Travel award winners

Dorte Schulte Travel Award WinnerJanuary 2020 Winner

Dörte Schulte is a researcher working at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster and is researching the role of the VEGFC/VEGFR3 pathway in lymphatic development. The award will help fund a trip to the Gordon Research Conference “The Growth and Function of Lymphatics for Therapeutic Targeting During Development and Disease”.

I am really happy to travel to the Gordon Research Conference with your help! This conference will be packed with interesting people in sunny California and will be a great experience. Dörte Schulte, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany, Hello Bio travel award winner


Cintia Stival, Hello Bio travel award winner

December 2019 Winner

Cintia Stival is a postdoctoral researcher working at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Rosario in Argentina. Her research fouces on on how mammalian sperm get ready to fertilize an oocyte in a process called “capacitation”. The award will help fund her trip to the American Society of Andrology annual meeting in Philadelphia, USA

I was truly thrilled to know that I had received the Hello Bio travel grant. This award will allow me to share my research with respected scientists from around the globe and keep expanding the knowledge we generate at our lab in the field of male reproduction. I’m very excited with the opportunity and really grateful because these experiences wouldn’t  be possible for most trainees if it weren’t for this kind of financial support. Thank you Hello Bio for getting me closer to this dream!. Cintia Stival, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Rosario, Argentina, Hello Bio travel award winner

Sonia Shah, Hello Bio, Travel Award WinnerNovember 2019 Winner

Sonia Shah is a researcher working at the University of Queensland and is researching the link between cardiovascular and neurological disease. The award will help fund the trip to Gordon Research Conference on Angiotensin which brings together experts on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

I’m thrilled to have been awarded the Hello Bio travel grant which will support my attendance of the Gordon Research Conference on Angiotensin. I found out at almost the same time that I was selected from the conference abstract submissions for an oral presentation. So it’s been a double celebration! Being able to present my work and meet global experts on this topic will be invaluable for progressing my research. Sonia Shah, Hello Bio travel award winner

Emma Sands, Hello Bio, Travel Award Winner

October 2019 Winner

Emma Sands is a PhD student working at the University of Dundee in Scotland as part of Dr Mattie Pawlowics lab, researching the diarrhoea causing parasite, Cryptosporidium. Her research focuses on disease transmission and currently, she is establishing using organoids or “mini-organs” to help this work. This award will help fund her trip to Tissue Organoids as Models of Host Physiology and Pathophysiology of Disease in Vancouver, 2020.

I am delighted to be awarded this Hello Bio travel grant in support of my travel to the Keystone conference Tissue Organoids as Models of Host Physiology and Pathophysiology of Disease, in Vancouver, 2020. This award will help me to showcase my project at a global conference and meet other scientists which employ organoids to study disease. Emma Sands, Hello Bio travel award winner



Alice Filippini, Hello Bio travel award winnerAugust 2019 Winner

Alice Filippini is a researcher working at the University of Brescia and is researching Parkinsons Disease. The award will help fund her trip to 18th National Congress of the Italian Society for Neuroscience.

I would like to thank you a lot for giving me this opportunity. I am very grateful! Travel for Science is always a good idea!!!. Alice Filippini, Hello Bio travel award winner



Ankita Kapoor, travel award winnerJuly 2019 Winner

Ankita Kapoor is a researcher working at inStem, Bangalore, India in Dr. Tina Mukherjee's lab and is working to understand "The role of neurotransmitter dopamine in blood development". The Hello Bio travel award will help fund her trip to the 26th European Drosophila Research Conference.

It feels amazing and at the same time encouraging to be a recipient of this travel award. This award will definitely support a part of my travel to the 26th European Drosophila Research Conference being held in Switzerland. Establishing contacts with various scientists and colleagues, presenting my ongoing research work to an audience that could critique it and learning from eminent scientists of my field are benefits that I look forward to achieve from this conference, supported by this travel award. Ankita Kapoor, Hello Bio travel award winner

June 2019 Winner

Mehdi Adibi

Mehdi is an NHMRC CJ Martin early career research fellow at the University of New South Wales, Australia, and a visiting scientist at Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy. His recent line of research is on the neuronal, computational and behavioural basis of sensorimotor processing and cue combination in dynamic environments using rodent models. The award will help fund his trip to 2019 Neurodynamics Symposium, Grenoble, France.

It is a pleasure for me to be the recipient of the award from Hello Bio to attend the Neurodynamics Symposium 2019. This award allowed me expand my network and build new collaborations with well-established scientists. During the meeting, I had the chance to communicate my research, receive feedback enhancing the quality of my research and promote the research team. I also entered a new collaborative project. Mehdi Adibi, University of New South Wales, Australia, Hello Bio travel award winner



Travel Award Winner Kate O'NeillMay 2019 Winner

Kate is a postdoctoral researcher working at the University of Maryland College Park and is studying the role of the cytoskeleton in primary neurons and astrocytes. The award will help fund her trip to the European Glial Cells in Health and Disease meeting to present collaborative work on astrocytes.

