National role for Southampton neuroscientist

Southampton scientist Dr Joanne Bailey has been voted in as the British Neuroscience Association (BNA) representative for outreach and early career researchers. This is a national committee and fifteen others applied for the role.

“I wanted to get involved because during my PhD and postdoctoral studies I have been fairly active in terms of outreach,” she explains. “I very much enjoy promoting University of Southampton research to the general public and, more importantly, challenging the stigmas associated with psychological and neurodegenerative conditions.”

During her time on the committee, Joanne hopes to increase the number of PhD and Research Fellows attending the biannual BNA conference, and provide career support and information for early career researchers. “Public awareness and understanding of brain disorders is very important as psychological and mental conditions such as schizophrenia and depression have inappropriate social stigma associated with them,” she says.

Joanne also hopes to help educate the public about neurological mental health disorders through fun and intuitive outreach events, hopefully breaking down misconceptions and increasing awareness of support networks.

The Biological and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Research Fellow at the Centre for Biological Sciences, is currently researching growth factor signalling in the central nervous system. She began her academic career at the University of Southampton with a BSc Biochemistry degree, stayed on to study for a PhD.

The Association’s aims include promoting neuroscience research, organising events, engaging with the public and the media and representing UK neuroscience to Government, funding agencies, and science administration, regulation and standards organisations.