Helping Middle Eastern neuroscientists build community
U.S.-based postdoctoral fellows from diverse Middle Eastern backgrounds organized the first Middle Eastern Systems Neuroscience Symposium in San Diego. This event, which grew from a social gathering, aimed to build community and foster shared experiences among neuroscientists despite regional conflicts.
Why it matters
This initiative promotes scientific collaboration and community building among researchers from a conflict-ridden region, fostering empathy and shared identity in a field that benefits from diverse perspectives.
Last November, just as tens of thousands of neuroscientists flocked to the Society for Neuroscience conference at San Diego’s large convention center, a much smaller meeting convened nearby. There, at the first ever Middle Eastern Systems Neuroscience Symposium , attendees snacked on plates of baklava during coffee breaks, heard music from the Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum marking the end of presentations, and shared research highlights from Middle Eastern countries and scientists.
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