I am so honored to receive travel support from Hello Bio to attend my first international conference! Traveling to an international conference is expensive, and this travel award will help to cover some of the fees associated with the European Glia Meeting in July. Attending this conference is an incredible career opportunity for me because I have recently started collaborating with a lab in Italy and will be attending this conference with them to learn more about the field of astrocyte physiology. . Kate O'Neill, University of Maryland, College Park, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

Bo Li Hello Bio Travel Award WinnerApril 2019 Winner

Bo Li is a Research Fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children, Translational Medicine Program, Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, and is researching neonatal intestinal disorders and tissue regeneration. The award will help to fund his trip to ISSCR2019. Read more about Bo

This is an amazing opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other scientists. I feel glad to have received this award as it helps supplement my research funding and provides me with the ability to continue to pursue doing the research I enjoy. Bo Li, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada, Hello Bio travel award winner




Aaron Scott, travel award winnerMarch 2019 Winner

Aaron Scott is a PhD student at Bristol University, studying extracellular vesicle biology in Rebecca Richardson's lab in the Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience Department. The award will help to fund his trip to the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting in Kyoto, Japan. Read more about Aaron

I am incredibly grateful for this support – attending international conferences would not be possible for the vast majority of students, if not for extra support from societies and companies like Hello Bio!nts. Aaron Scott, Bristol University, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner




Arantza Muguruza, Hello Bio travel award winnerFebruary 2019 Winner

Arantza Muguruza-Montero is a researcher working at the Euskal Herriko Univertsitatea (EHU/UPV) - Biophysics Institute, in the Basque Country. Arantza is researching the molecular dynamics of the interaction between the Kv7.2 and CaM channels and the award will help to fund her trip to the International Kv7 Channels Symposium Find out more about Arantza.

It is amazing that HelloBio has awarded me with their travel grant for going to the International Kv7 Channels Symposium! For me it is fascinating because it is my first international congress. But not only that, it is also an important event for my scientific trajectory because my PhD project is directly related to the topic of the meeting. I have recently been awarded with a PhD student grant from the Basque Government under the project entitled “Atomic aspects of the calcium signalization in Kv7 neuronal channels”, under the supervision of Dr. Alvaro Villarroel and Prof. Carmen Domene. I think that the Symposium will be great for meeting the top researchers in the field, learning more about techniques, expressing my ideas and my preliminary results in front of them, and so on. I cannot wait for it! Thank you so much HelloBio! It would not be possible for me to go without this grant. Arantza Muguruza-Montero, Euskal Herriko Univertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Basque Country, Hello Bio travel award winner



Giorgia Moschetti Hello Bio Travel Award WinnerJanuary 2019 Winner

Giorgia Moschetti is a researcher working at Università degli Studi di Milano. Giorgia is researching the role of a novel family of chemokines, Prokineticins, in the development of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. The award will help to fund her trip to NeuPSIG 2019. Find out more about Giorgia.

Thank you hello bio for this travel grant that will allow me to attend the 7th International Congress on Neuropathic Pain (NeuPSIG 2019). It will be a great opportunity for me to share my data with and learn from other scientists, and given the variety of topics, I hope that the congress could give me new ideas for my experiments. Giorgia Moschetti, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy, Hello Bio travel award winner



Vera Wiersma Hello Bio travel award winnerDecember 2018 Winner

Vera Wiersma is a researcher working at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is researching the mechanisms underlying the progression of Alzheimer's disease and the award will help to fund her trip to the 14th International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Find out more about Vera

I'm very happy to be awarded the HelloBio travel grant, which will allow me to attend the 14th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease coming March in Lisbon. I am looking forward to discussing my data with scientists from all over the world and to catch up and learn all about the latest discoveries in my research field. An unique opportunity! Thank you for your generous support, Hello Bio, I am looking forward to the conference! Vera Wiersma, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Hello Bio travel award winner

Achini Opathalage Hello Bio travel award winnerNovember 2018 Winner

Achini Opathalage is a researcher working at Boston University. She is developing a model to robustly manipulate stresses in synthetic tissues and investigate the effects on cell reorientation and alignment, using a microfabricated platform. The award will help to fund her trip to ASCB-EMBO 2018. Find out more about Achini

The Hello Bio travel award supported me to attend the American Society for Cell Biology meeting and present my recent work. I’m ecstatic to receive this award and I highly appreciate Hello Bio’s effort in supporting early-career scientists. The award contributed to the costs my advisor beared to send me to the conference and allowed the lab to use the money to do exciting research. Achini Opathalage, Boston University, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner



Caitlin Burgdorf travel award winnerOctober 2018 Winner

Caitlin Burgdorf is a researcher working at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. She is researching the effect of genetic variability in the endocannabinoid system on mesolimbic dopamine function and vulnerability to THC-seeking behavior in adolescent mice and will use the award to help fund her trip to the Winter Conference on Brain Research. Find out more about Caitlin

I’m so grateful to receive this travel award from HelloBio. This award will allow me the opportunity to travel to the Winter Conference on Brain Research. As I am in the final year of my PhD, I’m very excited to attend this conference in order to receive feedback from experts on my own project and network with colleagues for future steps of my career. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity, Hello Bio! Caitlin Burgdorf, Weill Cornell, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

Rudolf Faust, Hello Bio travel award winnerSeptember 2018 Winner

Rudolf Faust is a researcher working at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. The award will help to fund his trip to the Cell-NERF Neurotechnologies Symposium. Find out more about Rudolf.

