminiscent of my home country, Greece.

En route to the hostel just after arriving in Berlin

The famous Brandenburger Tor in daytime

In a hurry to get to the first day of the conference

Some of the nearly 10.000 (!!) participants of the conference

BücherboXX – a lovely little phonebooth-like box full of books in various languages. From German and English, to Greek, Arabic and Russian – take your pick!

Inside the beautiful Tiergarten park in the middle of Berlin

Boat rides are fun in Berlin!

The huge main hall of the venue

Poster sessions were a bit hectic..

But there was still some time to find old friends from MSc times!

…and new, from Edinburgh times!

Last impressions of Berlin, maidens bathing next to snake-like Spree