Alzheimer Europe Conference 2017
2017-10-02 - 2017-10-04
The 27th Alzheimer Europe Conference will take place on 2-4 October 2017 in Berlin, Germany.
This year’s conference will be held under the motto “Care today, cure tomorrow”– focusing on the exciting research aiming at finding better treatments and interventions to prevent or delay the onset of dementia, whilst at the same time providing concrete solutions to improve the quality of life, support and care of people currently living with the condition.
#27AEC
Make sure to visit the EBC booth at the Exhibition.
View full conference programme here
On 4 October, EBC will hold a Special Symposium (SS4) in partnership with MSD on Early intervention in Alzheimer’s disease: For a new understanding of AD across its spectrum. Further details follow:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive disorder that spans over many years, in other words: the brain starts deteriorating years before symptoms emerge. When are affected people becoming “patients” across the spectrum of AD and what can we do about it? Between the early signs of being affected by AD and the ability to provide treatment, many years will pass and many things could have been done. Amidst the call for early intervention and putting knowledge and resources in the hands of patients and care givers, we are still faced with a number of societal, ethical, technical and medical challenges. These are the premises of our lunch session, where we would like to discuss the concept of “early intervention” across its many facets and develop a new understanding of AD.
If “knowledge is power”, the first step is to ask whether we are collectively ready to receive such knowledge. Simply put, if we would able to know, would we want to know that we live with AD? The second step is acting on this level of awareness: What are the tools and interventions that are already available and that could guide a proper route of action to support both patients and care givers? Finally, as new treatments addressing the biological origins of AD, i.e. disease-modifying therapies, are being developed and will eventually become available, how can we assess the societal and medical value of such treatments?
In this short session, experts and stakeholders will present the scientific rationale for this new understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and the ethical challenges it holds; explore the opportunities to monitor and control the risk factors through eHealth interventions; and to assess the potential socio-economic impact of treating AD before the onset of dementia.
The symposium will be moderated by EFNA Executive Director Donna Walsh, and include the following presentations:
Nilsy Desant (MSD) – Would You Want to Know If You’ll Get Alzheimer’s?
Dr. Alex Milton, PhD (University of Southampton) – eHealth interventions to prevent dementia
Dr. Ron Handels, PhD (Alzheimer Centrum Limburg at Maastricht University) – The value of treating Alzheimer’s disease before the onset of dementia

Innovation and Research for Healthy Ageing - G7 Health Ministries Side Event
2017-11-04
Under the auspices of EBC, the World Health Organisation, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Lombardy Region, the IRCCS Foundation “Carlo Besta” Neurological Institute will hold an event in Milan on “INNOVATION AND RESEARCH FOR HEALTHY AGEING: new questions for research and new answers from innovation” as a complementary event to the G7 Ministries of Health meeting to be held in Milan.
The G7 Health Ministers Meeting brings together the Health Ministers of the G7 countries- Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States (and the European Commission)- to exchange views and form a consensus on a variety of health issues international society is facing. Healthy Ageing is one of these key issues, and RESEARCH and INNOVATION could be keys to achieve it globally.
The main aim of this event is to support these Ministries of Health to identify the most important challenges and the key questions that we need to answer to improve healthy ageing worldwide.

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INS Annual Meeting 9-10 November
2017-11-09 - 2017-11-10
The International Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting 2017 will be held from 9-10 November in Washington DC.
The programme includes a wide range of scientific lectures, discussions, and numerous networking opportunities with experts, researchers, and up-and-coming leaders in the field of neuroethics.
A detailed schedule can be found here, registration is still open.

Bridging the Gap: Optimising Transition from Child to Adult Mental Healthcare
2017-11-21
On the 21st of November 2017, GAMIAN-Europe and EBC will hold an event at the European Parliament entitled “Bridging the Gap: Optimising Transition from Child to Adult Mental Healthcare“, hosted by MEP Tomas Zdechovsky. The event will be held at 14h00-16h30 in room A5G 305.
The event will include presentations on the transition from child/adolescent to adult services and avoiding the gap and the continuity of care and principles of a best practice pathway.
The aims of the meeting are to highlight the crucial importance of continuity of care when moving from child/adolescent to adult services; focus on appropriate and effective patient pathway to ensure a smooth transition; explore EU actions to ensure policy attention for this topic; and to launch an Expert policy paper on this topic, elaborated by an independent panel of experts, hosted by EBC and GAMIAN-Europe.
Further information can be found here
Registration

