Walking the Talk for Dementia
2023-05-01 - 2023-05-06
Walking the Talk for Dementia is an innovative, adventurous and immersive experience involving people working, researching and living with dementia.
Dementia is a pressing issue for our lifetime, and society needs to be responsive to ensure that people can live with more dignity and access to services and resources despite their diagnosis. The project’s main aim was to show that people are living with dementia despite the diagnosis, challenges and stigma, and that together we can rethink the way society perceives this community. The program brought together representatives from more than 20 countries on a 50km journey on the world’s most famous pilgrimage, Santiago de Compostela, followed by a scientific symposium led by people living with dementia.
EBC was deligthed to be part of the Walking the Talk for Dementia Symposium and participate in the session “Building an ecosystem: Connecting for thriving” on 5 May 2023. Dominika Suchonova, Communications & Advocacy Officer (European Brain Council), presented the work made in the context of the RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease project, calling for change in Alzheimer’s care. RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease is a research-driven project offering policy recommendations to make tangible changes with the aim to improve the lives of people living with Alzheimer’s disease across Europe.
Following the 50km Camino journey, a documentary will be produced, sharing the experiences of seven people living with dementia from six countries who participated in the event.

Human Brain Project Summit 2023
2023-03-28 - 2023-03-31
The Human Brain Project Summit 2023 will take place under the overarching theme “Achievements and future of digital brain research” in Marseille, France, on March 28-31, 2023. The event will highlight the scientific achievements of the HBP at the point when the ten-year Flagship project approaches its conclusion (in Sept. 2023) and the legacy that it will leave for the brain research community.
The Summit will be a forum for stimulating and high-quality scientific exchange in different fields. Many European advances in the field of neurosciences, health and applications in clinical medicine, as well as brain-derived technologies will be presented. The programme has been carefully planned to offer you a memorable conference, it includes lectures, debates, a science market, a poster session and more…
EBC is pleased to be a contributor this year with Frédéric DESTREBECQ, Executive Director, taking part in the panel discussion “Brain health: an emerging European policy priority” on 28 March 2023 at 14:45-16:00. The panel, moderated by Paweł ŚWIEBODA (EBRAINS/HBP), will feature Philippe AMOUYEL (JPND/Fondation Alzheimer), Marlies DORLÖCHTER (ERA-NET NEURON), Gitte MOOS KNUDSEN (University of Copenhagen) and Stefan SCHRECK (European Commision DG SANTE).

31st European Congress of Psychiatry
2023-03-25 - 2023-03-28 | Paris, France
After 3 years of virtual congress, we are pleased to inform you that the EPA 2023 Congress will take place in person from 25 to 28 March 2023 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, guided by the motto “Social Cohesion, a Common Goal for Psychiatry”.
International experts will gather to discuss the newest developments in European psychiatry. It’s important, now more than ever, to get together and talk about mental health care.
Attending EPA 2023 will give you the opportunity to network face to face with some of the world’s expert professionals within the field of psychiatry.
EBC looks forward to being part of the Congress and having a booth in the exhibition area where our most recent publications will be displayed.
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Fundraising Gala Dinner | European Brain Foundation
2023-03-16 18:00 - 23:00 UTC | Brussels, Belgium
Tickets are now available for the European Brain Foundation’s first Fundraising Gala Dinner, which will take place on 16 March 2023, in Brussels, on the occasion of Brain Awareness Week.
The Gala Dinner will fall under the theme “Healthy Brains – a key to future generations in Europe”. A nod to the EBF’s core mission and goal to serve society and support those affected by brain disorders, the theme showcases the great purpose we have to make sure that children, teenagers, and adolescents – our future generations – are provided with the best tools and care to protect their brain health. Guests and donors will contribute to help the EBF’s quest to reduce the impact of one of the biggest health challenges society is currently facing.
The newly-formed European Brain Foundation — an independent multidisciplinary and multistakeholder charity whose founding members represent leading European neurological, neurosurgical, and psychiatric clinical societies as well as neuroscience research and patient organisations — was officially launched on the occasion of the 2nd in-person Brain Innovation Days on 11-12 October 2022.
Its goal is to support research aiming at reducing the burden of brain disorders for European citizens. By coordinating all the partners concerned in this domain, the EBF will ensure the transparency and the sustainability of its actions. Donors will contribute to significantly reduce the impact of one of the biggest health challenges European society is currently facing.
Follow the EBF social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) for all the latest updates!
Discover the programmeGet your ticket

Global Partnerships in Brain Research | Brain Awareness Week 2023
2023-03-16 09:00 - 17:00
Brain Awareness Week 2023: Global Partnerships in Brain Research
Brussels, Belgium | 16 March 2022 | 10:00-17:00
Enhancing global collaboration in the domain of research and innovation is key for effectively addressing today’s societal challenges and improving the health and well-being of citizens. This is particularly true for brain disorders, including both neurological and mental conditions, which are widespread and highly disabling diseases that are often difficult to treat. It is crucial to explore how global research collaboration can support brain research in a meaningful way, to the benefit of people living with brain conditions across the globe.
Understanding the brain is not just to tackle a “burden”. It is also to allow people to thrive; to live healthily, to power our economies and to build for future generations. Investing in the brain and brain research is critical.
With plenty of high-caliber brain research underway across the world, the fostering of concrete global partnerships and alliances for brain research is urgently needed – sharing knowledge and learning from peers, working in collaboration rather than silos and strengthening alignment across diverse public and private entities to structure and track investments for the benefit of international research and the health of all populations. Brain health is global and should not be tackled solely at the regional level – but at a global level, particularly as our world grows increasingly borderless. Competition in this space would be futile to address the growing burden of brain disorders and the need for improved brain health in society.
This high-level, international event — organised by the European Brain Council in collaboration with the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) — will bring together key stakeholders to reflect on the global burden of brain disease, enhancing brain health and how to approach the challenges together through knowledge and data sharing, capacity building, funding and policy: key areas to forge a path towards stronger international alliances and a grander brain plan.
CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION & PROGRAMMEFurthermore, all event attendees are warmly invited to join us at the 1st Fundraising Gala Dinner of the European Brain Foundation later that evening. Tickets are available separately through brainfoundation.eu/gala-dinner/

