O’BRAIN Lab Retreat Strengthens Bonds and Skills at Hyytiälä Forest Station

The O’BRAIN Lab gathered for a rejuvenating four-day retreat from November 9–12, 2025, at the Hyytiälä Forest Station in Juupajoki, Finland. This traditional field station, managed by the University of Helsinki and located about an hour’s drive from Tampere, serves as an international hub for multidisciplinary research spanning soil processes to atmospheric science and sustainability.

Retreat Highlights

Lab members immersed in nature and professional development with activities blending relaxation and learning:

• Forest walks and traditional Finnish sauna sessions with invigorating cold plunges.

• Cozy evenings roasting s’mores by a wooden fireplace, plus board and card games for team building.

• Engaging discussions on key lab topics, including new website development (led by Sherwin), project management with Notion (Manon), delivering effective talks (Annette), lab classics selection (all members), funding strategies and lab history (Annette), scientific writing in the AI era (Arsene), and common statistical pitfalls (Sherwin).

Echoing past retreats like the 2023 gathering at Lammi Biological Station, this event fostered collaboration beyond screens, sparking excitement for upcoming research on food reward and behavioral neuroscience. To many more productive retreats ahead!