BRAIN 24/7 ETN Organises Satellite Event on Brain Function and Mental Health

We are pleased to highlight the upcoming satellite event Brain Function and Mental Health in a Modern 24/7 Society, organised as part of the ENLIGHT BRAIN 24/7 project. The event will take place on 11 July 2026 in Barcelona, immediately following the FENS Forum 2026.

The event is organised by Professor Dr. Peter Meerlo (University of Groningen) and Dr. Carolina Gutierrez Herrera (Bern University) within the framework of the European ENLIGHT Thematic Network BRAIN 24/7.

Modern society has undergone rapid cultural and technological changes, accompanied by increased information flow, workload, and stress. At the same time, social and environmental disruptions increasingly limit sleep and recovery time. These ongoing challenges are linked to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and may have a major impact on brain health.

The BRAIN 24/7 project aims to address these societal challenges by creating a multidisciplinary and collaborative network of researchers, teachers, and students. By sharing knowledge, expertise, and training opportunities, the network supports new collaborations and advances research on the relationship between sleep, brain function, and mental health.

The satellite event will bring together experts from across neuroscience to discuss how sleep, circadian rhythms, and modern lifestyle factors influence brain function and wellbeing. The programme is structured around four scientific sessions:

• Session 1 – Sleep and Circadian Challenges in Modern Life
• Session 2 – Sleep, Memory and Plasticity
• Session 3 – Imaging Neural Circuits and Brain States
• Session 4 – The Biology of Sleep State Regulation

Programme highlights

09:00 – 10:10 | Session 1: Sleep and Circadian Challenges in Modern Life

This session will explore how modern environmental and societal factors influence sleep and circadian function.

Speakers:

• Peter Meerlo — Effects of artificial light at night on sleep EEG and sleep architecture

• Nicole Gervais — Translational and SABV perspectives on the consequences of sleep and circadian disturbances for cognition

• Rutger Boesjes — Rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine and circadian function

• Hugo Gillet — Neuromodulatory actions of sleep drugs on single cell and sleep oscillations in the mouse brain

10:30 – 12:10 | Session 2: Sleep, Memory and Plasticity

This session focuses on the role of sleep in memory, learning, and brain plasticity.

Speakers:

• Charlotte Boccara — Early-life sleep loss derails brain circuit maturation with lasting cognitive consequences

• Robbert Havekes — Sleep and plasticity: resetting memory and brain function

• Lisa Roux — Breathing and hippocampal network activity during wake and sleep

• Anas Azzouri — Hippocampus-amygdala interactions define functional predisposition for contextual fear generalization

• Caterina Stacchiola — Effects of sleep deprivation on memory engram encoding multiple social experiences

13:15 – 15:00 | Session 3: Imaging Neural Circuits and Brain States

This session will explore advances in understanding brain states and neural circuits.

Speakers:

• Jason Kerr — Cortical encoding of darkness in freely moving mice

• Sanne Moorman — Plasticity of birdsong representations in auditory cortex

• Arthur Leblois — Functional connectivity of the basal ganglia-cortical network in awake and sleeping birds

• Carolina Gutierrez — Astroglial Control of Sleep and Wakefulness

15:20 – 16:30 | Session 4: The Biology of Sleep State Regulation

The final session will examine the biological mechanisms regulating sleep states and their links to stress, thermoregulation, and brain function.

Speakers:

• Roelof Hut — Effects of cooling the brain on sleep: lessons from hibernators

• Markus Schmidt — Sleep and thermoregulatory integration, context-specific regulation of REM sleep, and sleep function

• Simone Bellini — The role of MCH neurons between restraint stress and REM sleep modulation

The scientific programme will be followed by closing remarks, drinks, and networking opportunities from 16:30 – 18:00.

The event provides an opportunity for researchers, students, and professionals attending FENS 2026 to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaborations, and explore new perspectives on sleep, neuroscience, and mental health.

Registration is now open!