Brain Health: The digital future is on its way
2017-11-22
On 22 November 2017, EBC will hold an event in the European Parliament focused on the digitalisation of healthcare. Hosted by MEPs Mr. Michał Boni and Mr. Carlos Zorrinho, the event will explore how digital technology for healthcare can benefit the brain, and how we can ensure that these benefits reach the people who need it most.
As digital technologies continue to develop at a rapid pace and the use of health data continues to widen, both are beginning to change both our lives and the ways of healthcare, EBC would like to take a step forward and join the forerunners in the digital movement. We would like to join the leading voices in mHealth and medical digitalization, and believe we have the right arena to reach many different stakeholders.
As we have demonstrated in previous projects and our mission as an organisation, we are firm believers of patient involvement and patient-centred care, two aspects that the digitalisation of healthcare and mHealth platforms support extremely well.
EBC believes the future of healthcare and improved brain health easily lies in the hands of technology, and that the digital future is clearly on its way.
The final agenda with speakers can be seen below.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

MS Sessions - 25 and 26 November
2017-11-25 - 2017-11-26
The European MS Platform (EMSP) is organizing MS sessions on the 25th and 26th of November in Prague. The festival aims to bring together young people with MS from across Europe.
The programme consists of talks from leading healthcare experts and interactive activities. Most sessions will be on topics such as mental wellbeing, MS research, sex, diet, exercise and careers. Furthermore, the event will be an opportunity to connect with other young people with MS.
Don`t hesitate to submit your application if you are interested in attending. The deadline is the 21st of August.

The European Alliance for Personalised Medicine Congress 2017
2017-11-27 - 2017-11-30
EBC has been invited to present the Value of Treatment results at the upcoming European Alliance for Personalised Medicine Congress in November. The congress will take place in Belfast from 27-30 November, with the theme “Personalising Your Health: A Global Imperative!” and EBC’s presentation will take place during the ‘The Value of Sustainable Healthcare’ session on 27 November.
All sessions of the Congress will include a keynote speech plus a panel discussion and are designed to be interactive. Areas specifically covered will be diseases, general science issues (Big Data, genomics, clinical trials etcetera) and a focus on the views, progress and health landscapes in various Member States.
The preliminary programme can be found here and registration is still open!

European Headache Federation Congress 2017
2017-12-01 - 2017-12-03
EBC will be in attendance at the EHF Congress 2017 in Rome, 1-3 December. with a booth to disseminate the Value of Treatment research findings of the Headache working group.

EBC-EPA Joint Symposium on the Transition of Care @ EPA 2018
2018-03-03 - 2018-03-06
The 26th European Congress of Psychiatry, organised by the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) will take place in Nice, France on 3-6 March 2018. Every year, EPA’s psychiatry Congress brings together expert clinical psychiatrists, researchers and leaders of stakeholder organizations in the field of mental health.
This year’s Congress motto is Mental Health: Integrate, Innovate, Individualise. A special focus of EPA 2018 will be the integration of new technologies and research findings into person-centred approaches to prevention, care and training, at a time of difficult challenges such as displacement, war, economic constraints and terrorism.

EBC is happy to once again be part of the programme this year, with a spot in the exhibition hall and a joint symposium with EPA on “The Value of Effective Transition of Care”. The session will take place on 4 March at 17:00, and will highlight the importance of effective transition of care in psychiatry, with examples of disease areas ADHD and Eating Disorders. Our speakers will be Profs. Philip Asherson, Ulrike Schmidt, Celso Arango and Nicola Specchio. The session will be co-moderated by Profs. Monica Di Luca (EBC President) and Silvana Galderisi (EPA President).

