International Research Training Group 2150

The Neuroscience of Modulating
Aggression and Impulsivity in Psychopathology

5th  S P R I N G   S C H O O L

April 21 – 23, 2021

Dear doctoral students and colleagues,

Welcome to the 5th annual and first virtual Spring School of the International Re-search Training Group (IRTG) 2150: The Neuroscience of Modulating Aggression and Impulsivity in Psychopathology.
Already our fifth Spring School and we would have been thrilled to visit Philadelphia again. After the joyous Spring School last year in Aachen, celebrating our success in the prolongation evaluation, the more or less simultaneous spread of Covid 19 changed our life quite dramatically. Many of the postdocs, PIs and especially the new generation of students, who mostly started in 2019 and had no chance to see the partner university and the campus are certainly disappointed. The international ex-change is a highly valued and essential aspect in our graduate training. However, the pandemic, ranging over a year now, still has a lock on us and disrupted or pre-vented mobility periods and mutual visits. It restricts all our lives and also affects re-search and lab work. However, it also demonstrated us that especially international collaborations, tackling global challenges jointly are indispensable for us and our fu-ture. It also showed us, that exchanges and conferences are possible online and vir-tually, bridging time zones and long distances and enabling us to continue communi-cation and joint research.
A virtual Spring School requires adaptation of the program and schedule, acknowl-edging the time lag between our universities and also the fact that long online schedules are tiring. Hence, we came up with new formats, selecting only a few speakers and including different presentation formats. Our keynote speakers this year are Dorit Merhof and Chris Edgar and we are very much looking forward to their presentations. Alumni will again be part of our program; and thesis committee meet-ings bringing each IRTG student together with his/her supervisors from both sides stay one of the core elements of our annual Spring School.
Particularly, we would like to thank the organizing team for outstanding support.
We are very happy to welcome you all virtually and are convinced that the Spring School will be a successful and fruitful interaction and as usual – a great event!

With best wishes,
Ruben C. Gur and Ute Habel

Program Overview

Wednesday, April 21

German Time (US Time)
2.30 pm (8.30 am) – 2.45 pm (8.45 am) Virtual Coffee Time
2.45 pm (8.45 am) – 3.00 pm (9.00 am) Welcome and Opening
3.00 pm (9.00 am) – 3.45 pm (9.45 am) Session 1: Student Talks
3.45 pm (9.45 am) – 4.00 pm (10.00 am) Stretch Your Legs / Coffee Break
4.00 pm (10.00 am) – 5.00 pm (11.00 am) Keynote Lecture: Dorit Merhof
5.15 pm (11.15 am) – 5.45 pm (11.45 am) Spotlight Session 1
6.00 pm (12.00 am) – 8.00 pm (2.00 pm) Student Thesis Committee Meetings
8.00 pm (2.00 pm) Virtual Get-Together

Thursday, April 22

2.00 pm (8.00 am) – 3.00 pm (9.00 am) PI Meeting (Zoom Link)

3.00 pm (9.00 am) – 3.15 pm (9.15 am) Stretch Your Legs / Coffee Break
3.15 pm (9.15 am) – 4.00 pm (10.00 am) Session 2: Student Talks
4.00 pm (10.00 am) – 4.30 pm (10.30 am) Alumni Session
4.30 pm (10.30 am) – 5.00 pm (11.00 am) Spotlight Session 2
5.00 pm (11.00 am) – 5.15 pm (11.15 am) Stretch Your Legs / Coffee Break
5.15 pm (11.15 am) – 5.45 pm (11.45 am) Session 3: Student Talks
5.45 pm (11.45 am) – 6.45 pm (12.45 am) Early Dinner / Lunch Break
6.00 pm (12.00 am) – 8.00 pm (2.00 pm) Student Thesis Committee Meetings
8.00 pm (2.00 pm) Informal Get-Together

Friday, April 23

2.00 pm (8.00 am) – 3.00 pm (9.00 am) Board Meeting (Zoom Link)

3.00 pm (9.00 am) – 4.00 pm (10.00 am) Keynote Lecture: Chris Edgar
4.00 pm (10.00 am) – 4.30 pm (10.30 am) Session 4: Student Talks
4.30 pm (10.30 am) – 4.45 pm (10.45 am) Stretch your Legs / Coffee Break
4.45 pm (10.45 am) – 5.15 pm (11.15 am) Spotlight Session 3
5.15 pm (11.15 am) – 5.30 pm (11.30 am) Synopsis and Final Remarks
5.30 pm (11.30 am) – 7.30 pm (1.30 pm) Student Thesis Committee Meetings
7.30 pm (1.30 pm) Virtual Farewell