Presenting an mRNA-based strategy for peripheral nerve repair and learning techniques directly from specialists in the field.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the TCES Committee for awarding me a travel bursary to attend the 2026 International Symposium on Peripheral Nerve Regeneration (ISPNR), held at the University of Granada, Spain. The symposium is organised every two years by the European Society for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration (ESPNR).

I was honoured to give an oral presentation on my PhD research, titled “Local Delivery of a Neurotrophic Factor mRNA Formulation to Improve Peripheral Nerve Regeneration.” Presenting to a community so closely aligned with my research was an extremely valuable experience. The symposium brought together researchers developing new therapies for peripheral nerve repair and clinicians offering important patient-centred perspectives.

The questions, comments and suggestions I received encouraged me to consider my findings from different perspectives and have been particularly helpful during my thesis writing. I also attended oral and poster sessions, where I connected with experts in the field and took part in discussions that broadened my perspective and inspired ideas for my future research.

In addition, I participated in practical workshops covering histomorphometric analysis, quantitative evaluation of histological and immunohistochemical parameters, and animal models of nerve repair. These workshops introduced useful approaches that I hope to apply in my future work.

Overall, ISPNR 2026 was a highly valuable and motivating experience. I would once again like to thank the TCES Committee for making my attendance possible through the generous support of the travel bursary.

First-person report supplied by the named recipient and edited only lightly for web presentation.