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Theme

The theme of the Annual Meeting 2026 is: The Future of Cognitive Neuroscience – Technology and the Human Brain

With technology on the rise and the wonders of the human brain being studied in more depth, it is fascinating to consider how our knowledge of cognition is evolving over time. What is human cognition? How can we study human intelligence? And in which ways is technology able to mimic, or perhaps even extend, the functions of the human brain?

Together, we will explore the evolution of the brain and its core functions, and discuss how emerging technologies are already shaping or enhancing cognitive features in health and disease. Regarding the latter, we will highlight how technology is finding its way into neuroscience in clinical practice, for example, as a tool for treating individual patients.

Program January 16, 2026

• 08:30 - 09:00 Registration

• 09:00 - 09:30 Word of welcome

  • Amsterdam Neuroscience directors Guus Smit, Yolande Pijnenburg and Marten Smidt

• 09:30 - 10:45 What is human cognition?

  • Angelica Vanini (Amsterdam UMC) - Genes and cognition: Evolutionary genetics of human cognition
  • Natalia Goriounova (Vrije Universiteit) - Cells and cognition: What can our neurons tell us about our intelligence?
  • Linda Douw (Amsterdam UMC) – Networks and cognition: Rethinking cognitive deficits through the lens of multiscale networkneuroscience
  • Claire Stevenson (University of Amsterdam) AI and cognition: The future of AI for studying human cognition and its development
• 10:45 - 11:15 Coffee break

• 11:15 - 12:15 Research reports by Young Amsterdam Neuroscientists

  • Laura Han (Amsterdam UMC) - Understanding biological aging: the key towards healthier and happier lives
  • Willem de Haan (Amsterdam UMC) - In Silico Neurodegeneration: testbench of the future?
  • Iris Groen (University of Amsterdam) - The brain in time: Temporal integration of neural responses in human visual cortex and deep neural networks
• 12:15 - 12:25 ONWAR Graduate School for neuroscience

• 12:25 - 12:45 Valorization in neuroscience: From knowledge to impact

  • Wouter Potters (Trianect) - EEG controlled triage in the ambulance
• 12:45 - 15:00 Lunch and poster market

• 15:00 - 16:30 Non-invasive brain stimulation in psychiatry and neurology

  • Odile van den Heuvel and team (Amsterdam UMC, Psychiatry Amsterdam): Ysbrand van der Werf, Tjardo Postma, Sophie Fitzsimmons, Coen Coomans, Hidde Woerdman, Eric van Exel, Tim van Balkom and Sander Verfaillie
• 16:30 - 17:15 Poster presentations and award ceremony
• 17:15 - 17:30 Closing remarks and vote of thanks
• 17:30 - 19:00 Drinks and networking

For more details on the progam and the speakers visit the Annual Meeting 2026 page.

Poster market

Master’s students, PhD candidates, junior researchers, and postdocs are invited to present a poster of their research project at the Annual Meeting. Researchers who wish to present a poster are required to indicate their interest by submitting an abstract through the designated registration form. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the research program leaders on scientific and methodological quality, scientific and societal relevance, innovative character, and suitability to the Amsterdam Neuroscience research program. Based on this assessment, the program leaders will determine which participants are invited to present a poster on January 16. 

Please note that submission of an abstract does not guarantee acceptance for poster presentation. 

The deadline for the abstract submission is extended to November 21, 10:00 AM. Ultimately December 1 you will be informed whether your abstract is accepted and you can present a poster during the poster sessions.

This event is exclusively for researchers affliated with Amsterdam Neuroscience or Neuroscience Master students from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam.

Register here for the event

The deadline for the abstract submission for poster presentations is on November 21th.