In partnership with the Center for Global Engagement, the Graduate Student Association offered GSA Global Travel Fellowship travel grants to encourage and support student participation in global scientific meetings.

Alexa Blanchard, a MD/PhD Candidate at the School of Medicine, attended the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society Annual Meeting in Zurich, Switzerland where she presented her findings during an oral session, met renowned researchers and clinicians in the field, and was awarded the PNIRS Trainee Award for her work on immune regulation of neurodevelopment.

"This career advancing opportunity was provided largely in part by the UMB International Travel Grant, which covered a significant portion of my travel costs," Alexa said. "I am extremely grateful to have received this grant, attended this conference, and expanded my network as a physician-scientist in training."

Miriam Menken, a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience at the School of Medicine, attended the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine's annual meeting in London, England, where she presented a poster on "Bullying is associated with reduced cognitive scores and altered brain morphometry over time in preadolescent children."

"This was my first experience in-person at an international conference, and it far exceeded my expectations," Miriam said. "I had the opportunity to meet and speak to scientists in my field from across the world, attend fascinating talks, and was able to tour a country that I had never travelled to before."