BCN Lectures
The BCN lecture series is organized by the Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (BCN) in which neuroscientists from the faculties of Arts, Science & Engineering, Philosophy, Behavioural & Social Sciences, and Medicine collaborate. Together this interdisciplinary community of neuroscientists aims to deepen our understanding of brain function in health and disease. Each lecture features a(n) (inter)nationally speaker who presents cutting-edge research with an emphasis on its broader relevance to the field of neuroscience. The series spans a wide range of topics, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the neurosciences.
If you have an idea for an excellent speaker for one of the BCN lectures, please contact the BCN office.
Join the upcoming BCN lectures!
Lecture September 2025
BCN Lecture 4 September 2025 - Join in person or online!
Speaker: Roelant Ossewaarde (Researcher at the Artificial Intelligence lectorate of the Utrecht University of Applied Science)
Title: Language measurements in persons with brain damage
Time: 12:00 – 13:00
Location: Anda Kerkhoven Centre, 3227.0019
Online: https://meet.google.com/xfn-kajj-jwi
Topic: Language measurements in persons with brain damage
What you can expect to learn from this lecture: Spontaneous speech has become omnipresent as a way to communicate with AI agents powered by Large Language Models. Natural language has become a viable method to convey our thoughts and interact with machines. Brain damage can cause deterioration of the ability to use language. Linguistic technology may aid in measuring the degree to which the language use degrades; however, there is a surprisingly large gap between modern day chatbot capabilities and clinically useful measurements of language decline.In my talk I will survey the use of language software to analyze spontaneous language, and the promises of LLM linguistic processing software in this domain.
About the speaker: Roelant Ossewaarde is a researcher at the Artificial Intelligence lectorate of the Utrecht University of Applied Science (Hogeschool Utrecht). His research focuses on the application of AI methods in the linguistic domain. He recently obtained his Ph.D., on measurements of language decline associated with dementia, from the neurolinguistics department at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
Lecture October 2025
BCN Lecture 6 November 2025
Speaker: Roelof Hut
Title: The flexible circadian clock: adaptive in nature, maladaptive in modern society
Time: 16:00 – 17:00
Online:
What you can expect to learn from this lecture: Circadian rhythms drive many aspects of behaviour and physiology and its evolutionary origin traces back to the very first life forms. Comparative evolutionary analysis suggest that daily rhythms were not only adaptive, but may also be a driving force in mammalian diversification. Daily rhythms have a well understood genetic basis (Nobel prize in 2017), but are by no means a fixed trait. Mammals can show flexibility in their rhythms and the underlying neurobiological features that translate the hypothalamic generation of circadian rhythms in to adaptive behavioural output that are tuned to the environmental needs are investigated. These finding will help us to understand health consequences for human circadian organization in a modern society.
About the speaker: Roelof Hut is Professor of Chronobiology at the University of Groningen. He was trained as a chronobiologist and received his Ph.D. (2001) in the laboratory of Serge Daan at the University of Groningen. Post-doctoral fellowships were conducted in the laboratories of Howard Cooper (Lyon), Michael Menaker (Charlottesville, Virginia), and in Groningen. His scientific work has covered many aspects of chronobiology, including circadian light responses, suprachiasmatic nucleus physiology, evolutionary ecology of circadian organization, photoreception, thermoregulation, sleep, and photoperiodism, using species like insects, various nocturnal and diurnal rodent species, and humans. He is also a founding member and current chair of the International Hibernation Society, where his early fascination with hibernation is combined with his interest in physiology and biological rhythms. Being trained by prominent early scientists in chronobiology, who were themselves trained by the “founding fathers” of the field, has afforded Dr. Hut a wide perspective on all aspects of chronobiology, with a focus to the future and a respect for the past.
He recently teamed up with Dr. William Schwartz (MD) to write a comprehensive scholarly book on circadian rhythms, which introduces the fundamental aspects of this fascinating theme that connects the width of biological sciences to many clinical and societal applications.
The Essential Principles and Practices book is freely available at the University of Groningen Press website
Lecture November 2025
BCN Lecture 6 November 2025
Speaker: Roelof Hut
Title: The flexible circadian clock: adaptive in nature, maladaptive in modern society
Time: 16:00 – 17:00
Location: Faculty Medical Sciences, room 3215.0149 (A. Deusinglaan 1), 1st floor
Topic: The flexible circadian clock: adaptive in nature, maladaptive in modern society
Close your laptop and immerse yourself in the energy of a room full of people. Being physically present offers more interaction, inspiration, and connection than watching online. Don’t miss the chance to truly be in the moment. We look forward to seeing you there! If you really cannot make it, here is the online [meet.google.com/ubs-bvvd-bon] option.
What you can expect to learn from this lecture: Circadian rhythms drive many aspects of behaviour and physiology and its evolutionary origin traces back to the very first life forms. Comparative evolutionary analysis suggest that daily rhythms were not only adaptive, but may also be a driving force in mammalian diversification. Daily rhythms have a well understood genetic basis (Nobel prize in 2017), but are by no means a fixed trait. Mammals can show flexibility in their rhythms and the underlying neurobiological features that translate the hypothalamic generation of circadian rhythms in to adaptive behavioural output that are tuned to the environmental needs are investigated. These finding will help us to understand health consequences for human circadian organization in a modern society.
About the speaker: Roelof Hut is Professor of Chronobiology at the University of Groningen. He was trained as a chronobiologist and received his Ph.D. (2001) in the laboratory of Serge Daan at the University of Groningen. Post-doctoral fellowships were conducted in the laboratories of Howard Cooper (Lyon), Michael Menaker (Charlottesville, Virginia), and in Groningen. His scientific work has covered many aspects of chronobiology, including circadian light responses, suprachiasmatic nucleus physiology, evolutionary ecology of circadian organization, photoreception, thermoregulation, sleep, and photoperiodism, using species like insects, various nocturnal and diurnal rodent species, and humans. He is also a founding member and current chair of the International Hibernation Society, where his early fascination with hibernation is combined with his interest in physiology and biological rhythms. Being trained by prominent early scientists in chronobiology, who were themselves trained by the “founding fathers” of the field, has afforded Dr. Hut a wide perspective on all aspects of chronobiology, with a focus to the future and a respect for the past.
He recently teamed up with Dr. William Schwartz (MD) to write a comprehensive scholarly book on circadian rhythms, which introduces the fundamental aspects of this fascinating theme that connects the width of biological sciences to many clinical and societal applications.
The Essential Principles and Practices book is freely available at the University of Groningen Press website