On May 7th , in Copenhagen, the 2015 Lundbeck Brain Prize was awarded to four laureates – Winfried Denk, Arthur Konnerth, Karel Svoboda and David T. Tank – for “the invention, refinement and use of two-photon microscopy to provide detailed, dynamic images of activity in individual nerve cells, dendrites and synapses, thereby transforming the study of development, plasticity and functional [...]

On April 20th, the European Parliament finally approved Juncker’s European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), on the condition that changes be made regarding the role of the institution in the oversight of the EFSI and the provision of the budget. Originally, this 315 billion euros fund designed to finance new infrastructures, green technology and IT projects was to be provisioned [...]

In 2013, the European Brain Council (EBC) got involved in Advance-HTA, a research project funded by the European Commission and led by the London School of Economics. The objective of this four years project is to advance and strengthen the methodological tools and practices relating to the application and implementation of Health Technology Assessment (HTA). As a member of the [...]

In January 2015, the European Brain Council got involved in opposing a proposition willing to add Ketamine – a medicine mainly used for starting and maintaining anaesthesia – under international drug control, namely the UN Convention of Psychotropic Substances. Concerns especially emerged after the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the authority responsible to decide on this issue, started discussing this [...]

In the context of the World Parkinson’s Day on 11 April, the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA) launched My PD Journey, a first of its kind initiative hosted by MEP Mairead McGuinness to shine a light on the challenges brought by the condition on both patients and their families. Parkinson’s disease affects 1.2 million European citizens – making it the [...]

What future for brain research in Belgium? Within the 10th anniversary of the Belgian Brain Council and the International Week of the Brain Summary and conclusions by Dirk Van Roost, BBC President and Jean Schoenen, BBC Founder and current treasurer. The messages delivered by the participants of this event can be summarized as follows: 1. To join forces to foster [...]

Today, though science of consciousness keeps on growing to discover more and understand better the conscious brain that makes us the social human beings we are, questions remain in the scientific community as to what the current state of knowledge on brain activity is (abstract pour page de garde des events). To discuss these interrogations, the “Fondation Médicaments & Sociétés” [...]

On April 2, many initiatives were launched to promote the World Autism Awareness Day and shine a light on this disorder - in particular, national landmarks were lighted in blue all around the world. This event has been an occasion to review what is currently known about autism, as many misconceptions remain associated to it. Over time, the definition of [...]

Today, though science of consciousness keeps on growing to discover more and understand better the conscious brain that makes us the social human beings we are, questions remain in the scientific community as to what the current state of knowledge on brain activity is. To discuss these interrogations, the “Fondation Médicaments & Sociétés” organised a conference on 2 April in [...]

 On April 2, MQ: Transforming Mental Health (MQ) – a British charity aiming to promote research in order to improve the quality of life of people affected by mental illness – published a new landscape analysis of mental health research funding in the United Kingdom. The extremely wide range of disorders covered by mental illnesses make them one of the [...]