The Scientific Initiation researcher at the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), Ricaele Ferreira, will be a representative of Rio Grande do Norte at the annual edition of Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne), an international conference that discusses neuroscience in computational systems. The event will take place between February 29 and March 5 in the cities of Lisbon and Cascais, in Portugal, and will bring together researchers from several countries.
This will be a unique opportunity for the 22-year-old student, who will be taking her first international trip. Ricaele grew up and began her studies in the small town of Itajá, in the Açu Valley, about 210 kilometers from Natal. She is currently a psychology student at the School of Health Sciences (Facisa/UFRN), in Santa Cruz, also in the interior of the state, and is conducting research in the area of neuroengineering at ISD, focusing on the analysis of emotions based on decision-making.
For the young researcher, participating in a conference abroad is an opportunity to expand her knowledge in the area of neuroscience and to seek exchanges with new researchers, since during Cosyne there will be lectures, group discussions and analyses of new studies. “I want to talk to people, participate in workshops and bring information that can be shared in the research we develop here at ISD”, comments Ricaele.
Ricaele was selected to participate in the event through a scholarship program offered by Cosyne to researchers from minority groups, such as women and low-income individuals. The idea of the project is to create financial mechanisms so that these young scientists can travel and have direct contact with international researchers, expanding knowledge in neuroscience.
“This is not the kind of opportunity that comes along every day. I come from the countryside, where things are more difficult, and I see this as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. I will meet people who encourage neuroscience, open new doors and take ISD abroad. All of this makes me very proud,” the student celebrates.
Cosyne 2024
Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne) will be holding its 20th edition in 2024. The event was created in 2004 and is organized by researchers from universities and research centers in the United States and Europe.
This year, Cosyne will take place in two stages: the first in Lisbon, where the main meeting of the congress will be held, and the second in Cascais – 30 kilometers from the Portuguese capital, where workshops and lectures will be held.
Conference topics include discussions on the neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, neural coding, reward systems and decision making, among other topics.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Health Education and Research, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
