Neuro-SysMed Junior Scientist Symposium May 8, 2026
Welcome to NEUROSYSM910, our Junior Scientist Symposium!
We are pleased to invite you to the Neuro-SysMed Junior Scientist Symposium on May 8, 2026!
This time, we will get an inspiring keynote delivered by Yamila Torres Cleuren. In her talk, “From Idea to Innovation: How Students and Early‑Career Researchers Can Create Real Impact,” she highlights how emerging scientists can develop their ideas into innovations that create meaningful change within research and society.
The scientific program continues with Eline Straathof, who presents her work on the relationship between movement sensor data from Axivity devices and clinical MDS‑UPDRS scores, offering new insights into monitoring disease severity in atypical Parkinsonism syndromes. She is followed by Yola Gerking, who shares new perspectives on microglial activation in late‑stage paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, using imaging mass cytometry to illuminate underlying neuroimmunological mechanisms. Later in the program, Paula Segura Aguas discusses brain‑derived blood biomarkers and extracellular vesicles in multiple sclerosis, exploring their potential for advancing understanding of disease processes. The event concludes with Hannah Matthews Celius, who presents her research on the effects of N‑Acetyl‑L‑Leucine in cell models of Parkinson’s disease, providing fresh insights into its possible therapeutic impact.
We believe this symposium will inspire rich discussions in a dynamic, collaborative atmosphere and offer a wonderful chance to meet and learn from researchers across diverse fields.
Academic responsible: Shamundeeswari Anandan and Yola Gerking
Coordinators: Håkon Olsen and Casper Eugen Sandvik
Time and place:
Time: Friday, May 8, 2026, at 09.00-13.00 (A light lunch will be served)
Place: Auditorium 4, BB building (campus Haukeland University Hospital)
Registration:
Registration through this link. (external link)
Students who would like to have ECTS for their participation need to register in Studentweb (external link) as well, for the subject NEUROSYSM910 for the spring term. The deadline in Studentweb for all subject codes for the spring term is February 1. Find more information about the course code on the student pages.
Language: English
Program:
09:00–09:10 Welcome and introduction
09:10–10:10 KEYNOTE: "From Idea to Innovation: How Students and Early-Career Researchers Can Create Real Impact" by Yamila Torres Cleuren, Managing Director at Neuro-SysMed and Head of Innovation at SFI Innovation Center for Neuroresilience (ICoN), University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital
10:10–10:30 Coffee break
10:30–10:55 "A correlation analysis between movement sensors (axivity) and clinical scale scores (MDS-UpDRS) to monitor disease severity in atypical Parkinsonism syndromes" by Eline Straathof, PD node, Neuro-SysMed (Visiting International Research Student, Maastricht University, the Netherlands)
10:55–11:20 "Insights into Microglial Activation in Late-Stage Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration Using Imaging Mass Cytometry" by Yola Gerking, the Biomarkers and Neuroimmunology Group
11:20–12:00 Lunch
12:00–12:25 "Brain-derived blood biomarkers and extracellular vesicles in multiple sclerosis" by Paula Segura Aguas, MS Node, Neuro-SysMed (Visiting International Biomedical Student, University of Lleida, Spain)
12:25–12:50 "Deciphering the effect of N-Acetyl-L-Leucine in cell models of Parkinson’s disease" by Hannah Matthews Celius, PD node, Neuro-SysMed
12.50-13:00 Concluding remarks
Contact:
Casper Eugen Sandvik (Casper.Sandvik@student.uib.no) and Håkon Olsen (hakon.olsen@uib.no) are course coordinators and chairs. Any questions can be addressed to them.