BENEFRI Neuroscience Workshop 2025
February 20 - 21, 2025
Department of Physiology, 2nd Floor, Room 258
Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern
Organizers
- Prof. Dr. Antoine Adamantidis Center of Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology University Hospital-Inselspital, University of Bern
- Prof. Patricia Boya Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, University of Fribourg
- Ass. Prof. Dr. Stéphane Ciocchi Department of Physiology, University of Bern
- Prof. Bodgan Draganski Center of Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology University Hospital-Inselspital, University of Bern
- Prof. Dragos Inta Translational Psychiatry, Department of Community Health, Food Research and Innovation Center (FRIC), University of Fribourg
- Prof. Vincent Pernet Center of Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology University Hospital-Inselspital, University of Bern
- Prof. Dr. Gregor Rainer Department of Neuroscience and Movement Sciences, University of Fribourg
- Prof. Yann Ravussin Laboratory of Energetics and Advanced Nutrition, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Systems, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg
Speakers
- Prof. Martin Bachmann Department of Immunology, University Hospital Inselspital, Department for Biomedical Research Bern (DBMR), University of Bern
- Prof. Gabriel Berdugo-Vega Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL)
- Prof. Simon Braun Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva
- Ass. Prof. Dr. Stéphane Ciocchi Department of Physiology, University of Bern
- Jordi Duran IQS Barcelona - Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain
- Prof. Dragos Inta Translational Psychiatry, Department of Community Health, Food Research and Innovation Center (FRIC), University of Fribourg
- Prof. Theofanis Karayannis Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Co-Director of the Brain Research Institute, UZH
- Natalia Kononenko CECAD Excellence Cluster Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Germany
- Prof. Vincent Pernet Center of Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology University Hospital-Inselspital, University of Bern
- Prof. Yann Ravussin Laboratory of Energetics and Advanced Nutrition, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Systems, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg
- Prof. Carmen Sandi Behavioral Genetics Laboratory, ETH Lausanne
- Dr. Chiara Stüdle Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern
- Prof. Nicolas Toni Department of Psychiatry, University of Lausanne
- Prof. Corette Wierenga Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Dr. Li Xin Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Morning session: «Interneuron Diversity and Function»
Chair: Prof. Stéphane Ciocchi
Time table
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Welcome |
| 09:15 - 10:10 | Lecture 1 Prof. Theofanis Karayannis Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Co-Director of the Brain Research Institute, UZH «Inhibitory regulation of bilateral sensory processing in the developing mouse cortex» |
| 10:10 - 10:25 | Poster “Blitz” presentations*: students |
| 10:25 - 10:50 | Coffee break |
| 10:50 - 11:40 | Lecture 2 Prof. Corette Wierenga Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands «Regulation of inhibitory synapse formation by axonal PKA signaling» |
| 11:40 - 12:30 | Lecture 3 Ass. Prof. Dr. Stéphane Ciocchi Department of Physiology, University of Bern «Hippocampal inhibitory microcircuits regulating emotional behavior» |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch |
Afternoon session: «The roles of the blood-brain barrier in CNS disease mechanisms and treatments»
Chair: Prof. Vincent Pernet
Time table
| 13:45 - 13:55 | Introduction |
| 13:55 - 14:45 | Lecture 4 Prof. Martin Bachmann Department of Immunology, University Hospital Inselspital, Department for Biomedical Research Bern (DBMR), University of Bern «Probing monoclonal antibody specificity for Alzheimer’s vaccine design» |
| 14:45 - 15:30 | Lecture 5 Dr. Li Xin Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern «The role of cerebrospinal fluid flow in CNS demyelinating autoimmune disease» |
| 15:30 - 15:45 | Coffee break and Poster** Viewing Session |
| 15:45 - 16:30 | Lecture 6 Prof. Vincent Pernet Center of Experimental Neurology (ZEN), Department of Neurology University Hospital-Inselspital, University of Bern «Therapeutic antibody delivery in brain diseases» |
| 16:30 - 17:15 | Lecture 7 Dr. Chiara Stüdle Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern «Intrinsic blood-brain barrier dysfunction contributes to multiple sclerosis pathogenesis» |
Friday, February 21, 2025
Morning session: «Neuroplasticity and Brain-Body interactions in Health and Disease»
Chair: Prof. Dragos Inta
Time table
| 09:00 - 09:10 | Introduction |
| 09:10 - 09:55 | Lecture 8 Prof. Simon Braun Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva «Chromatin remodeling in brain development and disease» |
| 09:55 - 10:40 | Lecture 9 Prof. Gabriel Berdugo-Vega Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL) «Cognitive rejuvenation upon partial reprogramming of engram cells» |
| 10:40 - 10:55 | Poster “Blitz” presentations*: students |
| 10:55 - 11:10 | Coffee break and Poster Viewing Session |
| 11:10 - 11:55 | Lecture 10 Prof. Yann Ravussin Laboratory of Energetics and Advanced Nutrition, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Systems, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg «Body weight regulation in the time of excess calories» |
| 11:55 - 12:40 | Lecture 11 Prof. Dragos Inta Translational Psychiatry, Department of Community Health, Food Research and Innovation Center (FRIC), University of Fribourg «Brain-body interactions in psychiatric disorders» |
| 12:40 - 14:00 | Lunch |
Afternoon session 1: «Brain health and metabolism»
Chair: Prof. Patricia Boya
Time table
| 14:00 - 14:10 | Introduction |
| 14:10 - 14:55 | Lecture 12 Jordi Duran IQS Barcelona - Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain «Decoding the Role of Glycogen in Neurodegenerative Conditions» |
| 14:55 - 15:40 | Lecture 13 Natalia Kononenko CECAD Excellence Cluster Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Germany «Nurturing Brain Health: The Role of Autophagy in Neuronal Metabolism» |
| 15:40 - 16:00 | Coffee break and Poster Viewing Session |
Afternoon session 2: «Energy, metabolism, neurogenesis and the brain»
Chair: Prof. Bodgan Draganski
Time table
| 16:00 - 16:45 | Lecture 14 Prof. Nicolas Toni Department of Psychiatry, University of Lausanne «From blood to brain: the role of platelets in stress resilience and adult neurogenesis» |
| 16:45 - 17:30 | Lecture 15 Prof. Carmen Sandi Behavioral Genetics Laboratory, ETH Lausanne «Mitochondria in neuronal structure and function: Behavioral implications» |