I really appreciate getting the award because it is the first time I have received a travel grant to attend a conference. By defraying the costs paid by my supervisor to send me there, it enables us to use the money on other research expenses. Rudolf Faust, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Hello Bio travel award winner

August 2018 Winner

Johannes Felsenberg Hello Bio Travel Award Winner

Johannes Felsenberg is a neuroscientist working in Scott Waddell's lab at the University of Oxford. He is researching the neural circuit mechanisms underlying memory re-evaluation and the award will help to fund his trip to the 13th Göttingen Meeting of the German Neuroscience Society. Find out more about Johannes

I am delighted to receive the Hello Bio Travel Award. The generous support from this award allows me to present my most recent results at 13th Göttingen Meeting of the German Neuroscience Society. Thank you, Hello Bio, for backing up scientific communication. Johannes Felsenberg, University of Oxford, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner




Marta Fernandez, Hello Bio travel award winnerJuly 2018 Winner

Marta Fernández is a Ph.D student working in Olga Peñagarikano's Lab at the University of the Basque Country, Spain. They are interested in understanding the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that modulate social behavior and how dysfunction in these circuits leads to neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism. The award will help to fund her trip to SfN's 48th annual meeting in San Diego. Find out more about Marta

Thanks HelloBio for your support! As PhD student, I believe that data divulgation and attendance to scientific meetings are fundamental parts in the formation of junior researchers.This award is a great help for me. SfN is by far the best international meeting on neuroscience and it provides with an ideal environment for interacting with peer students working on similar subjects, and to meet personally the most relevant personalities in my field. Marta Fernández, University of the Basque Country, Spain, Hello Bio travel award winner

Morgan Zipperly, Hello Bio Travel award winnerJune 2018 Winner

Morgan Zipperly is a MD/PhD student working in Jeremy Day’s Lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She studies the role of glutamatergic projections from the prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens in motivated behavior and acute cocaine reward. This award will help to fund her trip to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cellular Biology of Addiction course at the University of Cambridge. Find out more about Morgan

I’m thrilled to receive this travel award, which will allow me to attend the CSHL Cellular Biology of Addiction course at Cambridge University, where I will be able to interact with and learn from international leaders in the field  Morgan Zipperly, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

Ma-ayan Gadot, Hello Bio travel award winnerMay 2018 Winner

Ma'ayan Gadot is a Ph.D student in Prof. Hamutal Slovin’s Lab at Gonda brain research center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel. She investigates the neural mechanisms underlining depth perception and the award will help to fund her trip to SfN's 48th annual meeting.

Thank you Hello Bio for the generous travel grant to attend the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) 2018 annual meeting. Participating in this conference provides a unique opportunity to share my research with the international neuroscience committee and discuss the novel developments in the field with colleagues and students from leading laboratories. I trust this experience will have a significant contribution to my professional training. I greatly appreciate your support! Ma'ayan Gadot, Bar-Ilan University, Israel, Hello Bio travel award winner

Ayse Özge Sungur, Hello Bio travel award winnerApril 2018 Winner

Ayse Özge Sungur is a researcher working in Professor Schwarting’s Lab at Philipps-University of Marburg in Germany. She is researching genetic mouse models for neurodevelopmental disorders, and the award will help to fund her trip to EBBS satellite meeting at FENS in Berlin

I am truly grateful for being selected as a Hello Bio travel award winner. Having this grant will help me attend the EBBS satellite meeting at FENS and share my research with the neuroscience community. I am very excited to meet the experts in the field, hear their feedback, and keep up with the cutting-edge discoveries. I am also glad that I came across Hello Bio at one such conference and heard about this award. Thank you for your generous support, Hello Bio!. Ayse Özge Sungur, Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany, Hello Bio travel award winner

Shaunik Sharma, Hello Bio travel award winnerMarch 2018 Winner

Shaunik Sharma is a researcher working in Professor Thippeswamy’s Lab at Iowa State University. His lab research theme is disease modification in Epilepsy. His primary focus is to investigate the mechanism of development of epilepsy after a first seizure, in view of identifying new therapeutic targets to prevent the disease onset. The award will help to fund his trip to the 2018 CounterACT conference to be held in Denver, Colorado where he will present his research.

I would like to thank HelloBio for their kind support which will help me to present my research at the CounterACT conference in Denver, Colorado. CounterACT program supports basic and translational research aimed at the identification of better therapeutic medical countermeasures against chemical threat agents such as organophosphates, and facilitates their movement through the drug development and regulatory processes in collaboration with other federal departments, agencies, and other initiatives. These countermeasures aim to improve the survival and long-term prognosis for those exposed to toxic levels of these chemicals by stopping or preventing seizures. Attending this conference will not only give me a great opportunity to explore these new research areas but will also expose me to various new and innovative technologies, resources, discoveries and some outstanding ongoing work in my field. Presenting at professional conferences like CounterACT will also help me towards the growth of my academic career and as a professional, and will give me a relevant experience for careers both inside and outside of academia. Overall, this conference will expose me to the fascinating world of life science research where I will also get a chance to meet the greats in my field of research, share my ideas with them, learn from them and implement those ideas in my future work. Thank you HelloBio for this amazing opportunity and for supporting my research. Shaunik Sharma, Iowa State University, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

February 2018 WinnerMaria Velasco, Hello Bio travel award winner

Maria Velasco is a PhD student in Prof. Kumlesh K. Dev's Lab, at Trinity College Dublin. She is researching mechanosensitive channels in the central nervous system and the award will help to fund her trip to FENS 2018.

