VU Life Sciences Center Neuroscientist Prof. Urtė Neniškytė Elected to the Board of a Leading European Neuroscience Network

 Prof. Urtė Neniškytė, a neuroscientist at the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University (VU LSC), has been elected to the Board of the FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence (FKNE). This appointment represents a significant international recognition, underscoring both the researcher’s leadership in the field of neuroscience and the rising profile of Lithuanian science in Europe.

Established in 2014, the FKNE brings together outstanding European neuroscientists who seek to strengthen scientific excellence, promote mentorship, contribute to the development of science policy, and ensure that the voices of neuroscientists from diverse European regions, institutions, and career stages are heard within the international scientific community. Prof. Neniškytė became a member of the FKNE in 2023 and remains the only scientist from Lithuania to have been invited to join this network. Her election to the Board marks another important milestone in her international scientific activities.

According to Prof. Neniškytė, Board membership offers a valuable opportunity to represent regional interests within a broader European context: ‘My election to the Board allows me to speak for Lithuania and for neuroscientists from the Baltic region. As many FKNE activities focus on mentorship, science policy, and diversity, it is crucial that our voice is heard, since we often face different challenges compared to those encountered in Western or Northern Europe, whose researchers make up the majority of FKNE members.’

Looking ahead, Prof. Neniškytė notes that the coming two years of work on the FKNE Board are expected to be particularly active and engaging, building on the network’s significant achievements of its first decade in support of the European neuroscience community.