Central Brno
Dr Rebecca McGonigle writes…
On the 12th of April 2026, I set out to attend the UPCON conference in Brno, Czechia. I have always dreamed of travelling for work, and after a successful trip to the SHIFT conference in Tenerife (October 2025), I jumped at the opportunity to visit Brno.
The conference speakers covered many interesting topics within the upconversion field, including lifetime measurement parameters, FRET, nanothermometry, how motion affects UCNP luminescence for biological applications, and various engaging flash talks from PhD students.
Rebecca and her poster
The talks were followed by poster sessions, which I also took part in, and this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I had the chance to chat with people in the field who were genuinely interested in my work and had lots of advice and tips to share, which I wouldn’t have gained otherwise.
Group picture from conference dinner.
Post conference drinks in a sunny beer garden.
On a more personal note, I found this conference extremely rewarding when I compared it to the first one I attended as a 1st year PhD student in London. Now, with my 6th conference (and second international) as a postdoctoral researcher in the field, I can really see how much my confidence has grown.
Conferences are great for learning new science and inspiring ideas to implement in your own research, but they are also amazing for meeting new people and visiting places you may not have considered beforehand. As much as I learned a lot, I also had so much fun meeting new people from all over the world and exploring Brno together, eating good food and drinking nice beers. Conferences are often seen purely as networking and learning opportunities, but I think it's just as important to make sure you enjoy them too! 😊
I am very grateful to have experienced such a great conference, and I hope to make it to UPCON 2028 in Italy!!
Rebecca McGonigle, 24th April 2026