BRAINTEASER Mid Term Workshop: Data science and artificial intelligence for supporting the care and cure of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis patients
2023-02-28 09:30 - 12:00 | Padua, Italy
BRAINTEASER is a data science project, which the European Brain Council is part of, employs AI-based clinical software and mobile apps to support patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis, their clinicians and families.
We have developed a prototype app-based solution with the aim of bridging the gap between hospital- and home-care. Through the app, the patients can send data and questions to the clinicians and receive help and suggestions.
We are also integrating wearable app sensor data collected through smart watches and air-quality data collected through wearable sensors. The first, together with the patient input, helps clinicians determine the patient status. The second is useful to study the possible impact of the environment on disease exacerbation.
We have adopted an open-science paradigm. We respect patient data confidentiality and ownership (data are fully anonymous), and, at the same time, challenge the scientific community to compare, discuss and openly publish their systems and solutions, including those developed by BRAINTEASER.
We have already organised a first open evaluation challenge in September 2022 with the aim of predicting disease prognosis in ALS, and the following is coming in Fall 2023, when we will discuss analogous AI solutions for MS and the possible impact of the environment.
These AI models will be then used to give integrated and augmented information to the clinicians, improving prognostication and intervention timing in routine clinical practice.
As the project has reached the halfway stage, on the 28th February 2023 the Consortium has planned its mid-term workshop.
The organisation of this event comes at the end of the first phase of the project and will serve as a basis to launch the second phase or “pilot phase” that will focus on transforming the current health approach from a reactive to a predictive system focused on risk prediction, patient stratification and prognosis.
The workshop will also serve as a place for reflection on the importance of transformative research, with a view to identifying the opportunities that arise from the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience and the related strategic lines of use of the funds envisaged by the Next Generation EU Programme.
The event, which can be also attended online, will be held in the prestigious location of the University of Padua Botanical Garden, Italy.
The BRAINTEASER Mid Term Workshop Full Programme can be accessed here.
You can register here to join the event online, but if you wish to join us in presence please click here!
Final programmeJoin onlineJoin in person

Mind-body Approaches to Boost Brain Capital
2023-02-15 14:00 - 19:00 | Barcelona, Spain
The world is increasingly relying on brain capital, where a premium is put on brain skills and brain health (e.g. individual’s cognitive, emotional, and social brain resources). Investing in building brain capital is fundamental to meet modern societal challenges and to drive innovation. However, understanding the brain, brain health, and brain disorders is essential to improving health and quality of life. It also offers a pathway to understanding the new economic and social reality.
On the 15th February 2023, at 14:00 – 19:00 CET, EMEA will hold the workshop Mind-body Approaches to Boost Brain Capital event as part of the BioRegion Health Innovation Week organized by BioCat, in collaboration with Brain Capital Alliance, OECD Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative, Center for Health and Bioscience at The Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, University of Colorado Denver’s Imaginator Academy, and European Brain Council. The event will be broadcast live on EMEA social media.
This workshop aims to deep dive into examples which improve brain health and brain skills, respectively. We will explore exercise as an approach to improving brain health and creativity as a key brain skill allowing for an in-depth discussion on the links between exercise and creativity. The workshop aims to bring in a mixture of academic, clinical, economic, policy and private sector actors to generate new, scalable solutions and pilot projects that can drive a new economic dynamic that is needed to enhance wellbeing and resilience.
EBC is pleased to be a contributor to the event with Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, taking part in a session “Intersections between exercise and creativity to boost brain capital” at 17:30-19:30. This session has the aim to explore the powerful links between exercise and creativity to accelerate progress on brain capital. In a recent study, it was found that, in general, being more active meant being more creative demonstrating a link between the two. Exercise can boost brain health and creativity can boost brain skills, making the two activities potentially groundbreaking in driving a new economic dynamic for wellbeing and resilience.

Europe Rare Disease Summit 2023
2023-02-15 | Madrid
With a new Rare Disease International Day coming up, Bamberg Health in collaboration with key actores of the industry, is organizing the Europe Rare Disease Summit in Madrid (Spain) and virtually.
The objective of the Summit was to discuss the key trends and topics relating to diagnostics and treatments for Rare Diseases, as well as the challenges to timely and equitable access to orphan drugs, and European initiatives for access, research and innovation programs to improve the lives of patients with rare diseases. The event wil be attended by governmental authorities and regulatory agancies from across the region, large public and private hospital groups, research centers, pharmaceutical and patient associations, scientifc societies and health professionals from all over the region.
EBC was delighted to be invited as a contributor this year, with EBC Research Project Manager, Vinciane Quoidbach, who took part in the 1st Panel ‘National Plans, Policies and Government Initiatives Against Rare Diseases’ from 09:15 to 10:00.
To access the program and whole agenda please click here

