8th Science Factory: TMS–EEG summer school and workshop
The 8th Science Factory: TMS–EEG Summer School and Workshop was an intensive one-week learning event with top-notch experts and beginners in the field of TMS–EEGparticipating. Prof. Risto Ilmoniemi's team from Aalto University was the organizer of the event, and 14 lecturers presented their scholarly work during the event. The scholars were from the University of Milan, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, University of Tübingen, D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University of Stanford, Kuopio University Hospital, Aalto University, and National Brain Research Centre-India. The event was targeted at students and researchers working with TMS, with the emphasis being on TMS–EEG. The participants were chosen based on their applications and level of studies; primarily, master’s students, doctoral students, and post-doctoral researchers.
The objectives of the event were multi-scalar, with benefits extending to the individual, the group, and the public:
- On the individual scale, the event aimed at advancing the capabilities of the participants to develop a more comprehensive understanding of TMS–EEG. In the process, the participants acquired knowledge of TMS basics and TMS–EEG methodology and state-of-the-art techniques, current trends, and challenges in the field.
- On the group scale, the workshop raised awareness of the importance of collaboration in knowledge propagation and dissemination and highlighted the beneficiaries of forming a transnational network of active collaborators in the field of TMS–EEG.
- On the public scale, the long-term aim of the annual event is to serve as a stepping stone to creating a diverse, transnational community of scholars, educators, and researchers propagating knowledge and pedagogy across borders and advancing the field of TMS–EEG.
The workshop and summer school had a mixed-method approach to learning and training. The methods were, but not limited to, various interactive lectures, whiteboard discussions, small-group work, live programming, science pitching, demonstrations with TMS–EEG devices, and hands-on sessions for experiments and data analysis.
The Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) group conducts research on neurophysiological experiments and develops methods for TMS–EEG signal analysis as well as instrumentation for TMS. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) enables one to activate localized spots of the human cortex, which leads to nerve signal propagation within the brain and its periphery. More information about TMS is available here.