Register to attend the 4-day congress, HERE

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Brain Awareness Week 2018 (12-18 March)
2018-03-12 - 2018-03-18
Brain Awareness Week is the global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research organised
by the Dana Foundation. Every March, partner organizations worldwide work together to celebrate the brain for people of all ages. Past activities have included open days at neuroscience labs, exhibitions about the brain, lectures on brain-related topics, social media campaigns, displays at libraries and community centers, and classroom workshops – to name a few.
In 2017, EBC held two Brain Awareness Week events: a lunch debate at the University Foundation in Brussels followed by an outreach event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Both events were highly successful, with a good showing of policymakers, researchers and the general public who openly interacted with each other and the speakers during the hour of open discussion following the presentations.
EBC, thus, looks forward to repeating the outreach event at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, again in 2018. Read more about the event HERE.

Brain Awareness Week 2018: Expanding brain research in Europe - Education, Behaviour and Brain Development
2018-03-15
On 15 March 2018, EBC will once again hold an event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the occasion of Brain Awareness Week 2018. Based on our highly successful outreach event at the Parliament last year, which included a good showing of policymakers, researchers and the general public who openly interacted with each other and the speakers during the hour of open discussion following the presentations, we will bring a similar event to Strasbourg once again.
This event is organised in cooperation with the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB), the Belgian Brain Council (BBC), with support from Neuropôle de Strasbourg and Le Bureau Europe Grand Est.
Co-hosted by MEPs Anne Sander (France, EPP), Daciana Sârbu (Romania, S&D) and Lieve Wierinck (Belgium, ALDE), the event will focus on the continued need for expansion of brain research in Europe, this time with specific focus on education, behaviour and brain development. The speakers list consists of highly-lauded scientists from the various fields of expertise: Prof. Albert Gjedde – University of Copenhagen, Prof. Steven Laureys – University of Liège and Prof. Gaia Novarino – FENS Kavli Scholar, Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
Please see the Save the Date below for further information, and CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!
The event will take place in the European Parliament, Room LOW N3.3 from 10:00-12:00.

BAW 2018 Invitation – FINAL

4th Academy of National Brain Councils
2018-04-17 - 2018-04-18
This year’s Academy of National Brain Councils will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on 17-18 April.
Academy and TINA agenda

Brain Research in Europe: Shaping FP9 and Delivering Innovation to the Benefit of Patients
2018-04-23
On April 23-24 2018, EBC will hold a two day event focused on the shaping of the 9th Framework Programme, Innovative medicine and global initiatives. The event will take place in 3 separate sessions: FP9 & Missions, “The Value of Innovation” and “Brain Research: Shifting Gears and Going Global”
Investments into research and innovation have delivered unprecedented results for patients across Europe. Publicly and privately funded innovation schemes in the EU empowered researchers to accelerate scientific discovery, increase the understanding of non-communicable diseases and improve healthcare services. Yet despite the progress that was achieved in recent decades, there is currently no effective treatment to cure a wide range of mental and neurological conditions. What is more, the complexity of many brain disorders hinders researchers in their efforts to develop innovative healthcare interventions.
In 2018, the European Commission is expected to submit proposals for a mission-oriented and impact-focused 9th Framework Programme. In view of the preparations for the forthcoming EU research scheme, the European Brain Council (EBC) aims to bring attention to the current barriers that affect therapeutic innovation and facilitate an exchange of views on how the post-2020 Framework Programme can make a real difference for patients living with brain disorders.
The event, which consists of three individual sessions, will allow leading healthcare stakeholders and policymakers to address key questions in the domain of research, such as: how can the 9th Framework Programme accelerate brain research across Europe? What measures can be taken in order to stimulate the development of new central nervous system drugs for treating brain disorders? What can be done to address the concerns of patients?
Programme - Brain Research in Europe - 23-24 April

