Keynote speaker
The keynote speaker will be announced soon.
Plenary Speakers
The scientific programme will include six Plenary Lectures, showcasing cutting-edge research and insights from internationally renowned experts. Our confirmed speakers so far are:
Kristen Brennand, USA
Kristen Brennand is the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson professor of psychiatry and professor of genetics at Yale School of Medicine. Prior to this, she established her laboratory within the Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Her research combines expertise in human stem cell models, genomic engineering, and neuroscience to identify the mechanisms that underlie brain development, traits, and disease. Understanding the basic biology governing the complex interplay between genetic variants and the environment will springboard the development of novel, personalised approaches to improve health and prevent disease. Her mission is to unravel the mysteries of the human genome within a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive training environment.
Patrik Ernfors, Sweden (Brain Prize winner)
Patrik Ernfors studied molecular biology at the University of Uppsala and received a PhD in neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. After completing postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute, MIT, USA, he returned to a faculty position at Karolinska Institutet in 1993 and has been professor of tissue biology since 1999. He combines molecular, computational and systems neuroscience to establish the neuronal basis and organisation of the ascending and descending somatosensory nervous systems and applies this knowledge to provide insights into molecular processes that causes chronic pain. Among many academic functions, Patrik has served as head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics and member of the Board of Research at Karolinska Institutet. In 2026, he received the Brain Prize — the world’s largest prize for neuroscience. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet.
The Brain Prize is an international distinction that honours exceptionally original and groundbreaking contributions across the full spectrum of brain research, from fundamental neuroscience to applied clinical studies. Since its establishment in 2011, the prize has been awarded to 49 scientists representing 11 different countries.
More information
Roger McIntyre, USA
Roger McIntyre is professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto and one of the world's most highly cited researchers in psychiatry. His work focuses on the phenomenology, neurobiology and treatment of mood disorders, with particular emphasis on developing innovative and rapid-acting therapies. Over the past three decades, he has conducted translational research exploring metabolic and inflammatory pathways as targets for novel psychiatric treatments. Roger has authored more than 1,250 scientific publications and has received numerous distinctions, including the 2023 Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Mood Disorders Research from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
Takao Hensch, USA
Takao Hensch, PhD, is joint professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School at Boston Children’s Hospital, and professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard’s Center for Brain Science. After undergraduate studies with J. Allan Hobson at Harvard, he was a student of Masao Ito at the University of Tokyo (MPH) and a Fulbright fellow with Wolf Singer at the Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research, before receiving a PhD in neuroscience working with Michael Stryker at the University of California, San Francisco in 1996. He then helped to launch the RIKEN Brain Science Institute as lab head for neuronal circuit development. He served as group director (and now special advisor) before returning to the USA in 2006. Takao has received several honors, including the Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award in both Japan (2001 Tsukahara Prize) and the United States (2005), as well as an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2007).
Karin Roelofs, The Netherlands
Karin Roelofs is professor of experimental psychopathology at the Radboud University Nijmegen (RU: Donders Institute and Behavioural Science Institute). She and her group investigate human decision making under threat, with a special interest in neuroendocrine control of human defensive stress-reactions. To this end, she combines behavioural decision tasks with various psychophysiological and neuroimaging (mainly fMRI) assessments. Using additional longitudinal cohort studies, she investigates whether altered control over defensive stress-reactions predicts vulnerability for symptom development in typically developing and high-risk cohorts, such as police officers. In addition, she applies hormonal, neural stimulation and VR-training interventions to directly influence human defensive stress-reactions. Karin Roelofs is an elected member of the Young Academy of Europe (YAE) and Academia Europaea (AE). Her research is funded by several European (ERC-consolidator and Horizon2020 consortia) and Dutch (NWO: VICI and Creative Industry) grants.