I was deeply thankful when HelloBio awarded me with the February travel grant, which will help me fund my participation at FENS 2018! I am a last year PhD student and attending international meetings such as FENS is of great help to get experience presenting my research, as well as getting feedback from many other researchers in the field and networking for future steps in my career. I think it is great that companies like Hello Bio are supporting researchers all over the world to continue with their work, with things such as this travel grant. Thank you Hello Bio, for making this possible!!! Maria Velasco, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, Hello Bio travel award winner

January 2018 WinnerJyoti Gautam Travel Award Winner

Jyoti Gautam is a researcher working in Dr Yao’s Lab at The University of Georgia, USA. She is researching the role of laminins in blood brain barrier integrity maintenance and the award will help to fund her trip to the Barriers of the CNS, Gordon Research Conference.

I really appreciate this generous support from Hello Bio! This travel grant will help me to attend the ‘Barriers of the CNS, Gordon Research Conference’, 2018, to be held in New London, NH, US. This conference will help me in sharing my work in the field and exchanging ideas with amazing colleagues. Critical feedbacks from the excellent neuroscientists in the meeting will help me in carrying out my project as well as future directions for career development. Thank you so much Hello Bio!! Jyoti Gautam, The University of Georgia, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

December 2017 WinnerLaura Kervezee, Hello Bio travel award winner

Laura Kervezee is a researcher working at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute at McGill University, USA in Diane Boivin’s Lab.She is researching the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian disruption and the award will help to fund her trip to the 2018 Society for Research on Biological Rhythms meeting!

I am very grateful for the support to attend the 2018 Society for Research on Biological Rhythms meeting in Florida this May. It will give me the opportunity to present my research, hear about new exciting research, and network with scientists from all over the world. Thank you, Hello Bio! Laura Kervezee, Institute at McGill University, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

November 2017 WinnerJennifer Martin, travel grant winner

Jennifer Martin is a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, working in David Dietz’s Lab at SUNY at Buffalo. She is researching how actin dynamics regulate opiate-induced behavioral and structural plasticity in the Nucleus Accumbens and the award will help to fund her trip to the 56th ACNP Annual Meeting 2017.

I am very excited to be selected as the recipient of the Hello Bio travel award to attend the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting in Palm Spring, CA! This meeting will be very beneficial for my career, both scientifically and professionally. I will be able to get feedback during my poster presentation, attend panels, and make connections with top researchers in the field. Thank you Hello Bio for your support! Jennifer Martin, SUNY at Buffalo, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

October 2017 WinnerMaria Madeira, Travel Award Winner

Maria Madeira is a researcher working at the Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, under the supervision of António Francisco Ambrósio. She is researching the contribution of glial cells and glia-mediated neuroinflammation to blood-retinal barrier and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. This award will help to fund her trip to Achucarro International Glial School!

I was very glad when I knew that I was awarded with a Hello Bio Travel Grant to support my attendance to the Achucarro International Glia School. As I am starting a post-doctoral position, the participation in the meeting would bring a huge benefit for this new stage of my career. I can take the advantage of learning more about other glial cells, their mechanisms of communication and state of the art techniques used to study them, which would, without any doubt, improve development of the projects in which I am involved. . Maria Madeira, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Hello Bio travel award winner

Amit Chouhan Sept 2017 travel award winner

September 2017 Winner

Amit Chouhan is undertaking his PhD in Gareth Miles' lab at the University of St Andrews. He is researching mechanisms underlying the dysfunction of motoneurons derived from ALS patient iPSCs and the role of astrocytes towards motoneuron pathophysiology. This award will help to fund his trip to the Motor Neurone Disease Association Annual Symposium in Boston, USA.

The generous support from Hello Bio will make it possible for me to present my work and learn from experienced fellow researchers. Amit Chouhan, University of St. Andrews, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner

James Daniel, Hello Bio travel award winner

August 2017 Winner

James Daniel is an early-career researcher working in Nils Brose’s Lab at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Goettingen, Germany. He studies the role of protein SUMOylation in regulating neuronal function, and the award will help to fund his trip to the 2017 meeting of the Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS).

This grant from Hello Bio will help me to travel overseas to present my latest scientific findings to the research community, giving me networking opportunities and boosting my career. Thanks so much for your help! James Daniel, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Germany

Young Kim, Hello Bio travel award winner

July 2017 Winner

Young Kim is a postdoc working in the Hunt Lab at the University of California, Irvine. He is researching mechanisms underlying Chd2 haploinsufficiency in a broad spectrum of human neurodevelopmental disorders and the award will help to fund his trip to the American Epilepsy Society National Meeting.

Thank you Hello Bio! I am thrilled and honored to receive the award for my trip to 2017 American Epilepsy Society meeting in Washington DC. This meeting will help me to share my exciting work in the field and exchange ideas with amazing colleagues. It will be a massive boost for carrying out my project as well as for my career development. You guys are awesome! Young Kim, UC Irvine, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

Nicola Corbett, Hello Bio travel award winner

June 2017 Winner

Nicola Corbett is a Research associate working in Professor Nigel Hooper’s Lab at the University of Manchester. She is researching the signalling pathway of soluble amyloid precursor protein α, and its effects on the synapses of iPSC-derived neurons, and the award will help to fund her trip to SfN’s 47th annual meeting, Neuroscience 2017.

