This year, we are introducing four pre-summer school workshops designed to help participants build skills, connect early, and prepare for an even more rewarding experience in Piran. More details about the full series will follow soon.

We are pleased to announce the third workshop in this series:

Title:  Literature Search Strategies by Paul de Roos
Date: 23 April
Time: 19:00–20:30 CET
Format: Online, interactive session

The third workshop in the pre-summer series builds the core skill that all research depends on: finding what is actually known — not just what is easy to find. Participants will learn how to construct a systematic literature search in PubMed using PICO framing, controlled MeSH vocabulary, and Boolean operators, and how to extend it with forward and backward citation chaining. The session introduces a practical model for reading papers strategically: which section to open first depends on what you need to know. Participants will also learn to evaluate source quality using multiple signals — impact factor, journal quartile, citation count, and author track record — and will practise using AI tools to accelerate the workflow while understanding exactly where AI falls short.

What do you need? A computer with PubMed access · A stable internet connection · Active participation in English

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Frame a searchable question using PICO/PEO structure and translate it into a PubMed Boolean string with MeSH terms, free-text synonyms, and study-type filters.
2. Evaluate search completeness — understanding what AI tools, PubMed alone, and PubMed+Embase each retrieve and miss.
3. Apply forward and backward citation chaining to identify seminal work and current developments beyond what a single database search captures.
4. Read a paper strategically: abstract (relevance), journal signals (quality), citation count (influence), methods (validity), discussion (current unknowns).
5. Evaluate source quality using IF, CiteScore, Scimago quartile, citation count, and author track record — including for new papers where citations have not yet accumulated.
6. Use AI as an accelerator within a structured workflow — for PICO decomposition, Boolean string generation, abstract screening, and data extraction — while verifying outputs against primary sources.

Who is Paul de Roos?

Paul de Roos is a neurologist and movement disorders fellow with a PhD, and an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE). His professional interests focus on neurodegeneration, movement disorders, and Parkinson’s disease. In addition to his clinical and research work as a neurologist, he is also deeply committed to medical education. Beyond the university setting, he leads several educational and pedagogical projects independently and through an NGO he co-founded, including the Leadership Summer School (www.leadershipsummerschool.org). Further information about his projects and professional activities can be found on www.paulderoos.com and LinkedIn.

We are also excited to share the first news about TBrainBoost Summer School 3.0, taking place 15–19 June in Piran, Slovenia.

Take this opportunity to get more info about TBrainBoost Summer School 3.0 and start planning your journey to Piran! Follow our updates for exciting announcements about the remaining pre-summer school workshops, registration details, and more insights into what’s ahead this June.