On April 25th, our research group had the pleasure of welcoming 15 curious schoolgirls to our lab for Girls' Day 2024. This event was part of a nationwide initiative aimed at inspiring young girls to explore careers in fields where women are underrepresented, particularly in science and research. It was a day filled with excitement, learning, and hands-on experience in the fascinating world of neuroscience.
An Interactive and Diverse Program
Our program featured a diverse panel of six women lab members, including our group leader, Prof. Petra Ritter. Each woman lab member brought unique perspectives and expertise to the event, ensuring that the girls had a well-rounded and enriching experience. The day was structured around small group projects, allowing for personalized attention and interactive learning.
Petra presenting her academic journey and lab work to the participants.
Jeehye An led a group project on brains, chaos, and waves. She introduced the concepts of chaoticity and brain models, and explained how brain scans from clinics and labs are used in simulations. The girls engaged in brain simulation exercises to create patterns of randomness, synchrony, and waves. Anaïs Halimi taught the basics of coding and brain anatomy. Her group simulated brain activity and visualized different levels of detail and targeted brain regions. Maria-Luise da Costa Zemsch conducted a project titled "Machine Learning Unveiled: Who Survives on the Titanic?", which focused on data visualization and machine learning to predict Titanic survival outcomes. Benedetta Gambosi led a project on network neuroscience, aiming to investigate how brain regions form networks and the significance of these connections. The girls learned basic network and connectivity concepts, coded simple networks and real brain data, and explored the role of network disruptions in neurological disorders. Finally, Jil Meier guided the girls through a project on brain stimulation using The Virtual Brain (TVB) GUI, where they experimented with different stimuli and observed the effects on brain activity, demonstrating practical applications in research and clinical settings.
Women lab members (from top left: Jeehye, Anaïs, Benedetta, and Maria-Luise) guiding the girls with Python code in Jupyter notebook.
Participants presenting their hands-on project, led by Jil, to the group.
Thank you!
The event was a success, thanks to the enthusiasm and curiosity of our young participants and the dedication of our research team. We hope that Girls' Day 2024 has sparked a lasting interest in science and research among these future scientists. By providing role models and hands-on experiences, we aim to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive future in neuroscience and beyond.
Thank you to everyone who participated and made this day memorable. We look forward to seeing these young minds continue to explore and innovate in the world of science!
Join Us Next Year
Stay tuned for more exciting opportunities and events. We are committed to fostering a love for science and empowering the next generation of female researchers.