Thank you, Hello Bio for this travel award. I am very much looking forward to using it to go to SfN 2017 in Washington, D.C. This year’s meeting is quite an important one for me as it will be the first time that I will be presenting my data in a nanosymposium! I have always enjoyed attending SfN, and so having the support from Hello Bio to get there is fantastic! Nicola Corbett, University of Manchester, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner

Olga Skiteva, Hello Bio travel award winner

May 2017 Winner

Olga Skiteva is a postdoc working in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, in the Karolinska Institute, in the lab of Karima Chergui. She is researching the mechanisms underlying the fast antidepressant effects of ketamine in mice - specifically those that involve changes in glutamatergic transmission via AMPA receptors in different brain regions. The award will help to fund her trip to the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington DC.

I'm so glad to get the award! The Annual Meeting of Society for Neuroscience is the biggest neuroscience conference in the world... It's an opportunity to meet the top neuroscientists, get inspired by their lectures, present our own study, discuss it and get feedback! Also I want to mention that the application procedure was clear and easy. Thank you very much, Hello Bio, for the support!. Olga Skiteva, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, Hello Bio travel award winner

Zoe Christenson Wick , Hello Bio travel award winner

April 2017 Winner

Zoé Christenson Wick is a PhD candidate working in the Krook-Magnuson Lab at the University of Minnesota. She is researching far-reaching inhibitory neurons of the healthy and epileptic hippocampus and the award will help to fund her trip to the Gordon Research Conference ‘Inhibition in the CNS’ in Les Diablerets, 2017.

I am truly grateful for Hello Bio's travel grant supporting my attendance at the 'Inhibition in the CNS Gordon Research Conference' in Switzerland this June. This will be my first time attending a Gordon Conference and I am very much looking forward to getting feedback on my thesis research from experts in the field, hearing about exciting recent research, and meeting neuroscientists from all over the world who are contributing to our knowledge of the nervous system's inhibitory influences. This will be an incredible learning experience for me and I look forward to engaging in challenging and critical discussions and reflections of my own research and the field as a whole. Zoé Christenson Wick , University of Minnesota, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

Charlie Arber, Hello Bio travel award winnerMarch 2017 Winner

Charlie Arber is a post-doc working in Selina Wray’s lab at UCL Institute of Neurology in London. He is researching stem cell models of dementia, making use of iPSC technology to probe the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration. The award will help to fund his trip to the International Society for Stem Cell Research annual meeting in Boston, 2017.

It was absolutely tremendous to receive the news that my application for a travel award had been successful from Hello Bio. I had been hoping to attend the ISSCR conference for a long time and this award has made it possible. Being able to travel to the largest stem cell meeting in the world will enable me to share ideas and learn from the biggest names in the field. This will undoubtedly help my current project and my career as a researcher. A MASSIVE thank you to Hello Bio for making this possible, I cannot wait! Charlie Arber, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner

Emily Johansson, Hello Bio travel award winnerFebuary 2017 Winner

Emily Johansson is a post-doc working in the Lab of Laurent Groc at the Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroScience (IINS) in Bordeaux. She is researching NMDA receptor surface dynamics from a neuro-immunological perspective and the award will help to fund her trip to the Neuro-immune Axis: Reciprocal Regulation in Development, Health and Disease symposium in Stiges.

I felt very happy when I received the great news of the successful outcome of my travel grant application. I was hoping to attend the symposium in Sitges and I knew that financial support of this kind would make it happen. This will give me the opportunity to present and discuss our research project with scientists that are experts in the field which hopefully will contribute to a deeper understanding and interpretation of our results. Thank you HelloBio for supporting my research! Emily Johansson, Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroScience, Bordeaux, France, Hello Bio travel award winner

Dominique Fernandes, Hello Bio travel award winnerJanuary 2017 Winner

Dominique Fernandes is a PhD student working in the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, under the supervision of Ana Luísa Carvalho. She is researching the potential role of the autism-related Caspr2 protein in the regulation of glutamatergic transmission and synaptic plasticity phenomena, and the award will help to fund her trip to the Gordon Research Conference on Excitatory Synapses & Brain Function in Switzerland.

Hello Bio, thank you so much for awarding me with a travel grant to attend this year's Gordon Research Conference on Excitatory Synapses & Brain Function. Some of the best researchers in my field will be gathered in this meeting and presenting my work to them will undoubtedly bring valuable feedback on my research, as well as greatly benefiting my experience as a young investigator. Without your support, this amazing opportunity would not be possible. Thanks!! Dominique Fernandes, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Hello Bio travel award winner

Sandrine Wauters, Hello Bio travel award winnerDecember 2016 Winner

Sandrine Wauters is a postdoctoral research associate working at Queen Square Brain Bank at UCL, working under the supervision of Dr Tammaryn Lashley. Sandrine is researching mechanisms involved in Frontotemporal dementia and the award will help to fund her trip to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease conference in Vienna on 29th March 2017, where she has been asked to deliver an oral presentation on her work.

