On October 10th and 11th, the Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, the International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences, and the Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin hosted the annual Berlin Neuroscience Meeting for the second time at the GLS Campus – a quiet green retreat in Berlin’s vibrant Prenzlauer Berg.
The event attracted over 210 participants, whose enthusiasm and engagement enriched the dynamic program across both days. It started with a keynote address by Marlene Bartos from the University of Freiburg, who presented on “The Role of Dentate Gyrus Interneurons in Encoding Contextual Information.” In the afternoon, Ofer Yizhar from the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel) shared valuable insights into early-life social behavior, highlighting novel inhibitory optogenetic tools.
Renowned local researchers including Claudia Buß, Soyoung Q Park, and Yangfang Peng, among others, offered glimpses into their research.
The first day’s afternoon poster session was warmly received, providing ample time for scientific exchange. That evening also celebrated the graduation of MSc students of the International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences.
Day two opened with a keynote lecture by Harald Prüß from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, who gave an update on "Autoimmunity and Neurodegeneration – New Disease Concepts." In the afternoon, Guus Smit from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, provided new insights into aspects of synaptic complexity and diversity.The day’s program included two parallel satellite events: A networking meeting for NeuroCure Research Fellows and an alumni workshop focusing on teaching challenges and problem-solving techniques.
To foster networking and encourage continued discussion, participants gathered in the evenings for dinner and informal conversations, enhancing the collaborative spirit of this inspiring annual event.
Friday also featured a well-attended poster session, culminating in the announcement of poster awards for both days. Aasha Meenakshisundaram and Rafaela Pedro Silva, both PhD students in the workgroup "Signaling mechanisms in brain development and disease" at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, won the prize for the best poster of the day.
We are already looking forward to next year’s Berlin Neuroscience Meeting and the opportunity to welcome participants from the neuroscience community. Building on the success of this year’s event, we aim to expand the program with additional program points.