Launch event of the RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease White Paper
2023-01-24 12:30 - 14:00
The launch event of the RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease White Paper, calling for change in Alzheimer’s care, will take place virtually on 24 January 2023 at 12:30 – 14:00.
The European Brain Council (EBC), in collaboration with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), will present its White Paper “RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease: Detection and diagnosis“. This paper is the first of EBC’s “RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease” project, looking at how to improve the detection, diagnosis, care and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease.
Moving Towards a new Alzheimer’s Disease diagnostic pathway in Europe
Our understanding of the progression of Alzheimer’s disease has improved significantly, leading to the development of advanced diagnostics and treatment approaches. To keep people living with Alzheimer’s disease in better health for longer, healthcare systems must be equipped to accurately diagnose the disease earlier and enable earlier access to treatment and support.
We’re at a crossroads in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, with new potential treatments on the horizon. Current healthcare systems are not set up to diagnose and treat the condition early enough to realise the value of upcoming advanced therapeutics, and the benefits they could deliver for broader society.
This must change now, with the support of clear policies that enable timely detection and timely clinical and accurate pathological diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Rethinking the detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease
Join the discussion and learn why an accurate and timely diagnosis is so crucial to advancing the science and our understanding of Alzheimer’s. You can look forward to opening remarks from MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland) and a keynote speech highlighting the value of an early diagnosis from a patient perspective.
The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Laura Campo (Eli Lilly and Company), featuring experts involved in the RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease project, Kristian Steen Frederiksen (European Academy of Neurology), Maria Teresa Ferretti (Women’s Brain Project) and Linus Jönsson (Karolinska Institutet). The panel will emphasise a clear need for new clinical pathways building bridges between all stakeholders to improve the current situation and prepare for the future.
The event will conclude with a high-level policy panel, moderated by Frédéric Destrebecq (European Brain Council), with MEP Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia), MEP Deirdre Clune (EPP, Ireland), Andrzej Rys (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety – DG SANTE, European Commission) and Dr. Neerja Chowdhary (World Health Organization).
Have your say on how to improve Alzheimer’s care
Register now and share your views on how Alzheimer’s care can be improved by completing a short survey, which will be circulated to all registered participants prior to the event.

The results of the survey will feed directly in the policy recommendations of the RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease White Paper, which will be released following the event. Preliminary results will also be shared to allow for exchange on the needed strategies and plans for change in the Alzheimer’s care pathway.

Join the discussion and be part of rethinking the way we approach Alzheimer’s disease.
Practical information
Date: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Time: 12:30 – 14:00 (Brussels time)
Location: livestream
Registration: Please register here
All participants must register before attending this event. Once registered, Zoom instructions will be sent via email closer to the date.
Discover the programmeRegister nowRETHINKING Alzheimer's disease - Launch event of the White Paper - Programme

‘The Future of Brain Health: Clinically Informed & Patient-Centred Brain Research’
2022-12-08 14:00 - 16:00 | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Brussels, 1047, Belgium
EBC Member, the European Academy of Neurology, hosted an event on ‘The Future of Brain Health: Clinically Informed & Patient-Centred Brain Research’ on 8 December in the European Parliament. Held under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union and hosted by MEP Ondřej Knotek, the event highlighted the importance and need for research, as well as the main priorities and gaps within neurology, which if addressed will have major impact on brain health.
The event took place in-person at the European Parliament in Brussels on December 8 from 14:00 to 16:00 CET.
EBC President, Prof. Wolfgang Oertel, took part in the panel discussion “The Future of Brain Research in Europe: Key Priorities and How They Can Be Addressed”, together with Orla Galvin (European Federation of Neurological Associations), Paweł Świeboda (EBRAINS) and Frances-Catherine Quevenco (Women’s Brain Project). The panel was moderated by Jacqui Thornton.
Look back at the event and watch the full recording and the highlights video below.
Full Recording of the Future of Brain Health EventHighlights video

Rare Neurological Diseases in the EU: The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Real World Evidence to Drive Better Patient Outcomes
2022-12-07 16:00 - 17:30 | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Brussels, 1047, Belgium
On 7 December 2022 at 16:00-17:30, the European Alliance for Patient Access (EAfPA), with support of the European Brain Council (EBC) and European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA), hosted an event in the European Parliament on Rare Neurological Diseases in the EU, exploring the importance of early diagnosis and real-world evidence (RWE) to drive better patient outcomes.
Hosted by MEP Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg), European stakeholders convened to discuss the critical need for improved access to care, services, and treatment for patients living with rare neurological diseases. Conversations were centred on revisions of current legislation to meet the needs of patients living with a rare neurological condition, as well as the importance of RWE and early diagnosis.
Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, presented the Value of Treatment for rare neurological and neurometabolic diseases case study results and 2022 call to action.
Read moreRegistration is now closed. The draft agenda is included below:
Draft Agenda - Rare Neurological Diseases in the EU- The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Real World Evidence to Drive Better Patient Outcomes

