On Wednesday 1 November 2023, the Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) in Ioannina organized an open scientific event within the framework of FORTH’s 40^th anniversary celebrations. The speakers were: The President of FORTH, Prof. Nektarios Tavernarakis, the Director of BRI, Prof. Savvas Christoforidis, and Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School.