Looking Back on the BioClock Progress Meeting – April 25, 2025

Last Tuesday, April 25, a large group of BioClock consortium members gathered at Erasmus MC for the semi-annual BioClock Progress Meeting. It was an inspiring and enjoyable day, during which several trainees presented the progress of their research projects.

We were also honored by the presence of Dr. Mariana Astiz. She was one of the keynote speakers at the Dutch Chronobiology Meeting the day before. During lunch, BioClock trainees had the opportunity to speak with her about her career in science. The open and thoughtful conversation—full of curious questions and sincere answers—offered valuable insights into the choices and uncertainties that a scientific career often entails. We warmly thank Mariana for her time and for sharing her experience with this new generation of researchers.

For some trainees, the Q&A with Dr. Astiz came at just the right moment. Ayano Shiba, Gali Albalak, and Laura Pape are nearing the end of their PhD journeys. This was their final Progress Meeting within BioClock. Prof. Joke Meijer, head of BioClock, took a moment to recognize their contributions and celebrate their achievements. Of course, they remain warmly welcome at future meetings!

The organizers of the BioClock Academy Seminars were also acknowledged. Laura Pape, Oana-Georgiana Rus-Oswald, and Hannah Broeckx have enthusiastically organized more than twenty online seminars with leading chronobiology experts from around the world. hey received a warm thank-you from Dr. Laura Kervezee for their dedication and continued efforts behind the scenes. We are now looking for successors to carry the torch forward. Moving ahead, the seminars will be co-hosted with BioClocksUK—a great opportunity to strengthen international collaboration in the field.

The day concluded with a Wikithon – a collaborative writing session to improve Wikipedia pages related to biological clocks, chronobiology, and related research topics. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read reference work in history, and in 2024, it was even the second most visited website in the world (after YouTube). This makes it a key source of information for the public. The Wikithon was a meaningful outreach activity for the consortium to engage in together.

Until next time — in six months!