"Like most, Science is 1% inspiration and 99% transpiration. As scientists, we drink inspiration from all forms of Art, but Science is also an artwork of thinking"

Photography Contest

Given this, and following the footsteps of previous years, we kindly request your inner artist to shine out on the XII CNC Annual Meeting! We invite all of you, from students to post-Docs and PI’s, to participate and exhibit your works of inspiration in our photo contest. Here there is place for you to expose your most artistic and inspirational scientific works of your authorship. If you wish to participate and show us what you’ve got, please fill in the form and send it to beb11th@gmail.com until December 3rd. Winners will be announced and awarded on the meeting dinner!

Join us and show us that 1% that gets you going!

Download your form here

Buzzword BINGO!

Science is a serious business, but we all have a blast doing it. Still, let's kick the fun up a notch?
So… Let’s play buzzword BINGO during presentations!

The game is played with randomly generated BINGO cards that all participants will receive during Registration. Then, players should listen to the speakers to spot certain specific words or phrases, as well as some images on their slides, identify them and scribe the corresponding box on the BINGO card! Those who complete their BINGO card can not shout “BINGO!”. That would be rude. As we told you, this is serious business!
Each participant will also receive a marker that he can gently rise instead of calling out BINGO! when he completes his sheet (The idea is to not disturb the presentations) Another possible way to show that you are a winner is, in the end of the talk, to ask a question to the speaker that makes you complete your card and incorporate “BINGO!” in the question.

Coffee breaks are the time to go and speak with us to receive your reward!

Special session: CNC, more than test tubes…

1 - “Bioentrepreneurship: an opportunity for life sciences innovation”

Carlos Cerqueira | Entrepreneurship thrives a country’s economy and biotechnology is currently providing new opportunities for innovation. It takes a whole community to build a successful biotechnology cluster, thus Center of Neurosciences and Cell Biology of Coimbra is currently engaged in establishing an entrepreneurial culture amongst their researchers. Carlos Cerqueira, the Innovation Director at Instituto Pedro Nunes, will present a Program in Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences that will be held for CNC researcher’s community. Scientists with business ideas will be invited to enroll in IneoStart (start.ineo.pt/), a program that helps to launch a business idea, from the development of a sustainable business model, to finding the right team, develop of a product and set a market entry strategy (go-to-market-strategy)

2- Instituto de Educação e Cidadania (IEC) links research institutes and schools in promoting the understanding of science

Ana Carvalho and Sónia Ferreira | The Instituto de Educação e Cidadania (IEC) is a private nonprofit institution housed in a modern building built by the municipally of Oliveira do Bairro. IEC functions in close collaboration with research institutes from the University of Coimbra and the University of Aveiro to transfer knowledge and educational expertise from the academic media to schools in the Bairrada Region. From the beginning, there has been a close association between CNC and IEC in generating the concept of the institute and in implementing its program. IEC has a program of Advanced Studies that includes experimental science courses, conferences, science exhibits, visits and science clubs organized in close collaboration with schools. The programs bring to schools a new outlook of Science and generates new dynamic of teaching and assimilating sciences. Several CNC researchers already collaborate with us every week, and with this presentation we intend to establish more collaboration and to bring more knowledge and science to schools.

3- The CNC.IBILI Postdoctoral Forum: facts, figures and future perspectives.

Samira Ferreira | The Postdoctoral Forum of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (PF2MUC) was founded in September 2011. Its foundation emerged from a desire to strengthen scientific interaction among postdoctoral researchers at Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra (FMUC) with an ultimate aim of collaboration and professional growth, as a supplement to ongoing departmental activities. Reflecting the scientific nature of the forum, and the tight relationship between FMUC and the Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology (CNC), the forum expanded to CNC in 2012, and is now entitled CNC.IBILI Postdoctoral Forum. The scientific interaction between postdoctoral researchers involved in biomedical research at CNC.IBILI is expected to assist the evolution of the institution, by facilitating career development of junior researchers and stimulating cross-disciplinary collaborations. This forum represents an integrated cluster of the Postdoc@UC forum, thus representing postdoctoral researchers inside CNC.IBILI and within the UC universe. This presentation is meant to introduce the forum to the scientific community of CNC, and motivate postdoctoral researchers to join the initiative.