BNA 2021 Festival of Neuroscience Poster abstracts

As part of the engagement programme for FENS2020 in Glasgow, and to mark the centenary of the founding of the Cajal Institute in Madrid in 1920, we embarked on creating what we believe could be the world's largest Cajal-related embroidery! Consisting of 81 separate panels representing 9 different neuron/astrocyte illustrations by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, this embroidery project was intended to engage neuroscientists, embroiderers, artists and crafters. Launched in February 2020, the project immediately had challenges to overcome as the world went into a covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Whilst not its original intended purpose, the Cajal Embroidery Project, was found by many of our contributors to be a source of tranquility and connection during a chaotic and isolating period. It brought people together, virtually, to share progress of their work, seek advice or materials and find out more about Cajal and the project. The pandemic resulted in the FENS Forum moving online, so we produced a short film featuring the embroideries, the process, and the contributor's feelings about the project. This was made available as one of their Open Theatre slots. Our project has continued and, to date, we have received 77 embroideries from 64 contributors in 7 countries. The final four panels are due for completion in January 2021 and we will join all the panels together during Spring 2021 (pandemic permitting!). The project has already generated exciting outcomes - a short article in BNA Bulletin and a published 'In Context' piece in Lancet Neurology. During 2021, the embroideries are featuring on Lancet Neurology front covers, to accompany 'Focal point' commentaries. Plus, they will form the inaugural exhibition at the Dott Gallery within the new Division of Clinical Neurosciences building, Edinburgh. Communal crafting projects have been used by groups of women for centuries to make often beautiful but utilitarian objects. These projects have traditionally existed in the domestic sphere but we have successfully harnessed the same skills to engage not just the participants (who happened to all be women) but a wider, global community in understanding the history of neuroscience. The Cajal Embroidery Project: celebrating neuroscience, Mehta A. et al, Lancet Neurol. 2020;19: 979 Statistical statement: Although this project clearly involves replicants (n=9 of each image), embroideries, being an artistic expression, are not usually amenable to delivering measurable data. In addition, the end output is, by design, an n of 1. The authors feel, therefore, that statistical analysis is not appropriate or possible for this particular project. Communal crafting projects have been used by groups of women for centuries to make often beautiful but utilitarian objects. These projects have traditionally existed in the domestic sphere but we have successfully harnessed the same skills to engage not just the participants (who happened to all be women) but a wider, global community in understanding the history of neuroscience.