From 10th to 13th June, the inaugural TReND Summer School was held at the University of Bern. This event brought together fellows and supervisors, as well as clinical and industrial partners of the TReND network, to explore the complexities of motor control and learning. This four-day event offered participants a unique opportunity to share knowledge, learn about theories of motor control and motor learning, and develop collaborations.
The Summer School included a variety of lectures, discussions, hands-on sessions, and social activities. Ernst-Joachim Hossner's introductory talk, “Bridging Theoretical Perspectives”, emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to understanding motor control, setting the tone for the event. Further highlights included three lectures by renowned experts in motor control and motor disorder rehabilitation:
- Matteo Bertucco (University of Verona): “Risk-aware motor control: From human behaviour to clinical translation”
- Mindy Levin (McGill University, Montreal), who also supports TReND as an external expert advisor. ‘Use of motor control concepts in understanding motor disorders’
- Nachum Soroker (Loewenstein Hospital, Tel Aviv), a clinical partner of the network: ‘Rehabilitation of the upper limb following stroke’
The fellows were also able to have one-to-one conversations with the other TReND supervisors, enabling them to benefit from the expertise and experience of supervisors other than their own. They also joined a hands-on motion capture demonstration with our industry partner, ProPhysics.
To facilitate meaningful interactions among the members of the TReND network, various social activities were also planned, including a BBQ and a city tour. These informal gatherings encouraged attendees to share experiences, exchange ideas and further establish connections. Following the summer school, all attendees were invited to join a trip to the Bernese Oberland, which provided a great conclusion to the event.
We would like to thank the team at the University of Bern for hosting the event, and Professor Jason Friedman from Tel Aviv University for developing the scientific programme. By bringing together individuals from a range of backgrounds, the TReND Summer School fostered a culture of collaboration and innovation. We believe the Summer School also empowered our fellows to re-examine their individual research projects with fresh perspectives, critically evaluate their methodologies, and pursue innovative motor control research.