On October 29, 2026, Rocío Rodríguez and Cristian Reyes, doctoral researchers at CIMCYC, attended the VII UBneuro PhD Workshop at the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona and presented their research during the poster session.
The UBneuro PhD Workshop is an event that enables doctoral students from the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona to attend lectures by leading international researchers, exchange knowledge and experiences, and build collaborative networks. This year, two doctoral students from the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC) at the University of Granada and one from the CSIC-UMH Institute of Neurosciences were invited to participate in the event.
Bringing together more than 100 participants, this event provided an opportunity to reinforce scientific exchange and ties between the three institutions members of the SOMM Excellence Alliance. Furthermore, it allowed doctoral students to exchange experiences and knowledge, strengthening their collaborative networks.
The program included a plenary lecture by Dr. Ira Espuny-Camacho (GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège), entitled “Organoid-to-organoid transplantation and pro-neurogenic treatment promote graft integration and neuronal repair in a human ischemic model”. The workshop also featured a round table entitled “Stroke: Patients and Researchers, Building the Future of Research Together”, featuring Dr. Xabier Urra, Head of the Neurology Service at Hospital Clínic; Dr. Esther Duarte, Director of Fundació Ictus; and Dr. Claudia Peñaloza, from the Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology at UB. Moderated by Dr. Daniel Tornero, the discussion offered students a comprehensive view of the journey of a person who has suffered a stroke: from hospital admission and acute care to recovery and rehabilitation in the chronic phase, including the language difficulties that some people experience.
A total of 74 posters and eight oral presentations showcased the research of doctoral students, covering a wide range of topics, from molecular and cellular mechanisms to cognitive neuroscience:
- Rocío Rodríguez presented the poster “The Role of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Emotion Recognition at 6 Years of Age” to share a study analyzing the association between the type of breastfeeding received during the first six months of life and subsequent cognitive and emotional neurodevelopment at 72 months, controlling for maternal intelligence quotient, family income and maternal cortisol concentrations during the third trimester of pregnancy.
- Cristian Reyes presented the poster “Linguistic Factors of Cognitive Reserve: A Systematic Review”. This review aims to shed light on the interplay between linguistic variables and cognitive reserve in the context of healthy aging. The results demonstrate a promising role for three proxies: verbal IQ, reading and bilingualism, highlighting the potential of linguistic proxies.
CIMCYC is deeply grateful to the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona for inviting our doctoral research staff and covering their accommodation expenses.
For more information, visit the Institut de Neurociències website.