NeurAlbertaTech proudly hosts and supports natChapters, student-led organisations at post-secondary institutions across Alberta dedicated to fostering grassroots neurotechnology innovator networks. Currently, there are three natChapters, across University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and University of Lethbridge. They serve as local, accessible hubs for students interested in neurotechnologies through the offering of events, networking, and support for Canada’s Neurotechnology Hackathon, natHACKS. The University of Calgary (UC) Chapter serves a broad, diverse community of interdisciplinary students, and NeurAlbertaTech NPO is pleased to highlight the latest event of the University of Calgary Chapter.
On April 11th, 2024, the University of Calgary’s NeurAlbertaTech (NAT) chapter hosted a remarkable event titled Triumphs Through Trials Night, which provided a platform for industry professionals and faculty in neuroscience and technology to share candid stories about how their career and research growth emerged from neurotechnology missteps. Proudly supported by NeurAlbertaTech NPO, the event was hosted at Trolley 5 Brewpub in Calgary, Alberta. During this event, leading figures from both the neuroscience and tech world shared real, candid stories about the various failures and setbacks they had encountered in their careers. The panel featured five distinguished speakers: Dr. Dion Kelly, former president of the natUCalgary chapter and Co-Founder and CEO of Possibility Neurotechnologies, who also recently won the Neurotech Pitch Competition at Inventures 2024; Dr. Adam Kirton, Co-Founder of Possibilities Neurotechnologies; Crystal Philips, Co-Founder and Chair of the Branch Out Neurological Foundation; Aleia Robin, Managing Director of Branch Out Neurological Foundation; and Dr. Roger Thompson, a cellular and synaptic neuroscientist and Associate Professor at the University of Calgary. This social event served as a unique opportunity to learn about the unconventional, less talked-about aspects of neurotechnology research and pick up some valuable lessons along the way.
Members of the Univeristy of Calgary Chapter Alongside Speakers
Triumphs Through Trials Night attracted around 90 vibrant participants, primarily graduate and undergraduate students from neuroscience and biomedical engineering backgrounds. This event aimed to highlight an often-overlooked aspect of academia and research – the mistakes and failures that are integral to scientific progress. This event provided valuable insight from industry professionals and researchers, emphasizing the importance of transparency about errors and setbacks. Each panellist shared personal stories of their failures and challenges in their careers and academics, illustrating how they overcame these obstacles and highlighting how these experiences became pivotal learning moments, ultimately leading to significant opportunities and successful turnarounds in their careers.
Trolley 5 Brewpub Calgary, Alberta
The panellists, each with unique backgrounds and experiences, illustrated that failures can and will happen at every level, but they can also lead to significant growth and discovery. Dr. Roger Thompson, a cellular and synaptic neuroscientist, shared how he accidentally discovered an ion channel, leading him to publish his work about the role of pannexin ion channels in neuronal death during stroke. Dr. Dion Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Possibility Neurotechnologies, spoke about uncertainty regarding her career path; however, through perseverance and exploration, she eventually found her direction. Such stories shared by the remarkable panellists resonated deeply with the attendees, demonstrating that even significant setbacks can be overcome and can ultimately lead to success.
Alongside the panellists sharing their stories, a Q&A period was also conducted, where students had the opportunity to ask the panellists questions. Anna Bourgeois, president of natUC Chapter, noted that many excellent questions were asked, particularly about impostor syndrome and knowing when to persevere to find answers even when going through challenges in their respective academics and research.
Invited Panelists
“What really resonated with me was that this event showed that at every level you can have a failure but still recover from it. If I had a trial in research, especially as a new researcher, it changes your perspective. Trying to learn and live with it instead of simply giving up or thinking you’re doing something wrong. It’s important to have transparencies like this not only in academia, but in everyday life, and I believe that this event was relevant in showing that,” said Anna Bourgeois, president of natUC Chapter.
Spearheading the creation of natUC’s initiatives is Anna Bourgeois, the president of natUC. Backed by her background as an undergraduate in exercising health physiology and her current pursuit in a masters in neuroscience, Anna has contributed to a lively and productive community in natUC for the past three years as one of the founding members. Additionally, Anna aims to push the boundaries of neurotechnology at her job, where she works with BCI for kids at a children’s hospital. Her lab aims to emphasize inclusivity for kids with disabilities, specifically cerebral palsy. However, much like many other industry professionals in neuroscience and technology, Anna finds that nonsignificant results are bound to turn up in her research journey, thus emphasizing the relevance of her real-life experiences and natUC’s Triumphs and Trials Night event.
Among events such as the Triumphs Through Trials Night, natUC has also spearheaded a BCI-outreach initiative event directed towards high school students. According to Anna, the University of Calgary Chapter initiatives have been split up into two; consisting of the tech-focused side of those working on natHACKS 2024 and those on the outreach team, focusing on community engagement, BCI (brain-computer interface) demonstrations and increasing talk around neurotechnologies. The outreach team has been hard at work, reaching out to various high school programs and facilitating the creation of a course/lecture content related to neurotechnology. Lab BCI demonstrations were shown to children in an educational setting. Furthermore, the natUC chapter has additionally been working on an ongoing workshop series for those working in the neurotechnology industry paired with a journal club. In this series, the University of Calgary Chapter plans to talk about how these industry professionals achieved their current positions and the steps they took to get to where they are. The future is bright for NeurAlbertaTech and its various chapters!