Psychedelic-assisted therapies in the treatment of brain disorders
2022-12-06 14:00 - 16:00 | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Brussels, 1047, Belgium
The Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance and European Brain Council were pleased to hold the event, “Psychedelic-assisted therapies in the treatment of brain disorders”, hosted by MEPs Jarosław Duda (EPP, PL) and Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, MT) in the European Parliament on 6 December 2022 at 14:00 –16:00 CET.
Understanding our brain is an enormous task and brain research is extremely complex. Despite huge scientific efforts, mental, neurological and substance use disorders are leading the list of diseases without a known cure. Estimates show that – at the current pace – by 2040 e can prevent only a small proportion of a burden from neurological and mental health conditions: 23% and 14% respectively.
However, innovations that completely change the lives of patients continue to emerge and psychedelic-assisted therapies are one such area. Rapidly growing, rigorous, and compelling body of research demonstrates that these therapies can be a potent new class of treatments for mental, neurological and substance use disorders.
In 2021 alone – ground-breaking findings were published in prestigious journals such as Lancet, Nature Medicine, and New England Journal of Medicine. For example, a phase 3 clinical trial demonstrated that 67% of participants who received the MDMA-assisted therapy no longer had PTSD after two months of therapy. A double-blinded randomized study published in August 2022 in JAMA Psychiatry found that – with 2 doses of psilocybin paired with psychotherapy – nearly half of participants had stopped drinking entirely by the end of the 8-month trial. Psychedelics are also increasingly being researched in the context of neurological disorders such as headaches.
While no treatment is without risks, research shows that psychedelic-assisted therapy is generally physiologically and psychologically safe when delivered in controlled and supportive settings and psychedelic compounds are non-toxic and non-habit forming.
The President Biden Administration’s letter from May 2022 anticipates that US regulators will approve MDMA and psilocybin within the next two years for treatments of PTSD and depression. The administration is “exploring the prospect of establishing a Federal Task Force to monitor and address the numerous complex issues associated with these substances”. In the next few years, millions of Europeans may be eligible for a prescription of psychedelic therapies and we need to start preparing for this now.
AgendaLook back at the event

Local action, regional transformation: WHO Pan-European Mental Health Coalition Meeting
2022-11-23 - 2022-11-24
WHO/Europe held the second meeting of its Pan-European Mental Health Coalition on 23–24 November 2022 in Ankara, Turkey, jointly hosted with the fourth Annual Conference on Social Inclusion of Persons with Mental Disabilities. Held in hybrid format, the conference aimed to leverage regional momentum and continue advocating for the necessary actions to improve mental health systems across the WHO European Region.
Subtitled “Local action, regional transformation”, the second Coalition meeting brought together government representatives; professionals working at the local, national and regional levels; people living with mental health conditions; academics; and others, to share good practice examples in national contexts and continue the development of the Coalition’s key priority areas.
EBC, as a member of the pan-European Mental Health Coalition, was pleased to participate in the meeting.
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, connected from Ukraine, opening the WHO Pan-European Mental Health Coalition Meeting.
Petr Winkler, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (Czech Republic) and one of the experts involved in the Value of Treatment case study on schizophrenia, met with Vinciane Quoidbach, Research Project Manager at EBC.

EU Health Summit: Towards an EU Health Union
2022-11-15 09:00 - 19:00 | Brussels, Belgium
The EU Health Coalition is delighted to invite you to its 3rd EU Health Summit to map the future of the European Health Union.
The event will build on the stark lessons learned from COVID-19 and discuss how to go beyond the status-quo in health, seizing opportunities to make positive changes. It will ask what it takes to build a successful EU Health Union centered on people, innovation, and value-based care so that Europeans’ health is better protected and our health systems are performant and resilient.
The EU Health Summit will reflect on progress towards reaching the EU Health Coalition’s 2020 recommendations and look at how we can power the change towards a stronger Health Union.
Register now!

Mental Health Week events in Greece – with special focus on child and adolescent mental health
2022-11-03 - 2022-11-05 | Athens, Greece
EBC as a member of the pan-European Mental Health Coalition (*) working package on mental health and well-being of children, adolescents and youth and in the framework of the joint Value of Treatment study on anorexia nervosa, autism and depression in Europe participated online in the Mental Health Week meeting that took place in Athens (Greece) on 3-5 November 2022.
The meeting aimed to share good practices in improving mental health and well-being for children and adolescents, to review progress to date and to refine priority actions for the future. It included interactive workshops to gather inputs from young people on developing a quality-of-care framework for child and adolescent mental health in Europe.
(*) The Coalition, launched in September 2021, is a network of individuals and organisations committed to ensuring that every person in the European Region has access to the resources needed for good mental health. It does so by harnessing the collective wisdom, expertise, and know-how of its more than 200 members, guided by the WHO European Framework for Action on Mental Health 2021–2025. A 2nd meeting of the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition “Local Action, Regional Transformation” will take place on 23-24 November 2022 in Ankara (Turkey). This meeting will show examples of good practices in national contexts, including Turkey, as well as looking to the future, and discuss how to continue towards mental health service transformation.
Look back at the programmeRead the EBC Call to Action on Improving Mental Health Care in Europe

International Congress for Ataxia Research (ICAR)
2022-11-01 - 2022-11-04 | Dallas, TX, United States
The International Congress for Ataxia Research (ICAR), to be held on 1-4 November 2022, will take place in Dallas, Texas (USA).
This Congress will combine the best of our organizations’ popular research meetings, including NAF’s Ataxia Investigators Meeting (AIM) and the International Ataxia Research Conference (IARC), co-led by FARA, Ataxia UK, GoFAR, and other partner organizations. ICAR 2022 will include plenary sessions, poster sessions, breakouts and workshops.
Featured topics include: gene discovery, disease mechanisms, cerebellar non-motor circuits and functions, emerging and existing therapeutics, biomarkers and late breaking research. ICAR will also feature workshops with practical demonstrations, discussions on challenges of new and established technologies, and sessions specifically designed by and for junior investigators.

