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MoniqueE.Maubert
GraduateStudent
CollegeofMedicine–MicrobiologyandImmunologyDepartment
22ndScientificConferenceoftheSocietyonNeuroImmunePharmacology(SNIP2016)
TheSocietyonNeuroImmunePharmacology(SNIP)isan
international scientific society which holds an annual
conference in the spring. This year’s SNIP conference
took place in Krakow, Poland—a city rich in history,
architecture, art, and culture. I have attended several
scientificmeetingsovertheyears,however,thiswasmy
first time traveling abroad for a conference. It was a
fantastic experience, and I hope to have further
opportunities to do so in the future. The conference
beganwithanEarlyCareerInvestigator(ECI)judgedpostersessionontheopeningevening,at
whichIpresentedmyresearchfortheacceptedabstract“Blood-brainbarriercompromiseby
HIV-1Tatandopioidsinaninvitromodel”andwasabletospeakwithseveralinvestigatorswith
similarinterestsatthesession.IalsoattendedanECIluncheon,whichjoinedgraduatestudents,
post-doctoralfellows,faculty,andindustryscientistsfromaroundtheglobeatthesametables
andallowedmetointeractdirectlywithinternationalscientificleaders.Inaddition,throughout
theconference,Iwasabletoattendamultitudeoftalksgivenbyvariousscientistsinmyfields
ofinterest,andIwasalsoabletospeakwithmanyoftheseindividualsone-on-onetodiscuss
boththeirandmyresearchatlength,aswellasthepossibilityofopportunitiesforcollaborations
inthefuture.
Inadditiontotheacademicdiscourse,Iwasalsoabletoexperiencesomeoftherichcultureand
history of Poland. Besides thoroughly enjoying the local cuisine, the landscape, the historical
architecture,andthemodernculture,theSNIPcommitteeorganizedagrouptriptoAuschwitzBirkenau,wherewetouredandexperiencedaboldhistorylessononthefascinating,yethorrific
detailsofthatsomber,yetcompellinglocationanditsroleinWorldWar2.Thecommitteealso
arranged a tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine immediately prior to the annual SNIP Awards
CeremonyBanquet,whichisheldonthefinaleveningoftheconference,andthuswealsodined
inthebeautifulbanquethalllocatedwithinthesaltmine.(Aboveisapictureofmyselfwithmy
PI,Dr.MichaelNonnemacher,attendingthebanquetintheWieliczkaSaltMine.)
Attendingthisconferencewasanincrediblyvaluablepersonalandprofessionalexperience,and
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend. It was an experience which was made
possible partially by the Travel Award awarded to me by the Drexel Office of International
Programs.