Dr Michał Ślęzak will lead Łukasiewicz – PORT’s activities within EU-GLIA, a new pan-European network of glial cell researchers established with funding from the COST programme. The funding will support conferences, training activities and scientific exchanges, while fostering collaboration between research centres across Europe.
EU-GLIA, or the European network for advancing nervous system health through glia integration and innovation,will be the first pan-European network dedicated to glial cells and their role in nervous system function. The COST Action will bring together scientists, clinicians, industry representatives, public institutions and patient organisations from 28 European countries. Partners from Canada, Japan and the United States will also take part in its activities.
COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology – supports the development of international research networks. Its funding is used to organise conferences, workshops, webinars, training schools, short-term scientific exchanges and knowledge-transfer activities. This allows methods and expertise developed in leading laboratories to be shared across the broader research community.
Dr Michał Ślęzak, Head of the Biology of Astrocytes Research Group at Łukasiewicz – PORT, already has experience with this type of collaboration and is involved, among other initiatives, in the SABV (Sex as a Biological Variable) COST Action. “COST programmes are of great value to the entire scientific community in Europe. Researchers gain free access to knowledge and have the opportunity to establish contacts with the best laboratories in Europe,” says Dr Michał Ślęzak.
EU-GLIA is intended to play a similar role. “Glial cell researchers are very open to collaboration. National networks are being established and regular conferences are being organised, but we also need a sustainable structure that will connect these initiatives at the European level,” adds Dr Ślęzak.
One of the planned initiatives is the establishment of the Polish Glia Network. In the final week of September, Łukasiewicz – PORT will invite Polish researchers to a meeting where they will have the opportunity to present their work, learn about the expertise of other teams and discuss possibilities for joint projects. The meeting will feature leaders of major European initiatives in glia research: Dr Kerstin Lenk from the University of Graz, leader of the EU-GLIA COST Action, and Dr Joao Relvas, a board member of Network Glia, which organises Europe’s largest recurring meetings for glia researchers.
EU-GLIA will also support early-career researchers and future scientific leaders, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthen links between academia, industry, healthcare and public institutions. It will also work to disseminate knowledge and raise the visibility of research on glial cells.