Rethinking the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease | Alzheimer Europe Conference
2022-10-18 17:30 - 18:30 | Bucharest, Romania
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major unmet medical need that requires innovation to be aligned with public health and health systems‘ needs. AD represents between 60 and%70% of the dementia cases. It is still diagnosed too late, when the symptoms become more evident as the disease progresses.
AD is now portrayed as a continuum consisting of three stages: an asymptomatic preclinical phase, a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) phase, and dementia. To match this continuum, current research efforts are now focussing on the earlier stages of the disease (MCI stage), when it is believed that a therapeutical intervention at that stage would slow or prevent disease progression.
The speakers of the evening symposium “Rethinking the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease”, set to take place on 18 October 2022 from 17:30-18:30 (Bucharest time) at the Alzheimer Europe Conference, will present a research-driven project RETHINKING Alzheimer’s disease. The project is led by the European Brain Council (EBC) in collaboration with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) with the aim to identify the roadblocks to early detection and diagnosis of AD and will propose new clinical pathways building bridges between all stakeholders to improve the current situation and prepare for the future.
Speakers’ biographiesKevin Quaid, Vice-Chairperson, European Working Group of People with Dementia
Limerick native Kevin Quaid was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2017 aged 53, after being diagnosed firstly with Parkinsons. He is a member of the Irish Dementia Working Group as well as vice chair of the European Working Group of People with dementia and co founder of Lewy body Ireland
Kevin is an avid GAA fan and speaks about the fighting spirit of the Limerick hurling team in 2018 and the fact they never gave up. He brings that same spirit to his life with dementia.
Kevin is married to Helena. He has three children, three stepchildren and five grandchildren. This family man is an adventurer who spent time in Australia and loves to travel.
After his diagnosis Kevin realised there was a lack of information about his particular form of dementia and wrote a book called “Lewy Body Dementia, Survival and Me”. He was one of the first patients in the world to write a book about Lewy Body Dementia from the patients point of view as well as his families point of view, He has since written a second book called “I am KEVIN not Lewy” . He is now an active advocate and through his work with the Irish Dementia Working Group supported by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland raises awareness about the condition through speaking engagements and media appearances.
Wiesje van der Flier, Scientific Director, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam
Wiesje van der Flier (1975) is full professor and scientific director of Alzheimer center Amsterdam at Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands, where she works since 2004. She studied neuropsychology at the University of Utrecht. In addition, she is clinical epidemiologist. She leads the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort, an ongoing memory-clinic based cohort including over 6000 patients with deep phenotyping (MRI, EEG, CSF biomarkers, and PET) and linked biobank (blood, DNA, CSF). The Amsterdam Dementia Cohort is at the basis of many of the studies performed at Alzheimer center Amsterdam. Van der Flier has been (co)promotor of >20 theses and is currently supervising ~10 PhD projects. Van der Fliers main research areas are looking for the origin of AD, diagnosis&prognosis, and intervention&prevention. Van der Flier leads ABOARD (A Personalized Medicine Approach for Alzheimer's Disease), a Dutch public-private partnership of than 30 partners. Together with colleague Philip Scheltens, she has written a book, het Alzheimermysterie, which was published by the Arbeiderspers.
Lenka Krajčovičová, Assistant Professor, Masaryk University
Lenka Krajčovičová has a PhD in neurology at Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic). Her scientific topics include neurodegenerative disorders – Parkinson´s disease and Alzheimer´s disease in particular, movement disorders, cognitive disorders.
She has been involved in numerous research projects such as Microbiome in neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive impairment (Czech national recovery program), Diagnostics of Lewy body diseases in the prodromal stage based on multimodal data analysis, supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, Modulation of cognition and brain connectivity by noninvasive brain stimulation in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease, supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, Effect of intensive dance-exercise intervention on cognitive function and changes of brain plasticity in healthy seniors and patients with mild cognitive impairment in early stage of Alzheimer´s disease, supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimer´s disease and other dementia (APGeM), supported by EU Joint Program – Neurodegenerative Disease Research.
Lenka Krajčovičová is a member of the Czech medical society, the Czech neurological society, the Section of cognitive neurology, the Section of extrapyramidal neurology and the Czech society for clinical neurophysiology.
Lydia Lanman, Senior Global Policy Leader, Roche
Lydia Lanman is a senior Global Policy Leader at Hoffmann-La Roche and is responsible for leading Roche efforts across a variety of global health policy areas. Her area of expertise is in brain health and Alzheimer's disease.
Lydia joined the pharmaceutical industry in Canada in 2007, where she has led a variety of national policy, government relations and market access efforts at two pharmaceutical firms. Prior to joining pharma, Lydia worked in various senior advisory roles in Canada, providing strategic advice directly to Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Health, both federally and provincially, on the development of health care policy, health system design and intergovernmental relations.
Lydia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Health, both from the University of Alberta. Her graduate work focused primarily on Canadian and international health care reforms.
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The value of early intervention and continuity of care for mental disorders | ECNP Congress
2022-10-17 11:15 - 12:00 | Vienna, Austria
Mood Disorders are a common, chronic, severe, complex and costly group of predominantly recurrent psychiatric illness that can be devastating for the affected individual and their families and impose a high health care related burden. Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are the main diagnostic categories in mood disorders. There is a significant clinical need for more effective detection and better delivered treatments for these illnesses. Major depressive disorder accounts for the predominant burden associated with both unipolar and bipolar disorder. However, both the identification and management of bipolar depression are more challenging, since bipolar depression differs little symptomatically from unipolar depression and responds poorly to traditional antidepressants, which may also induce a switch to mania and/or cause rapid cycling. The physical health of people with all mood disorders is compromised and their life expectancy markedly reduced. The aim of a care pathway is to enhance quality of care by improving patient outcomes, promoting patient safety, increasing patient satisfaction, and optimizing the use of resources.
With this in mind, the European Brain Council (EBC) initiated in 2019 a study called the Value of Treatment (VoT) to address diagnostic and treatment gaps for brain (including mental and neurological) disorders. The EBC deemed it necessary to add case studies on mental health conditions such as major depressive disorder and autism. Disease treatment pathways should run from detection in the community through primary and secondary care to specialist clinics. Early intervention and continuity of care are very necessary to effectively manage patients’ mood disorders and overall health.