National Workshop on Off-label Use of Medicines: Declaración sobre buenas prácticas del uso fuera de guía de medicamentos en España - 25th April 2018
2018-04-25
The Spanish Brain Council (SBC), in cooperation with the European Brain Council (EBC), will hold the workshop “Declaración sobre buenas prácticas del uso fuera de guía de medicamentos en España” on 25th April in Madrid.
Organized against the backdrop of the Good Off-Label Use Practice (GOLUP) campaign, this workshop aims to raise awareness of the 5 principles laid down in the GOLUP-declaration and facilitate an exchange of views amongst policy-makers and healthcare stakeholder on issues related to off-label use in Spain. The forthcoming event in Madrid is the second national workshop organized in the context of EBC’s advocacy work on off-label use of medicines.
The European Commission’s “Study on off-label use of medicinal products in the European Union” released in February 2017 indicated that the use of medicines off-label is a widespread phenomenon across Europe. Off-label use of medicines, i.e. the practice of using a medicine outside its authorised indication, for another patient group or in a different dose, can offer solutions in areas of unmet medical needs but also presents challenges related to therapeutic innovation, patient safety and professional liability.
In view of this and in order to provide further clarify on when medicinal products can be safely prescribed off-label, EBC as well as 12 other organizations have endorsed the GOLUP-declaration. This document calls on regulators to adopt guidelines on the practice of off-label use and includes 5 criteria aimed at enhancing patient safety.
The forthcoming workshop in Madrid will bring together a wide range of brain researchers, scientists, policy-makers and healthcare professionals in order to address some of the challenges presented by off-label use in Spain. Speakers include:

Frédéric Destrebecq – European Brain Council / Consejo Europeo del Cerebro
Cesar Hernandez Garcia – Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices / Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios
Alba Ancochea Díaz – Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases / Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras
José Ramón Ara Callizo – Spanish Society of Neurology / Sociedad Española de Neurología
Celso Arango López – European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Javier Pardo Moreno – Rey Juan Carlos Hospital
Marina Díaz Marsá – Foundation for Neurodegenerative Diseases Investigation
Representative from Farmaindustria (TBC)
Representative from the Ministry of Health (TBC)

Should you be interested in attending this workshop, please do not hesitate to reach out to us (policy@braincouncil.eu or +32 (0)2 513 27 57).

Meeting of the Interest Group on Mental Health, Well-being and Brain Disorders - 16th May 2018
2018-05-16
On 16th May, a meeting of the Interest Group on Mental Health, Well-being and Brain Disorders addressing empowerment of patients affected by mental health conditions and their self-management of care and treatment will be held in the European Parliament from 11.00-13.00. On this occasion, a Call to Action on the topic above as developed by GAMIAN-Europe with input from a wide variety of (mental) health stakeholders will be launched.
Background to the Call to Action:
It is increasingly recognised that the burden and prevalence of mental health conditions is huge: 11% of the European population experience mental disorders every year. The proportion of the national health budget devoted to mental health ranges between 4% to 13% across the EU. Social and economic inequality and exclusion are both a cause and a consequence of mental ill health.
These conditions go hand in hand with substantial stigma, costs and consequences that impact individuals, families and carers, health and social systems, society and the economy. As a consequence, there is an obvious need to address mental health conditions in the most effective way. Empowered patients, managing their own care and treatment, can support this need in many ways.
However, while the notion of and need for patient empowerment has been increasingly accepted when it comes to patients affected by physical health conditions, this is not the case for those affected by mental health problems; many individuals and organisations have highlighted the disempowering attitudes and behaviours towards people with mental illness which exist in society. The stigma attached to having a mental health issue – as opposed to having a physical health issue – is pervasive and widespread.
Many people with physical health problems already self-manage their care and treatment and are seen as competent and capable to do so. However, when it comes to mental health, the competence of patients to self-manage their treatment and care is usually viewed as doubtful. However, most people with mental health problems, most of the time, do have the competence to self-manage their treatment and care.
This Call to Action therefore highlights what can be done to empower patients and to engage them as partners in care. It underlines that patients should be seen as resource in this respect; and empowering patients will ensure the best possible ‘use’ of that resource, while putting patients at the heart of care provision.
The objectives of the meeting are:

To be informed of the importance of empowered patients, who play and active role in the management of their care and treatment
To present and discuss the draft Call to Action on this topic
To hear the views of EU-level policy makers and relevant mental health stakeholders on this topic as well as their recommendations for action;
To have an open discussion on how this topic can be further advanced at EU level.

If you are interested in participating, please register by sending an e-mail to secretariat@gamian.eu with your details before 9th May. If you require an access badge to the European Parliament, we kindly ask you to provide us with the following details:

Full name
Nationality
Date of birth
Place of birth
Document type
ID card/Passport number

EBC General Assembly, 23-24 May
2018-05-23 - 2018-05-24
The first EBC General Assembly of the year will take place on 23-24 May.
Join us for the Board Dinner on the evening of the 23rd and the General Assembly on the 24th of May.
A full agenda to follow shortly.

