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That’s a Synaptic Wrap

What a way to close the school year! Neuroscience Poster Day was a great success, spotlighting the passion, creativity, and hard work of our honours capstone students. A big congratulations to everyone who presented!

Shoutout to our NEUR 4908 top three poster winners:

• Daria Sapina supervised by Dr. Alfonso Abizaid: Laminar Distribution of Ghsr mRNA and CGRP in the Female Rat Thoracic Spinal Cord
• Hanna Bariciak supervised by Dr. Arthur Chaves: Exploring the role of physical activity in treatment-resistant depression: Associations with symptoms and neurophysiological biomarkers
• Chidera Hammed supervised by Dr. Kim Hellemans: Do words matter? A vignette study exploring how substance use descriptions influence perceptions of the substance involved in police encounters

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who showed up, engaged, and helped bring the day to life. See you next year!

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Brain & Mental Health Art Show

The hosted by the Society for Neuroscience is back for another year of fun and fundraising. This year, proceeds will benefit , a national non-profit organization leading the charge to dismantle systemic stigma and advance Substance Use Health for all people.

• Date: Saturday, May 2^nd, 2026
• Location: Glebe Community Centre
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Tickets: $15 for students, $20 for general – Available  and at the door!

QUESTIONS? Email submissions@sfn-ottawa.ca

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Call for Volunteers

There are many volunteer positions available with different time slots and roles over the course of the event weekend. The time commitment for volunteer shifts ranges from 3-5 hours starting from the afternoon into the night.

Roles available:

• Event setup
• Ticket sales (raffle table, admission table)
• Monitor (food and drinks, bidding)
• Bartender
• Event takedown

Volunteers receive free admission and are encouraged to stay and enjoy the art show before or after their shifts. It’s a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow peers and gain experience in science community outreach!

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Legacy Expo & Hospice Film Screening

Dive into stories and experiences that shape the future at this can’t-miss community gathering on Sunday, May 3rd in the Glebe. .

Vendors include those working in psychotherapy, psychology, and hospice veterinary care, along with organizations like the Alzheimer’s Society, Glebe Amica, and Hospice Care Ottawa, so this is a great opportunity to network and see how you can get involved!

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In addition to the Legacy Expo, there is also a special one-day film screening event for Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death the afternoon of Saturday, May 2nd. Join us to watch the film and have a discussion afterwards. .

This is the second film in the  and is often used by hospices to train volunteers and staff. It asks the questions so many of us avoid: How can we talk about death? What is a good death? Does the body need help to die? What is the hospice effect? What quality of life is enough for us? Where do we want to die? What is a conscious death? Could we have one? 

Through stories from professionals who have spent their careers at the bedside, “Saying Goodbye” opens the door to good conversations about what is possible as we pass from this life, and what that may look like for us and our loved ones. Exploring what happens after death not only helps us decide how we want to be cared for at the end of life, but it reduces our fear of death and that, as is often said, helps us live more fully.

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Neurometabolism Summer Seminar Series

Are you interested in neuroscience and metabolism? The Student Committee in Neurometabolism is thrilled to announce the return of our summer series comprised of weekly, online seminars featuring 10 trainees and 10 eminent researchers in neurometabolism sharing their cutting-edge work.

Seminars will take place every Thursday at 11:00 AM EST from May 28th to July 30th on Zoom. Each weekly session features: 

• Trainee Talk: A 10-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session. 
• Keynote Talk: A 30-minute-deep dive by an invited expert, followed by an open discussion.

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Questions? Email: neurometabo.student@gmail.com

LinkedIn:  

Instagram: 

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Precision Child and Youth Mental Health Conference

With unprecedented potential to transform child and youth mental health, PCYMH is rapidly moving us towards precision care guided by data about each patient’s unique biological, environmental, and lifestyle characteristics.

Join us for a stimulating two days of discovery and discussion with colleagues in beautiful Ottawa, Canada’s capital.

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Student Testimonials

We’d love to hear about your experiences with ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Neuroscience!

Positive or negative, what classes you’ve enjoyed the most, advice for future students, how you feel what you’re learning might apply to future endeavors – whatever you care to share. You can remain anonymous or include your name, program, and year-standing. If desired, you can submit a photo and be featured on our website.

Your feedback is super appreciated and will help inform our efforts to inspire future NEURds!

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The NEURds’letter is typically sent out every Thursday during the fall/winter semesters. While membership on the distribution list is automatic for neuroscience majors at the beginning of each fall, you can unsubscribe (or request to join) via email to ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Neuroscience Administration