In December 2016, I submitted my first ever application to Hellobio travel grant monthly draw. I was thrilled when I was told that I was successful in that month’s draw and that I would be awarded $500 towards my trip to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease conference. This is a huge support for me as this is the first international conference I have been asked to deliver an oral presentation on my work. This will be an invaluable experience as a post-doc starting my career in dementia research. Thank you very much for supporting me in my career! Sandrine Wauters, UCL, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner

Sandeep Sharma, Hello Bio travel award winnerNovember 2016 Winner

Sandeep Sharma is a post-doctoral research associate working in the lab of Prof. Patrick Whelan at the University of Calgary, Canada. He is examining the role of descending neural circuits in control of locomotion in health and disease. In particular his project is aimed at studying the connectivity of dopaminergic A13 cells of the subthalamic locomotor region with downstream locomotor regions such as the mesencephalic locomotor region, medullary reticular formation and the lumbar spinal cord in mice. He is using DREADDs and Optogenetics to test the role of A13 dopaminergic cells in locomotion. The award will help to fund his trip to SFN and his oral talk in nanosymposium at SFN.



Pellegrino Lippiello, Hello Bio travel award winnerOctober 2016 Winner

Pellegrino Lippiello is a post-doc working in the laboratory of Professor Maria Concetta Miniaci at the Department of Phamacy at the University of Naples. He is studying the role of GIRK channels on Purkinje cell excitability and synaptic transmission in mouse cerebellum. The award will help to fund his trip to “The cerebellum inside out: cells, circuits and functions” course.

Many thanks Hello Bio!! I am very happy to receive the travel grant for attending the course "The cerebellum inside out: cells, circuits and functions". This meeting represents a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge on the physiology of the cerebellum and the pathogenesis of cerebellum-dependent diseases. In addition, it will give me the possibility to meet international groups of research and eventually start new collaborations. Pellegrino Lippiello, University of Naples, Italy, Hello Bio travel award winner

Genevieve Lind, Travel award winner for Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors conferenceTravel award for 26th Neuropharmacology Conference: Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors, a satellite to SfN

Well done to Genevieve Lind!

Genevieve Lind is a graduate student at the University of Montana, working under the supervision of Professor Kasper Hansen. The award will help to fund Genevieve’s trip to the 26th Neuropharmacology Conference: Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors, a satellite to the 2016 Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, where she will be presenting her work on subunit-selective NMDA receptor antagonists.

Thanks Hello Bio! Attending the 26th Neuropharmacology Conference is a critical piece of my professional development as a student and scientist and I am ever grateful for your contribution. Thank you for your work to support graduate student efforts and opportunities! Genevieve Lind, University of Montana, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

September 2016 Winner

Vanessa Santos, Hello Bio travel award winnerWell done to Vanessa Santos!

Vanessa Santos is a PhD student in Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal working under the supervision of Professor Ana Paula Silva. She is studying the impact of the psychostimulant methylphenidate on neurogliovascular unit function, in vivo and in vitro BBB models. The award will help to fund Vanessa’s trip to SfN in San Diego, where she will be presenting a poster.

I am very pleased to have been awarded this financial support from Hello Bio to attend the Neuroscience 2016 -Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeeting in San Diego, California. I believe that presenting my work at SfN will be an excellent experience for me and a unique opportunity to obtain ideas and establish collaborations for the future. As a matter of fact, SfN is one of the most important neuroscience meetings, where we can discuss all areas of the thriving and up-and-coming field of neuroscience. Thanks, Hello Bio! Vanessa Santos, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Hello Bio travel award winner

August 2016 Winner

Joshua Lorenz-Guertin, Hello Bio travel award winnerWell done to Joshua Lorenz-Guertin!

Joshua Lorenz-Guertin is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh, under the mentorship of Tija Jacob. His work is focused on establishing new methods to monitor pharmacologically induced changes in GABAAR trafficking and this award will help to fund his trip to Pharmacology 2016 in London, where he will be presenting a poster.

Hello Bio, thank you. I greatly appreciate this travel award which will help mitigate the cost of attending Pharmacology 2016 in London. This conference will provide me unique academic and professional development opportunities I might not otherwise have access too, and Hello Bio had a hand in making it happen!Joshua Lorenz-Guertin , University of Pittsburgh, USA, Hello Bio travel award winner

July 2016 Winner

Gladys Caldeira, June 2016 Hello Bio travel award winnerCongratulations to Gladys!

Gladys Caldeira is a PhD student working in the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at the University of Coimbra, Portugal with Ana Luisa Carvalho. She is researching the role of point mutations found in the Stargazin protein which is important for glutamatergic transmission and the award will help to fund her trip to SfN.”

Hello Bio, I could not be happier to receive this amazing help! The SfN Meeting in San Diego will be the perfect opportunity to meet incredible neuroscientists and to get to know about groundbreaking projects. It will be great to discuss the research we are doing with so many interesting people! Thank you very much, Hello Bio!  Gladys Caldeira, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Hello Bio travel award winner

June 2016 Winner

Yeseul Lee, June 2016 Hello Bio travel award winnerWell done Yeseul!