EAN Congress 2018
2018-06-06
The 4th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) takes place in Lisbon, Portugal from June 16-19, 2018.
The overarching theme for the Lisbon conference will be ‘Neurogenetics’. Diagnosis and treatment are increasingly using genetic methods and one purpose of the congress is to highlight clinically useful aspects of genetic medicine in Neurology. But as always, progress in all fields of neurology will be presented and participants will be updated about recent developments and news in clinical neurology. The full congress programme can be viewed HERE.
EBC will be present at the Exhibition Hall for the duration of the Congress (16-19 June) – visit us at Booth C35 to learn more about our latest work, pick up a copy of the Brain Mission, VoT White Paper or Annual Report 2017!
Stop by the Scientific Theatre on Sunday, 17 June for the EAN-EFNA presentation “Mind the Treatment Gap!” at 12:00 with EBC Vice-President Prof. Wolfgang Oertel and EBC Treasurer Joke Jaarsma and the EBC presentation “The Value of Treatment: Improved patient journey in neurology” at 14:00 with Joke Jaarsma and Prof. Maura Pugliatti. View full schedule here.
EBC will also hold a Special Session together with EAN and EFNA on The Value of Treatment (VoT) of brain disorders on 18 June 2018 at 8:00-9:30 (Lisbon time).
The session is Chaired by Prof. David B. Vodušek, Prof. Maura Pugliatti, and EBC Vice-President Prof. Wolfgang H. Oertel, with presentations including:

Brain disorders in Europe: unmet needs
Wolfgang H. Oertel, Marburg, Germany

The value of early diagnosis and treatment. A patient journey
Joke Jaarsma, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Value of Treatment: using economic modelling to assess costs and outcomes associated with healthcare interventions
Michela Tinelli, London, United Kingdom

The value of health: improving outcomes and care pathways
Richard Dodel, Marburg, Germany

The value of early treatment
Maura Pugliatti, Ferrara, Italy

See session leaflet here

European Neuro Convention 2018
2018-06-06
The European Neuro Convention is Europe’s only trade event for brain and spine experts working within the ever-developing diagnostic, surgical, brain stimulation and rehabilitation sectors.
From startup organisations to large multinational companies, the convention brings together a world-class selection of suppliers – all of which
will be here to exhibit their groundbreaking innovations that are helping to better the lives of millions of patients across the globe. This gives attendees the chance to speak with industry leading professionals and learn from their experiences, along with expert knowledge being
readily available in the form of interactive masterclasses and CPD-accredited seminars.
EBC will be present at the Convention with a booth in the exhibition hall and the Value of Treatment project will be presented by Prof. Maura Pugliatti from the Multiple Sclerosis working group.

FENS Forum 2018
2018-07-07 - 2018-07-11
EBC will be present again this year at the bi-annual FENS Forum, the largest Neuroscience event in Europe, which rotates between different European countries and attracts more than 7000 international delegates. This year’s Forum will take place in Berlin, Germany on 7-11 July 2018.
With 42 neuroscience member societies across 32 European countries, FENS as an organisation represents close to 23.000 European neuroscientists with a clear mission to advance European neuroscience education and research.
EBC will be present as an exhibitor for the full Forum, located at Booth 12. Visit us there to learn more about our latest activities, including our recently launched Brain Mission calling for continued and increased support and commitment to brain research in Europe.
Furthermore, EBC will hold two events at the Forum. The 1st would be the EBC Special Session, “Structuring the future of Brain research in Europe” on 9 July 2018, at 12:30-13:30. The session aims to facilitate dialogue amongst experts on the mission-oriented approach of the European Commission and how the next Framework Programme can boost therapeutic innovation by bringing neuroscience and policymaking together. Confirmed speakers thus far are EBC President Prof. Monica Di Luca and Prof. Patrik Verstreken, Scientific Director & Group Leader, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven.
Furthermore, on 10 July 2018 at 18:45-20:30, EBC will partner with the The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (TCCI) to co-organise an event on the occasion of the European launch of ‘MINDS WIDE OPEN’, an innovative documentary featuring leading, international experts and compelling patient stories, makes the case that increased support is critical if we are to take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity to advance the science, unlock the wonders of the human mind and create a better world. A shortened version will be premiered, followed by a debate around the topic after the viewing. A reception will follow.

