After completing her travels, Ilana shared the following summary of her time in Barcelona:

I traveled to Barcelona, Spain in October 2023 to attend the 2023 International Summit on  Suicide Research, held at the World Trade Center Barcelona. I presented some preliminary  findings of my dissertation research, supported by an NIMH F31 predoctoral fellowship, on a  poster entitled: Spontaneous facial action exhibited during the C-SSRS differentiates suicidal and  nonsuicidal young adults. In addition to presenting my research, I attended talks and  presentations across several disciplines that converge on the shared goal of advancing our  understanding of suicide, including, for example, a panel on psychosocial treatments for  suicidality, and a plenary session on biology of genetics and the exposome in suicidal behavior.  Throughout the conference, I spoke with trainees and researchers in suicidology from around the  world, hopefully forging connections for potential research collaborations in the future.

She shared the following recommendations for students interested in pursuing a similar activity:

Attending national and international research conferences, including to present my lab’s research, has been one of the highlights of my graduate training at Teachers College. To students  interested in pursuing international conference travel, I would recommend beginning the process  as early as possible in the lifespan of a research project, first by initiating conversations with  your advisor or research collaborators to identify well suited conferences. I would also  recommend gauging the possibility of receiving institutional support, either by inquiring about available funding within your lab or department, or by scoping out opportunities within or  beyond Teachers College for competitive funding (e.g., OGE International Travel Grant,  Provost’s Grant for Conference Presentation and Professional Development).