Period of stay: from 01.07.2023 to 07.07.2023
Report
In July of this year, I had the honour of attending the 71st GA Congress of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) in Dublin, whose current president is Judith M. Rollinger, who is also one of the PhaNuSpo PIs. The three-day event was held at the picturesque campus of Trinity College and gave me the opportunity to network with other pharmacognosy researchers from both, academia and industry.
One of the outstanding aspects of the congress was the diverse range of scientific sessions that were offered: From lectures about the ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of Turtle Island to psychedelics in mental health to sustainability, we were offered a wide range of different thought-provoking presentations. Moreover, some of our dear colleagues from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sigrid Adelsberger, Andreas Wasilewicz, Ulrike Grienke and Lea Ann Dailey gave enthusiastic talks about their fields of expertise.
During the conference, I also had the opportunity to present my poster entitled “Isolation, identification and characterisation of a triterpenoid RORγ inverse agonist”, which promoted my PhD research. The poster session gave me the opportunity to interact with researchers, benefit from their valuable feedback and exchange ideas. Also, the possibility to get engaged in a cooperation was offered.
Apart from the scientific aspect, the conference created an environment conducive to vibrant discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking among the participants. The interactions during informal gatherings, such as the social events organised by the GA, were of great value. Furthermore, the city of Dublin and its surrounding areas provided a lovely ambience for socialising with people beyond the conference venue.
In summary, my participation in the 71st GA Congress in Dublin was an enriching experience. I am grateful to the organisers for providing a platform to present my research and to the Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences for their financial support.