EBC Strategic Workshop
2018-09-24 - 2018-09-25
This year’s internal EBC Strategic Workshop will take place on 24-25 September 2018.
More information to follow.

VoT Policy roundtable on the economic cost of Alzheimer’s in Europe
2018-09-25
On 25 September, at 9:30-11:00, EBC will partner with the ‘What if?’ Policy Roundtable series to present the Value of Treatment findings of the Alzheimer’s working group with the event “The Value of Treatment: Policy roundtable on the economic cost of Alzheimer’s in Europe“.
Hosted by MEP Heinz K. Becker, moderated by Geoff Meade and chaired by EBC President, Prof. Monica Di Luca, the event aims to gather experts from the VoT project and the field of Alzheimer’s.
Agenda:
9:30 Opening by Moderator – Geoff Meade
9:35 Welcome by Chair (EBC President, Prof. Monica Di Luca) & Host MEP, Heinz K. Becker
9:45 Ron Handels, University of Maastricht, The Value of Treatment project’s Alzheimer’s Working Group, The Potential Health-Economic Impact of Treating Alzheimer’s
9:55 Speaker 2: Prof. P Scheltens, Amsterdam UMC Alzheimer Centre, The Value of Treatment project’s Alzheimer’s Working Group, Patient Journey for people living with Alzheimer’s
10:05 Speaker 3: Mr Nis Nissen, Alzheimerforeningen Denmark, The cost of informal care of Alzheimer’s in Denmark
10:15-10:30 Discussants: Annette Dumas (ASDM Consulting, MOPEAD Project), Elina Suzuki (OECD), Margaret Walker (EUFAMI), Stéphane Hogan (European Commission, DG RTD)
10:30-10:50 Moderator-led discussion (with discussants first and can bring in chair and speakers)
10:50-10:55 | Mr Frédéric Destrebecq – EBC Executive Director, Calls to Action and White Paper on the future of Alzheimer’s policy in Europe
10:55-11:00 | Conclusion – Co-Host MEP Mrs Marian Harkin

Further details included below.

Introduction
Over 10.5 million people currently suffer from dementia in the EU and this figure is expected to rise to 13.4 million by 2030. With medical science fast progressing, the prospect of earlier detection, diagnosis and the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease raises a broad range of ethical and social questions.
In the absence of a disease modifying treatment or a cure, what are the ethical challenges to the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease?
Dementia imposes a major burden on patients, carers and society. Timely diagnosis and early intervention can help to change the patient pathway, potentially improving outcomes for patients and carers while reducing costs.
As part of the EBC Value of Treatment project, the potential impact of a hypothetical Alzheimer’s medicine was assessed by experts in the field, and ‘accurate and timely’ diagnosis and intervention were some of the key recommendations to come out of the study.
There is growing evidence in the research literature that a more proactive approach geared around the need for earlier diagnosis and intervention could go a very long way to reduce costs for both families and, eventually, the taxpayer by delaying entry to care homes and potentially opening up new possibilities for the progression of the disease to be slowed down in diagnosed individuals.
This debate must also be placed in a broader context in which European institutions and societies increasingly shift their focus on supporting their elderly population and on recognising the contribution and value of the “silver economy”.
This policy roundtable will include the presentation of the economic analysis undertaken by the Value of Treatment Alzheimer’s working group, as well as explore the “what if?” questions.

Caring for Carers: Young Carers in a Changing World, Athens 28 September 2018
2018-09-28
EPIONI will organize the conference “Caring for Carers: Young Carers in a Changing World”, which will revolve around caregivers, on September 28th at 15:30 PM at the office of the European Parliament in Athens, Greece.
The event will be held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health in Greece, the World Federation for Mental Health, the Hellenic Psychiatric Association and EBC. The conference will feature scientists such as Prof. of Psychiatry George Christodoulou, Dr. Dimitrios Kontis, Dr. Kalliopi Panagiotopoulou, Mr. Panagiotis Chondros (EPAPSY) and Mr. Alexandros Oikonomou (EDRA).
Entry is free, the registration form can be accessed here.