European Congress of Neurosurgery 2022
2022-10-16 - 2022-10-20 | Belgrade, Serbia
The European Congress of Neurosurgery 2022 (EANS2022) took place on 16-20 October in Belgrade, Serbia. The European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) is both an independent federation of European national neurosurgical societies and a fast-developing association of individual neurosurgeons from around the world.
The Congress theme – Trends, Insights, Innovations: Neurosurgery beyond Technology – addressed the complex relation between technological advances and human ingenuity in the field of neurosurgery. The age of rapid technological progress, artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtual reality in the 21st century has brought many benefits to neurosurgery, but also many challenges.
After two turbulent pandemic years, the Congress in Belgrade represented the regathering of European and world experts in neurosurgery. It provided an excellent opportunity for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas through the top-level scientific program, aimed at providing a comprehensive insight into these benefits and challenges and striking the right balance between technology and human (neurosurgeons’) touch.
EBC President, Prof. Wolfgang Oertel, was pleased to take part in the congress and present “EBC and the Brain Policies in Europe” during a plenary “Brain & Spine, The Official Journal of EANS & EUROSPINE” on 19 October 2022 at 13:50-14:30.
Find more information on the congress here.

EBC at the 35th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress
2022-10-15 - 2022-10-18 | Vienna, Austria
The annual European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress is Europe’s premier scientific meeting for disease-oriented brain research, annually attracting more than 5,000 psychiatrists, neuroscientists, neurologists and psychologists from around the world.
The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) is an independent scientific association dedicated to the science and treatment of disorders of the brain. It is the largest non-institutional supporter of applied and translational neuroscience research and education in Europe.
EBC was pleased to take part in the ECNP Congress which took place on 15-18 October 2022 in Vienna (Austria) and virtually. Alongside an Exhibition Stand in the exhibition area (booth 16), EBC had a campfire session The value of early intervention and continuity of care for mental disorders take place on 17 October at 11:15 – 12:00. The session, moderated by Prof. Judit Simon, featured the following presentations:

The value of early intervention for associated epilepsy in autism by Prof. Celso Arango, Spain
The value of early intervention and continuity of care for mood disorders by Prof. Allan Young, United Kingdom

Additionally, the EBC project the European Brain Research Area (EBRA) was showcased at the congress through a poster.
We look forward to the next year’s congress which will take place from 7-10 October 2023 in Barcelona (Spain)!

European Brain Research Area Final Conference
2022-10-11 08:00 - 14:00 | Brussels, Belgium
The European Brain Research Area (EBRA) project partners are delighted to invite you to the upcoming Final Conference, which will take place on 11 October 2022 in Brussels, Belgium.

Four years have already passed and plenty of work is to be presented this coming October, including the EBRA Landscape Analysis, the Shared European Brain Research Agenda (SEBRA) as well as the work undertaken by the six EBRA Clusters. The event will be an occasion to bring the wider brain research community and key players together, to discuss key aims of the project: the current state of brain research in Europe, increased patient engagement and public awareness, research infrastructures and data sharing and the future potentials and need for a brain health partnership going forward.
Collaboration and cooperation in the brain research area remain more important than ever and the EBRA Final Conference will be a major milestone to ensure unification and commitment to the future of brain research in Europe.
The EBRA Final Conference will be held in conjunction with the Brain Innovation Days, taking place on 11-12 October 2022 in Brussels.
Discover the programme and register here.

Brain Innovation Days: Connecting Brains
2022-10-11 - 2022-10-12 | Brussels, Belgium
This year’s Brain Innovation Days event will centre around Connecting Brains; bringing together the current and future generations of brain research and innovation.

The focus of the 2022 event will be to enable space and opportunity for open discussion and showcasing, prioritising matchmaking and networking within the community, particularly of stakeholders who may not have the opportunity to connect in their day-to-day.

Pre-event matchmaking would be encouraged through a dedicated platform in order to facilitate interaction on the day and programme details will be shared between March and May 2022 in order to attract a wider audience and kickstart networking opportunities.

The 2nd Brain Innovation Days Pitch Competition will take place on the day, with five pre-selected finalists battling live for the jury and public prizes for Best Pitch

An Innovation Corner will be set up for companies to showcase their tangible tools and devices and for researchers to present posters, an area that will be open on the 11th in the afternoon during the EBRA Final Conference and throughout the day on the 12th and host a guided tour during the Networking Reception on 12 October.

The day will host a series of How-To sessions focused on business and networking skills, a high-level investor panel, a policy-focused roundtable discussion on research funding, countless networking opportunities (both in groups and one-on-one) and exciting Brain Talks.
A pre-event, 12-episode season 2 of the Brain Talks podcast series will follow the chosen theme of the 2022 BIDs, also involving members of EBC, pulling in the perspective of scientists, clinicians, patients and more.
Discover the programme and register here!