Yeseul Lee is a PhD student  at the Centre of Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, working under the supervision of Professor Zuner Bortolotto. She is studying
the role of ionotropic receptors in synaptic plasticity and its effect on spatial memory function. The award will help to fund Yeseul’s trip to the 26th Neuropharmacology conference in San Diego, where she will be presenting a poster.

Thank you so much Hello Bio! I am absolutely excited to attend the Neuropharmacology conference this year. I will definitely enjoy meeting excellent scientists around the world and talking to them thanks to Hello Bio's travel grant. Yeseul Lee, Centre of Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner

May 2016 Winner

Joana Balca-Silva travel award winner

It's SfN for Joana!

Joana Balça-Silva is a PhD student in Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal working under the supervision of Professor Maria Celeste Fernandes Lopes.
She is studying neuron-glial cell interactions and stem-like cell plasticity, particularly in cancer, using in vitro and in vivo approaches. The award will help to fund Joana’s trip to SfN in San Diego, where she will be presenting a poster.

I am very pleased to have been awarded this financial support from Hello Bio to attend the Neuroscience 2016 -Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeeting in San Diego, California. This support is of the utmost help in funding my travel to this meeting. It will make it possible to expand my horizons, talk about my PhD work, improve my critical thinking and knowledge, and listen to talks from the experts in my research field - and hopefully provide important contacts for my future career. Thanks, Hello Bio!Joana Balça-Silva , Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Hello Bio travel award winner

April 2016 WinnerPhilip Adeniyi travel award winner

Congratulations to Philip Adeniyi!

Philip Adeniyi is a 3rd year PhD student working at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, USA under the supervision of Prof Charles C. Lee. Philip’s work focuses on the role of nicotine in the neurotoxic effects of MDMA, and non-genetic risk factors underlying neurodegenerative diseases. Philip has had a poster accepted at FENS 2016– so this award will help to fund his trip to Copenhagen..

Thanks so much for the grant, Hello Bio! Philip Adeniyi , School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, USA , Hello Bio travel award winner

 Find out more about our past winners

March 2016 WinnerJennifer Blackburn travel award winner

It’s FENS for Jen!

Jen Blackburn is a 3rd year PhD student working at the Medway School of Pharmacy, in Kent, UK, under the supervision of Prof Yuri Ushkaryov. Jen is studying the role of cell-surface receptors, such as latrophilin, in the modulation of neurotransmitter release by dynamic regulation of presynaptic cytosolic calcium. Her research has revealed some exciting findings, and she would like to present these at FENS 2016 in Copenhagen – so the award will help to fund this trip.

I am thrilled to have received the Hello Bio travel grant this month, which will enable me to attend the FENS forum in Copenhagen later this year. Attending this conference will benefit me in many ways and I am proud to have Hello Bio's support. Thank you!" Jennifer Blackburn, Medway School of Pharmacy, UK, Hello Bio travel award winner

January 2016 WinnerSushmitha Gururaj travel award winner

Sushmitha is heading to EB'16!

Sushmitha Gururaj is a 4th year PhD student working at the University at Buffalo, Pharmacology and Toxicology Dept., New York, under the supervision of Professor Arin Bhattacharjee. Sushmitha’s research is focused on mechanisms of regulation of sodium-activated potassium channels in the peripheral nervous system. The award will help fund a trip to Experimental Biology 2016, in San Diego.

A big thank you to Hello Bio for this travel award! I feel very fortunate to have obtained their support and to be able to attend EB '16 at San Diego, where I will most likely gain valuable feedback on my research and have access to exciting networking opportunities with the best of the best in my field." Sushmitha Gururaj, University at Buffalo, Hello Bio travel award winner

Danielle Tomasello travel award winnerNovember 2015 Winner

Danielle is off to San Diego!

Danielle Tomasello is a PhD student working at the University at Buffalo, Pharmacology and Toxicology Dept., New York, under the supervision of Professor Arin Bhattacharjee. Danielle’s research is focused on the peripheral mechanisms of pain and the role of sodium-activated potassium channels during injury and inflammation. The award will support her trip to Experimental Biology 2016, in San Diego, where she plans on presenting a talk.

I am extremely gracious to have been awarded financial support by Hello Bio to attend the ASPET EB meeting in 2016! I met Hello Bio at the Society for Neuroscience conference in October of 2015 and was very excited to talk with the group about their work and learn of this travel award. The support is a great help for this meeting, one that I hope will provide critical feedback on my work and important contacts for my future career." Danielle Tomasello, University at Buffalo, Hello Bio travel award winner

September 2015 WinnerFelix Chan travel award winner

Congratulations to Felix Chan!

Felix Chan is a third year PhD student working at the Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, under the supervision of Dr. Mark Cunningham and Prof. Doug Turnbull. Felix’s primary research interest is the role of mitochondria in generating synchronised electrical activity in the brain. The award will support his trip to the SfN conference in Chicago, where he will be presenting a talk.

I am very pleased to receive this travel grant from Hello Bio for my trip to Neuroscience 2015 at Chicago where I will present my work. Without such travel grants, young scientists like myself would not have a chance to expand our horizons on our research interests. Thanks Hello Bio! Felix Chan, University of Newcastle, Hello Bio travel award winner

Elisa Martelletti travel award winnerAugust 2015 Winner

Congratulations to Elisa Martelletti!

