A very emotional week at the FENS – Chen Institute – NeuroLéman Summer School

Two Neuroschool students took part in the NeuroLéman Summer School. They tell us about their experience.

A very emotional week at the FENS – Chen Institute – NeuroLéman Summer School

Attending the 2024 FENS – Chen Institute – NeuroLéman Summer School in Lausanne, Switzerland, was an unforgettable experience. The event, held from August 25th to 31st, brought together a diverse group of young neuroscientists coming from all around the globe, all eager to explore the intersection of affective neuroscience, technology, and artificial intelligence.

The highlight of this school was the in-depth exploration of affective neuroscience in a context of recent advances in technologies and AI. We delved into how AI tools can be used to measure and understand emotional behaviors in both humans and animals. Every morning, we had the chance to hear presentations from experts who shared groundbreaking insights into the study of emotions and the use of machine learning for emotional behavior analysis. Then in the afternoon, workshop discussions were held. Among all these discussions, a particularly engaging debate for us centered around the question: Can AI ever be empathetic? This session sparked lively discussions about the definition of empathy and whether AI could ever truly replicate this human trait. The debate was thought-provoking and highlighted the complexities and ethical considerations of developing empathetic AI systems.

Throughout the week, we had numerous opportunities to discuss our research, both during formal presentations, poster sessions but also social events organized by the school. These interactions were invaluable, providing fresh perspectives and fostering collaborations that will undoubtedly influence our future work.

We had the opportunity to visit different campuses and were particularly impressed by the research facilities, especially in the Center of Psychiatric Neurosciences, where fundamental research and clinical breakthroughs are deeply intertwined.

From arrival to departure, the organization of the summer school was impeccable. Housing, food, social events, transportations…the University of Lausanne, along with FENS and the Chen Institute ensured that every detail was taken care of, allowing us to focus entirely on learning and networking. The beautiful alpine lake setting added to the overall experience, making it a perfect environment for intellectual and personal growth (and of course for midnight swimming!). Finally the FENS – Chen Institute – NeuroLéman Summer School was a week of learning, debate, and collaboration, leaving us inspired and equipped with new tools and ideas to advance our research in affective neuroscience. This is why we would like to deeply thank the organizers, especially Ron Stoop, Manuel Mameli and of course Ulrike Toepel and Camille Serafini, but also the FENS and Chen Institute, for this amazing event that we will surely never forget !

Sanae Abdelkaoui and Andréa Paysserand

PS : If you love Swizerland and neuroscience (and of course lake swimming), the summer school takes place every year, either in Lausane or in Genève, don’t hesitate to apply !

Sanae Abdelkaoui was selected as an M2 cum laude student and her registration and mission were co-funded by NeuroSchool and the TIGER/TFR funding.

Andréa Paysserand was co-funded by her laboratory (the INT) and the NeuroSchool PhD Program yearly call for participation in thematic schools.