13th International Autism-Europe Congress
2022-10-07 - 2022-10-09 | Krakow, Poland
The 13th International Autism-Europe Congress is the first full online Congress with high quality access to its sessions, presentations, workshops, discussion panels and more. You can join in person as well, in the historical city of Cracow. The Congress brings expertise from around the world to promote a positive vision for autistic people and their families.
“Happy Journey through Life” is the theme of the Congress – to highlight the importance of taking a lifespan perspective on autism research and practice, with the promotion of wellbeing for all being the focal point.
EBC looks forward to presenting the following sessions:

The value of treatment study: Autism care pathway in Europe (7 October, 17:00-18:00; Oral Session)

Autism is a lifelong complex neurodevelopmental condition of early onset that affects brain development and behaviour, characterised by difficulties in social communication, restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities, and sensory issues which have significant consequences in daily life.
The Value of Treatment (VOT) study results on autism care pathway in Europe will be presented. Early intervention can play a crucial role in the earlier social-communicative and emotional development which will act as a bridge for other more complex abilities. The primary goal of early intervention is to maximize functional independence and quality of life. Despite its great societal and personal impact, Europe-wide consensus and support for early detection, diagnosis, and intervention of autism are lacking.

Autism with associated epilepsy care pathway in Europe (8 October, 9:00-13:00; Poster Presentation)

Autism and epilepsy are frequently associated. The prevalence of epilepsy in autism is greater than in the general population. Electroencephalography (EEG) has been used to investigate epilepsy in autism. EEGs are recommended if there is clinical suspicion of epilepsy. However, the clinical identification of seizures in autism can be challenging because some of the features of seizures such as staring spells, non-responsiveness and repetitive motor behaviours are also manifestations of autism.
Associated conditions in autism such as epilepsy have a substantial impact on the well being of autistic people and their families, contribute to reduced quality of life and may increase premature mortality. Despite this, there is a current lack of studies assessing the journey experienced by autistic children with co-occurring epilepsy and their families in Europe. The VOT study on Autism with associated epilepsy care pathway in Europe will be presented.

Global Partnerships in Brain Research Event at Science Summit @ UNGA77
2022-09-26 12:00 - 19:00
In the framework of the Science Summit at the 77th United Nations General Assembly, the European Brain Council and Cohen Veterans Bioscience, in partnership with the Brain Capital Alliance and OECD Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative are pleased to convene a meeting on Global Partnerships in Brain Research with leaders in neuroscience, to highlight existing global partnerships and explore collaboration and alignment for the future.
Please see the details, programme and list of attendees below. Want more information or are you interested in joining us in New York? Please email EBC’s Head of Communications, Advocacy and Policy, Stephanie Kramer via stkr@braincouncil.eu
Global Research Collaboration Event - Details and Attendees - SSUNGA77

32nd International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology
2022-09-04 - 2022-09-08 | Geneva, Switzerland
The International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology along with the Swiss Society of Clinical Neurophysiology are pleased to announce the 32nd International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN) will be held September 4–8, 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland. The ICCN 2022 program will include several signature courses, as well as symposia and workshops planned by IFCN Member Societies and other prominent societies in clinical neurophysiology from Europe and around the world. Pre-Congress courses and workshops are designed to provide a solid review of the fundamentals and the latest scientific advances in both central and peripheral clinical neurophysiology. Three days of general and concurrent Congress sessions will include honorary lectures, symposia, workshops, controversies sessions, and industry-supported satellite symposia. The IFCN and SSCN look forward to welcoming colleagues to Geneva!
Visit the congress website for more info!

Overcoming roadblocks: Making psychedelic-assisted therapy a reality
2022-08-31 20:00 - 21:00
Learn about when and how psychedelic-assisted therapy becomes a reality. What are the legislative and regulatory roadblocks, and how Chris Koddermann (ITPRI – Reschedule Psilocybin), Amy Emerson (MAPS PBC), Tadeusz Hawrot (PAREA – Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance) and Graham Pechenik (Calyx Law) are taking them down? When will psychedelic-assisted therapy become a reality in Europe and the US?
Curious to learn more? Register here.

Brain capital and the young generation
2022-07-12 18:45 - 20:00
FENS Forum 2022 – Special Interest Session & Networking Event: “Brain capital and the young generation”
Tuesday 12 July 2022 at 18:45-20:30, Hall G
Session moderated by FENS President, Prof. Jean Antoine Girault, and EBC President, Prof. Wolfgang Oertel

Mental health disorders cannot be ignored, nor can their devastating impact on families, communities, and lives. The cost of not acting is tremendous. There is a need to improve the efficiency of brain health and care pathways, prevent avoidable deaths and implement cost-effective solutions.
Youth is the future. However, recent studies underscore the severity of the mental health challenges children and adolescents face that can lead to disability, disease, and death. There are numerous unmet needs along the care pathway, although effective early detection and interventions exist. Navigating the mental health services system is often complex for families, due to services that are fragmented or disrupted. According to the OECD (2018), the total costs of mental ill-health are estimated at more than 4% of GDP – or over 600 billion€ – across the 28 EU countries. And the burden is increasing. The Covid-19 pandemics exacerbated the situation. Policies and programmes to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts on schooling, employment, mental health, and risky behaviors are therefore paramount. The accumulation of human and social capital must start at a young age as the brain develops rapidly during early childhood and adolescence. Moreover, early cognitive, and non-cognitive skills and health capabilities lead to enhanced effectiveness of later investment.
As a result, by building a strong foundation, investing in optimal interventions tailored to the young generation advances socio-economic development. The EBC and FENS – in collaboration with the OECD, UNESCO, WHO – will convene a meeting at the FENS Forum 2022 in Paris, France to address these challenges.