Mental Health in Elite Sport
2018-10-10
In light of the WHO’s ‘World Mental Health Day’ on Wednesday 10 October, a meeting on the ‘Mental Health in Elite Sport’ will be held by the Intergroup Sports of the European Parliament. This meeting aims not only at identifying the role of elite athletes and coaches’ mental wellbeing, but also to acknowledge the needs in providing professional mental health support services to those acting at the highest level of competitive sport.
Programme
After an introduction to the significance of mental health in elite sports, elite athletes and coaches will talk about their experiences with mental health. This will be followed by presentations on providing mental health support in elite sport. The meeting will conclude with specific recommendations on the policy measures and support services aimed at ensuring the mental well being of talented, elite and retired athletes and coaches.
The 90-minutes program can be found below.
This meeting has been put together with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in conference with MEP Bogdan Wenta, member of the European Parliament’s Sport Intergroup, TeamNL, European Federation of Psychology Associations, European Federation of Sport Psychology, Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels and EU Athletes.

Brain, New Approach to Brain Diseases
2018-11-21
The European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament (ENVI) is holding a workshop entitled “The Brain, A New Approach to Brain Diseases” on Wednesday, 21 November 2018 in the European Parliament from 10.00am to 12.00pm.
EBC President Prof. Monica Di Luca is included as a speaker and will address the topic of “Framework conditions for tackling brain diseases in Europe”, covering the promotion of brain research at a European level in order to improve the quality of life of people living with brain disorders in Europe, the activity of patient associations, major brain-related societies as well as industries, working to foster cooperation with its member’s organisations, promote dialogue between scientists, industry and society and the issues concerning representation of European neurology, psychiatry, neuroscience, patient/carer and pharmaceutical organizations are also to be included.
Register to attend, here.

'Uncorking the Brain' Networking Reception
2018-11-21
Join us at The Office (rue d’Arlon 80, 1040 Brussels) on 21 November from 18:30 onwards for a networking reception to grab a drink, network and discuss brain research and Horizon Europe. RSVP not required, but very much appreciated.

Enhanced engagement through public-private partnerships, 21 November 2018
2018-11-21
On 21 November 2018, the European Brain Council, together with its industry partners, will host the event “Enhanced engagement through public-private partnerships: Sustaining therapeutic innovation to address patient needs” as part of its Value of Innovation series.
The full day event will provide the opportunity for individual EBC members and industry partners to showcase their latest initiatives to the broader EBC membership and other key stakeholders including the European Parliament & Commission, highlighting collaboration, innovation and multi-stakeholder engagement. Built around a number of keynote speeches, presentations and poster presentations, the aim for the day is to create a forum and foster dialogue focused on improving outcomes for patients in 3 key areas – Research & Development in Brain Health, Patient Engagement and Disease Awareness.
The full agenda can be found below. Keynotes will be delivered by Ms Sohini Chowdhury (Deputy CEO, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research) and Prof. Guendalina Graffigna (Universita’ Cattolica Milan), with chairs Dr. Pierre Meulien (Director, Innovative Medicines Initiative – IMI), Mr Andrew Powrie-Smith (Executive Director of Communications & Partnerships, EFPIA) and EBC executives. The day will be divided into Keynote lectures, presentation sessions, an interactive breakout session and a lunchtime poster session.
Breakout sessions will give participants the opportunity to engage and collaborate on a number of topics, including how industry and EBC stakeholders should collaborate to advance and accelerate access to major medical breakthroughs in CNS conditions and enhance the speed of translation of science to clinical application as well as how Industry and EBC stakeholders should enhance partnerships to improve patient engagement in their conditions.
The anticipated outcomes of the day will be to create a debate that will generate a nucleus of ideas that describe how public-private partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement can improve outcomes for patients with Brain conditions across the three prescribed areas of focus.

