Polish Scientific Networks 2018

The 3rd edition of the Polish Scientific Networks conference, which took place in the Teaching Centre of the Medical University of Lodz (21-23rd June 2018), focused on biomedical research and its translation to clinical practice. The main objective of the conference was to exchange information and to create an opportunity to initiate cooperation between non-clinical scientists and clinicians who implement the latest scientific achievements to treat their patients. Lectures and panel discussions were grouped in three sessions: Bioinformatics and Big Data Analytics, Molecular Biology and Translational Neuroscience.

The conference was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Polish Young Academy PAS and the Club of the Foundation for Polish Science Scholars, in cooperation with the Medical University of Lodz. The researchers from our institute actively participated in the conference: Dr hab. Katarzyna Starowicz-Bubak chaired the session "Translational Neuroscience"; Professor Andrzej Bojarski was invited to give a lecture entitled "Academic in silico platform for new drug discovery"; Dr. Michał Korostyński was one of the panelists in the discussion "From bench to bedside and beyond".

Another significant problem raised during the conference was gender inequality in science. The debate on this issue, entitled "How to break the glass ceiling and do not hurt yourself?", was moderated by dr hab. Katarzyna Starowicz-Bubak, and the panelists were: professor Maria Anna Ciemerych-Litwinenko, dr hab. Anna Czarnecka, dr hab. Anna Fabijańska and dr hab. Joanna Sułkowska.