Topic
Speaker
Approximate time

Introduction : neuroscience and brain development
Prof. Jean Antoine Girault, FENS President
5 mins

EBC Brain Health Definition: overview challenges
Prof. Wolfgang Oertel, EBC President
5 mins

Brain capital: accelerating responsible innovation
Prof. Harris Eyre, Co-Founder of the PRODEO Institute and Co-Lead of the OECD Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative
10 mins

EBC Joint Value of Treatment Study on Mental Disorders
Ms Vinciane Quoidbach, EBC Research project manager
5 mins

Anorexia Nervosa care pathway
in Europe
Prof. Philip Gorwood, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université de Paris, France
5 mins

Autism in children: economic analysis of promising interventions
Dr Michela Tinelli, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
5 mins

Care pathways for people with
major depressive disorder
Prof. Allan Young, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, United Kingdom
5 mins

Precision psychiatry
Dr. Joachim Scholpp, Global Head of Translation Medicine CNS & Emerging Areas, Boehringer Ingelheim
5 mins

Mental disorders and youth, a WHO perspective
Dr Ledia Lazeri, Regional Advisor for Mental Health at WHO Regional Office for Europe
5 mins

Education and the brain
Dr Anna Cristina d’Addio, Senior Policy Analyst (Thematic Lead)
Global Education Monitoring Report, UNESCO
5 mins

Wrapping-up
Dr William Hynes, Head of the New Approaches to Economic Challenges Unit (NAEC), OECD
5 min

Discussion moderated by Prof. Jean Antoine Girault, FENS President and Prof. Wolfgang Oertel EBC President (30’)

Reception (30’)

For more information on the Value of Treatment project: The Value of Treatment project on mental disorders have just released summaries of case study results and call to action on the occasion of Brain Awareness Week 2022 – Thematic: #Together4MentalHealth with a focus on youth, visit https://www.braincouncil.eu/value-of-treatment-project-releases-first-results-and-calls-to-action-on-the-occasion-of-brain-awareness-week-2022/

The European Brain Research area: Building a Brain Health Partnership
2022-07-11 12:00 - 12:45 | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Pavillon 7, Hall B
The European Brain Research Area (EBRA) will host a Special Interest Event at the upcoming FENS Forum 2022 on 11 July at 12:00-12:45 in Hall B.
Brain research is a rapidly evolving field and increasingly at the forefront of science. The EU and its Member States have made considerable investment in brain research leading to a significant increase of initiatives in this area. Although these initiatives have generated considerable amounts of knowledge and innovative approaches, the translation into new health interventions is hindered by the complexity of the challenge and by excessive fragmentation of efforts. Effective and efficient collaboration among the various initiatives is often identified as a key success factor to achieve the full impact of brain research. The European Brain Research Area project therefore aims to bring together the various stakeholders and major brain research initiatives, at European level and beyond, creating the conditions for real and effective cross fertilisation, dialogue, building consensus and exploiting research potential.
During this special session, the EBRA consortium — consisting of the European Brain Council, the ERANET-NEURON, the EU Joint Programme for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and the Human Brain Project — will highlight the importance of shaping the future of European and globally coordinated neuroscience. In this perspective, the Shared European Brain Research Agenda (SEBRA) will be presented, and discussion will focus on the building of a new partnership on brain health.

Agenda
12:00-12:05: Introduction to the European Brain Research Area
Frédéric Destrebecq, European Brain Council
12:05-12:15: The Shared European Brain Research Agenda
Kristien Aarts, European Brain Council
12-15 – 12:45: Panel discussion with the EBRA partners
Philippe Amouyel, JPND
Marlies Dorlöchter, ERANET-NEURON
Pawel Swieboda, HBP
Juan Lerma, European Brain Council

FENS Forum 2022 Advocacy Training Workshop
2022-07-10 14:30 - 15:45
We are delighted to invite you to the FENS Forum 2022 Advocacy Training Workshop ⁠— a hands-on advocacy workshop for FENS National Societies and National Brain Councils ⁠— taking place on Sunday, 10 July 2022, from 14:30-15:45 in Hall I (level 7.3).
Featured speakers will include Jean-Antoine Girault (FENS President), Kirk Leech (Executive Director, European Animal Research Association) and Frédéric Destrebecq (Executive Director, European Brain Council). The training will include group discussion and serve to bring together National Brain Councils and FENS member societies to share experiences, voice advocacy needs and encourage more coordinated promotion and advocacy for brain research and health in Europe.
If interested, please register here: https://form.jotform.com/221661977728368

FENS Forum 2022
2022-07-09 - 2022-07-13 | Paris, France
The FENS Forum is Europe’s largest international neuroscience conference, covering all domains in modern brain research from basic to translational research.
The Forum represents a unique opportunity for neuroscientists from around the world to gather together and enjoy excellent science in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.
Organised by FENS in partnership with the French Neuroscience Society, the FENS Forum 2022 will take place on 9-13 July 2022 in Paris, France.
The FENS Forum 2022 will bring together experts in all fields of neuroscience to take us to the forefront of our current understanding of modern brain science. Visit the Forum 2022 website to meet the plenary and special lecturers!
