With less than two weeks to go, I am really looking forward to meeting you all in Milan for the 37th ECNP Congress.
With a fantastic scientific and educational programme this will be again a highlight of the year! In addition to seven outstanding keynote and plenary lectures, 22 scientific symposia showcasing the latest discoveries in our field, seven educational sessions on recent developments in clinical neuroscience, I will highlight in this message just a few personal picks amongst the host of other exciting sessions and formats.
First, do check out the New Findings Symposium for early career presenters. This special symposium gives six promising early career scientists – selected from the best research presented at the ECNP Workshop on Applied Neuroscience – the opportunity to present their latest findings. Second, the top paper sessions presenting research highlights in six areas of our field are a must. Third, for variety, the 33 campfire sessions, organised in the ‘Bubbles’ to allow for informal group discussions, explore a spectrum of exciting topics, ranging from problematic social media use and AI in psychiatry to Alzheimer’s and the neurobiology of self-harm. Fourth, do not miss our ECNP’s Got Talent session with its innovative format challenging four early career scientists to explain the relevance of their research findings to a lay public audience. And lastly, for those that have signed up, do join me on Monday morning (7.00 CEST) for a recreational 5 km ‘Run with the President’ through one of Milan’s most interesting districts – or the 2.5 km walk.
As if this was not enough, there will also be sessions addressing important societal issues organised with our partners. The ALBA Network will host a session focused on raising the awareness of gender and diversity issues in the brain sciences and disseminating positive practices countering discrimination. A patient session will be held together with The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Lived Experience in Mental Health Research around key principles and recommendations for best practice. The Regulatory Spotlight Session, designed for open and active dialogue amongst European Medicines Agency stakeholders, will this year address the latest developments in the field of bipolar disorders and offer a special opportunity for ECNP Congress participants to engage with the EMA on this topic. And the EBC Panel Discussion, ‘Towards the brain health partnership’, will connect what we do in our labs and clinics to Europe’s larger policy debate.
Above all, the 37th ECNP Congress will provide a great meeting place to discuss the latest findings in the field, meet your friends and colleagues, and/or maybe design your next collaborative research project. In case you have not registered yet, note that registering for the congress is still possible either for in person or virtual participation.
Speak soon!