PPP - Final Agenda

EBRA Kick-off Meeting
2018-11-22
The European Brain Council (EBC)-coordinated EU project The European Brain Research Area (EBRA) officially kicks off on 22 November 2018. EBRA was designed to respond to the Horizon 2020 call, SC1-HCO-10-2018, entitled “Coordinating European brain research and developing global initiatives”, which called for the reduction of fragmentation and duplication of research efforts, fostering synergies through enhanced coordination of brain research efforts at EU and at global level, improved access to and optimising the use of research infrastructures and data sources by the neuroscience research communities, thus ensuring better exploitation of the large investments made in brain research, achieving critical mass and economies of scale by initiating and fostering new global research initiatives, as well a enabling and accelerating the translation of breakthroughs in brain research into relevant clinical applications.
The European Brain Research Area project — EBRA — was created as a catalysing platform for brain research stakeholders (researchers, clinicians, patients, governments, funders and public institutions) to streamline and better co-ordinate brain research across Europe while fostering global initiatives.
The Consortium consists of the EBC membership, the Network of European funding for Neuroscience research (NEURON), Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) and the Human Brain Project (HBP).
Follow EBRA on Twitter for the latest updates.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 825348.

‘New horizons for person-centred mental health research and care’ - EPA/GAMIAN-Europe EP Event
2018-12-03 15:00 - 18:00 UTC
On 3 December, the European Parliament Interest Group on Mental health, Well-being and Brain Disorders, GAMIAN-Europe and the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) will hold an Interest Group meeting, entitled ‘New horizons for person-centred mental health research and care’, in the European Parliament in Brussels, at 15.00 – 18.00 in room 5G1.
In recent years, issues related to mental health care and services have increasingly been part of EU and national research agendas. In parallel, the notion and importance of person-centred mental health services has gained ground. There is general consensus on the crucial importance of this concept: all mental health stakeholders – e.g. patients, health care professionals, policymakers, care and service providers agree that person-centredness is essential if appropriate. Effective and high-quality mental health care services are to be developed and delivered. And indeed, a number of recent and current EU-funded research projects explicitly take into account this perspective.
As the EU is about to embark on a new, comprehensive and large-scale research programme, the Interest Group, GAMIAN-Europe and the EPA believe that the time is ripe to organise a policy event with a specific focus on person-centred mental health research and care.
This event aims to:

Underline the importance of person-centred mental health research and care and increase
the visibility of this topic;
Exchange views on how a person-centred perspective can be ensured in EU funded and
other research addressing mental health;
Inform about ongoing research focusing on mental health in a person-centred way;
Stimulate discussion amongst stakeholders and forge links for future cooperation;
Underline the importance for Horizon Europe to take person-centredness as a guiding
principle for future EU-funded mental health research.

The full agenda is featured below:
programme IGMH FIN

Policy Report Launch: 'A sustainable approach to depression: moving from words to actions’
2018-12-05
On 5 December 2018, the European Parliament Interest Group on Mental health, Well-being and Brain Disorders, EBC, GAMIAN-Europe, the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), the European Brain Council (EBC), EUFAMI, the Expert Platform on Depression, Eurocarers, the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the UEMS – Sector of Psychiatry and the International Federation for Psychotherapy will launch a join policy paper on major depression, entitled ‘A sustainable approach to depression: moving from words to actions’. The meeting will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels, between 12.30 and 14.00 in room A5F 385.
Today, over 35 million people are estimated to be living with depression in Europe Its cost is 30% higher than that of stroke. Yet as a society, we lack understanding of depression and empathy for those affected. Policies focused on depression exist, but implementation is variable and suffers from significant under-resourcing. This in turn contributes to significant gaps in diagnosis and care: only 25% of people diagnosed with depression receive appropriate and timely care.3
These gaps need to be remedied – and require a comprehensive, sustainable policy response, looking at how to prevent and manage depression across all aspects of society.
The organisations listed above joined forces to address this need; they agreed to produce a report aimed at providing policymakers with concrete ways to better address the full spectrum of depression and its impact on our societies. The report drew from the practical experiences of a variety of innovative projects addressing different aspect of depression across the EU. Key factors and lessons learnt were identified which can help policymakers develop and put in place concrete, relevant and sustainable policies and initiatives.
The December event aims to:

Present the key findings of this report;
Showcase examples of successful projects addressing depression;
Exchange views on how depression can be prioritised on the EU and national policy agendas;
Forge links between relevant stakeholders and explore ideas for future cooperation to ensure better management of depression.

If you would like to attend this event, please register here before 28 November.

EBC Board Meeting #1
2019-02-06
First EBC Board Meeting of 2019
