The fireside chat Towards a European Partnership for Brain Health: Priority Setting for the Future of EU-Funding will take place on 11 October 2025 from 16:40-17:25 at the 38th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Annual Congress in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

Brain disorders – neurological and mental alike – are widespread, with approximately 60% of the European population living with a neurological condition and one in six citizens affected by mental ill-health. Due to such a high disease burden and considering the associated costs for society, the EU and its Member States have made considerable investments in brain research leading to a significant increase of initiatives in this area.

Effective and efficient collaboration and cooperation is often identified as a key success factor to achieve the full impact of brain research for the wider brain community. There is a constant need for strengthening the information flow and accelerating the exchange of experience on the on-going and future projects as well as maintaining continuous dialogue between all the stakeholder groups and initiatives to allow that objectives are aligned, and needs are met.
To emphasise the significance of brain health and research, the European Union (EU) has undertaken significant measures to enhance brain research initiatives. With the European Partnership for Brain Health to launch in 2026, there is a mission to support brain health research and innovation by strengthening transnational collaboration and alignment to enhance understanding of the brain and to promote the translation of results into tailored solutions for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care accessible for all.

In this session, our speakers will discuss the Partnership’s goals and how best to ensure all relevant communities are involved and empowered by the initiative. The audience will be encouraged to participate actively and play a role in the discussion.

Meet the Speakers

Frédéric Destrebecq

Executive Director, European Brain Council

Suzanne Dickson

President, European Brain Council

Andrei Reif

Full Professor of Psychiatry, University Hospital Frankfurt