Elisa Martelletti is a second year PhD student working at King's College London (Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases). She is part of the Genetics of Deafness group, which is interested in identifying new genes involved in deafness and understanding their associated mechanisms. The award will support her trip to the Ribbon Synapses Symposium in Goettingen where she will present a poster.

I am very happy to have received Hello Bio's travel grant to present my research work at the Ribbon Synapses Symposium in Goettingen. The attendance of this meeting is really significant for me in order to improve my knowledge in this field and consequently strengthen the achievement of my PhD project. Thank you so much Hello Bio!!" Elisa Martelletti, Kings College London, Hello Bio travel award winner

Shruti Rawal July 2015 travel award winnerJuly 2015 Winner

Congratulations to Shruti Rawal!

Shruti Rawal is a PhD student working in the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology group, at the University of Otago with Dr Rajesh Katare. She is researching the role of cardiovascular microRNAs in diabetic cardiomyopathy and the award will help to fund her trip to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, where she will be presenting her work.

 “I am very delighted to receive this travel award from Hello Bio. It provides me a great opportunity to present my work in Annual Meeting of Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand to be held at Melbourne. Thanks for the support!"

 

 May 2015 Winner

Dr Sophie New, May 2015 travel award winnerOur new winner is Dr. Sophie New!

Sophie New is an early year postdoctoral fellow and her research involves investigating the use of autologous stem cell therapies to repair craniofacial defects, in the group of Dr Patrizia Ferretti at University College London. She has been focusing on the use of adipose-derived stem cells to reconstruct outer ear defects and airways reconstruction. Her award will be used to fund her trip to Gordon Research Conference “Tissue Repair & Regeneration - Exploring Innovations in Tissue Repair and Regeneration: From Bench to Therapies”  in New Hampshire, USA

 “I am delighted to have received the travel award from Hello Bio. Attending the Gordon Research Conference will enable me to interact with a great many researchers in the field and disseminate my research further. Thank you Hello Bio!'"

 

Dr Carmen Coxon, April 2015 travel award winnerApril 2015 Winner

Congratulations to Carmen Coxon!

Carmen Coxon is a postdoc at the University of Bristol, working with Dr Stuart Mundell on a drug repositioning project that has identified well tolerated cancer drugs that limit platelet activity and thrombus formation. The Hello Bio travel award will be used to fund Carmen’s trip to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Conference in Toronto, June 2015 where she will present this work.

 “Being awarded this travel grant by HelloBio means a huge amount to me. The ISTH is a fantastic conference and getting this award will allow me to share my research findings with some of the best people in the the field, from all over the world. I really couldn’t be happier!' 

 

 March 2015 Winner

Rosalind Cook, March travel award winnerCongratulations to Rosalind Cook!

Rosalind Cook is in her last year of a  PhD in the Department of Physiology, University of Otago, New Zealand. Rosalind is working under the supervision of Dr Regis Lamberts and is studying β2 adrenoceptor regulation of function and metabolism in the diabetic heart. The travel award will be used to fund travel to the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2015 (in London) where Rosalind has submitted an abstract.

 “I am very happy to have received Hello Bio's travel grant to put towards travel to the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London this year -  without it I would not have had the opportunity to showcase my exciting research investigating the effects of diabetes in the heart.' 

February 2015 Winners

There are two travel award winners this month - congratulations to Dr Jonas Bystrom and Shahida Mallah!

Jonas Bystrom, Feb 2015 travel award winnerJonas Bystrom is a postdoc in the Bone and Joint Research Unit, working with Prof Rizgar Mageed at the William Harvey Research Institute. His research involves studying the immune response elicited during anti-TNF treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients. The travel award will be used to fund his trip to the Biologics 2015 Workshop in Cambridge, UK.”

 Shahida Mallah, Feb 2015 travel award winner“I am delighted to have been awarded funds by HelloBio to cover the fee for a course organized by the British Pharmacological Society on the topic “Biologics”... The course will further my knowledge of basic pharmacological aspects ensuring the continued success of our research. I am most thankful to have been provided with this award by the friendly company HelloBio

Shahida Mallah is a second year PhD student at the University of Bristol researching the pharmacological properties of newly synthesised antagonists and photo-affinity probes for kainate receptors.  The travel award will be used to fund her trip to the BNA’s Festival of Neuroscience 2015, in Edinburgh, where she is presenting a poster.

"I am very thankful to Hello Bio for a generous travel grant. I am researching in Neuropharmacology and the opportunity to attend the BNA festival enables me to share my research with the scientific community in my field. By awarding me the travel grant, Hello Bio has lightened my financial burden and helped me to get closer to reaching my goal."

Dr Kara Vogel, Jan 2015 travel award winnerJanuary 2015 Winner

Congratulations to Dr Kara Vogel who has won this month's travel award draw!  Kara is a postdoc in Washington State University, working with Dr. Mike Gibson in the Experimental and Systems Pharmacology department. Her research is focused on metabolic epilepsies and their pathophysiology and she will be using her travel award to fund her trip to Experimental Biology 2015.

“Receiving the travel award from HelloBio to present my research on GABA-related pathophysiology at Experimental Biology in Boston was a very positive experience in support of my career and travel goals this year.  Thank you very much for the award!”