FENS Forum

FENS Forum
Name	FENS Forum
Formation	1998
Type	Scientific congress
Region	Europe
Field	Neuroscience

FENS Forum is the triennial congress organized by the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies bringing together scientists, clinicians, and students across Europe and worldwide for meetings on brain research, technology, and translation. The Forum serves as a platform for presenting research advances from laboratories and institutions, fostering collaborations among societies such as the British Neuroscience Association, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neuroscience, and the Società Italiana di Neuroscienze, and highlighting initiatives tied to funders like the European Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and Human Frontier Science Program. Major venues have included cities with large research hubs such as Barcelona, Berlin, Glasgow, and Paris and often feature keynote speakers affiliated with universities like Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Karolinska Institutet, and École Normale Supérieure.

History

The Forum traces its origins to the establishment of continental neuroscience networking in the late 20th century when organizations such as the European Dana Alliance for the Brain, International Brain Research Organization, and the Society for Neuroscience sought coordinated European meetings. Early iterations reflected agendas influenced by conferences hosted by institutions like the Pasteur Institute, Max Planck Society, and CNRS, and were shaped by leaders associated with universities including University of Copenhagen, University of Amsterdam, and University of Geneva. Over successive editions the Forum showcased landmark presentations from investigators affiliated with institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and Stanford University, and highlighted translational themes resonant with clinicians from Karolinska University Hospital, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, and Charité. The Forum’s development paralleled broader European research policy initiatives involving the European Commission, Horizon 2020, and European Molecular Biology Organization while interacting with charitable funders such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Simons Foundation.

Organisation and Governance

Governance of the congress is overseen by the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies in coordination with national societies like the Belgian Society for Neuroscience, Spanish Society for Neuroscience, and Swiss Society for Neuroscience and with advisory input from figures associated with institutions such as University of Madrid, Humboldt University of Berlin, and Trinity College Dublin. Organising committees have included representatives linked to Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, and University of Zurich, while scientific committees have drawn expertise from laboratories at Columbia University, University of California San Francisco, Yale University, and Rockefeller University. Partnerships and sponsorship arrangements have been negotiated with agencies and foundations such as the European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Alzheimer’s Research UK, and technical collaborators have included companies and institutes working with technologies pioneered at institutions like ETH Zurich, Delft University of Technology, and École Polytechnique. Legal and ethical oversight has referenced frameworks from bodies like the European Medicines Agency, Council of Europe, and UNESCO, with input from clinicians at St Thomas’ Hospital and Hospital Clinic de Barcelona.

Scientific Programme and Meetings

The scientific programme typically encompasses symposia, plenaries, poster sessions, workshops, and career meetings featuring research spanning cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and computational approaches from groups at MIT, Caltech, Princeton University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge. Sessions have highlighted techniques developed at institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Salk Institute, RIKEN, and Max Planck Institute and have included topics resonant with work from laboratories at McGill University, University of Toronto, Karolinska Institutet, and Institute of Neuroscience Alicante. Invited lectures have drawn eminent scientists associated with institutions like University of California Berkeley, University College London, Hebrew University, and University of Melbourne, and meetings frequently feature translational symposia involving hospitals such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospital Zurich. Satellite meetings and workshops often link to specialized bodies including the International Society for Neurochemistry, Society for Neuroscience, and Federation of European Physiological Societies.

Awards and Grants

The Forum highlights awards and grants recognizing outstanding contributions with prizes analogous to honors conferred by institutions like the Royal Society, Academia Europaea, and EMBO, and often coordinates with funders such as the European Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and Human Frontier Science Program to administer travel grants, poster awards, and career development fellowships. Awardees have included investigators who later received accolades from bodies such as the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, Lasker Foundation, Brain Prize, and Kavli Prize, reflecting research lines affiliated with centers like University of California San Diego, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago. Travel and diversity awards have targeted early-career researchers from universities such as University of Lisbon, University of Warsaw, and University of Belgrade and have been supported by national agencies like INSERM, CNRS, and the Spanish Ministry of Science.

Education and Outreach

Educational activities at the Forum incorporate masterclasses, training courses, and outreach events designed in collaboration with societies and institutions such as the Society for Research in Child Development, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and European Brain Council, and involve educators from universities like University of Birmingham, King's College London, and University of Freiburg. Public outreach programs have partnered with museums and cultural institutions including the Science Museum London, Musée de l'Homme, and Deutsches Museum, and have engaged patient organizations such as Alzheimer Europe, Parkinson’s UK, and Rare Diseases Europe to bridge research with public understanding. Training for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers links to doctoral centers and networks at institutions like Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, and Sainsbury Wellcome Centre.

Membership and Affiliations

Participation and affiliation encompass national and specialist societies including the British Neuroscience Association, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neuroscience, Società Italiana di Neuroscienze, Scandinavian Neuroscience Society, and Hellenic Society for Neuroscience, and institutional partners such as universities at Bologna, Madrid, Leiden, and Oslo. The Forum collaborates with international organizations like the Society for Neuroscience, International Brain Research Organization, European Molecular Biology Organization, and World Health Organization, and intersects with funding bodies such as the European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, and Wellcome Trust. Many participating laboratories are housed in research centers and institutes including Max Planck Institutes, CNRS units, Francis Crick Institute, Instituto Cajal, and Instituto de Neurociencias Alicante, forming a continental network connecting hubs like Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris, and Stockholm.

Category:Neuroscience conferences