PATRYCJA ANNA
KLIMCZAK

I completed my PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Valencia and I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in a translational research environment involving the University of Valencia, CIBERSAM and INCLIVA. My work combines experimental neuroscience with clinically relevant questions, with a particular interest in brain plasticity, inhibitory circuits, stress-related mechanisms and neuropsychiatric vulnerability. I have also worked with human post-mortem material and in international collaborative research settings. Scientific communication has been an important part of my professional activity. I have authored or co-authored 10 peer-reviewed publications, including four as first author, and contributed to more than 10 international conferences through posters, oral presentations and scientific talks. I am experienced in developing manuscripts from raw data through submission, peer review and revision, as well as adapting scientific content for different audiences. I am also actively involved in the neuroscience community. From 2022 to 2025, I served as a Communications Committee Representative for the Spanish Society of Neuroscience (SENC), where I contributed to the communication and organization of national and international scientific events. I have coordinated conference communications and logistics, contributed to academia-industry knowledge transfer activities, and participated in initiatives aimed at strengthening interaction within the neuroscience community. My international experience includes a competitively funded research stay at the Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, supported by an IBRO Exchange Fellowship and an INCLIVA mobility grant. This experience strengthened my interest in collaborative and interdisciplinary science and in building research networks across institutions and countries. I am particularly interested in the wider impact of research beyond the laboratory. One example is my participation in an academia-industry collaboration for IKEA, where I co-authored a structured evidence review of 47 studies on brain responses to colour, prepared scientific and visual materials, and presented the findings directly to the client; the project later received national media coverage. Teaching, mentoring and scientific community building are also important parts of my academic profile. During my doctoral and postdoctoral career, I have trained and supervised junior researchers, contributed to university teaching, and participated in scientific events and invited activities. I have also been involved in broader scientific education and networking initiatives, including my role as a FENS Training and Education Ambassador and participation as an invited panellist in discussions on gender perspectives in biomedicine. More broadly, I see research as a combination of scientific discovery, communication, collaboration and community engagement. I am particularly motivated by projects that connect rigorous science with real-world impact, foster interdisciplinary exchange and make scientific knowledge accessible to different audiences.