As an active member of the IBBS, I am committed to fostering communication, collaboration, and connectivity within our field. For example, I co-organized the Brain Barriers meetings at CSHL in 2021 and 2023 and co-founded the Brain Barriers Belgium network to strengthen local and international interactions.
While continuing to promote such initiatives, reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring equal opportunities for high-quality exchange remain an ongoing challenge. Within the IBBS Steering Council, I have advocated for making our meetings more sustainable and accessible. The transition from the “Signal Transduction at the Blood–Brain Barriers” to the broader “European Brain Barriers Meeting” exemplifies this effort, providing lower-carbon access for European trainees and enabling them to participate earlier in their careers. We must continue along this path, exploring further ways to make IBBS activities inclusive, globally accessible, and environmentally responsible.
Our lab benefited greatly from community support at the onset of its work on the BBB, coming from a different field and working with the then-understudied zebrafish model. I am committed to similarly supporting young scientists to participate, share data openly, and connect with mentors. Preserving the unique collaborative and friendly spirit of our community remains central as IBBS continues to grow.
