I was awarded the Career Enhancing Award from the British Society of Immunology as well as the DMM grant from the Company of Biologists to attend the 2025 Cajal Neuroimmunology Course in Bordeaux, France.
The Cajal course is an internationally recognised Neuroscience training programme that brings together early-career researchers and leading scientists from around the world. The course selected 21 participants, including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, creating a diverse, collaborative, and intellectually stimulating environment. The programme focused on understanding how the immune system interacts with the brain and spinal cord in health and disease, and how this knowledge can inform the development of new treatments for neurological conditions.
Through expert-led lectures and hands-on research training, the course provided insight into emerging disease mechanisms relevant to neuroinflammatory conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. The programme highlighted how advances in experimental approaches and improved disease models can help bridge the gap between basic research and clinical applications. Overall, the course offered high-level scientific training while fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange among early-career researchers.
This experience was particularly valuable for my PhD research, which focuses on developing gene-based therapies for multiple sclerosis. The knowledge, skills, and perspectives gained will directly inform my work and support my long-term career development.
Overall, attending the Cajal Neuroimmunology Course was a significant academic and professional milestone, made possible through the generous support of the Harding Scholarship, the BSI Career Enhancing Award and the DMM grant. I strongly recommend the course to early-career scientists and experienced researchers seeking a deep but accessible immersion into neuroimmunology.
Article by Stavroula Piliou, 2023 cohort, Pathology, Lucy Cavendish College