Pre-Conference
3 June 2026
Preliminary Programme
EVENTS
Click on the titles to see the preliminary programs.
Organized by the ESCAN Special Interest Research Group (SIG) on Social Neuroscience
Aim
As social neuroscience matures as a field, its relevance to pressing real-world issues has never been more apparent. This pre-conference event brings together researchers at the forefront of applied social neuroscience to explore how neural insights can inform and improve interventions, policies, and public understanding across diverse domains. With a strong emphasis on translational research, societal engagement, and methodological reflection, this event highlights the power and responsibility of social neuroscience in the 21st century. Each section will be introduced by a senior expert in the field and will feature two Early Career Researchers (ECRs).
Programme Overview
- 13:30 – Welcome & coffee
- 13:50 – Welcome address by Grit Hein
Session 1
14:00 Topic 1 – Artificial Intelligence and Human Interaction (Chair: Jan B. Engelmann)
- Introduction Senior Researcher -10 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Discussion – 5 minutes
14:30 Topic 2 – Clinical and Health Applications (Chair: Henryk Bukowski, Grit Hein)
- Introduction Senior Researcher -10 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Discussion – 5 minutes
15:00 – 15:15 – Break
Session 2
15:15 Topic 3- Environmental and Climate Neuroscience (Chair: Claus Lamm)
- Introduction Senior Researcher -10 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Discussion – 5 minutes
15:45 Topic 4 – Societal and Political Applications (Chair: Daniel Campbell-Meiklejohn)
- Introduction Senior Researcher -10 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Flash talk ECR – 7 minutes
- Discussion – 5 minutes
- 16:15 – 16:30 Break
16:30 – 17:15 ECR panel discussion (Chair: Grit Hein)
- Questions from the audience, general questions prepared by SIG Social Neuroscience
Organized by the ESCAN Special Interest Research Group on Embodied Neuroscience (SIREN)
Aim
This pre-conference workshop introduces SIREN (the Special Interest Research Group on Embodied Neuroscience), a new ESCAN initiative dedicated to advancing the integrated study of brain–body–world interactions across cognitive, clinical, and translational research. The workshop focuses on multisensory integration in body representation, bringing together researchers working on theoretical, empirical, and applied approaches to bodily self-representation.
The event also aims to foster networking and collaboration, supporting the development of SIREN as a European research community.
Format
3-hour interactive workshop, flowing directly into the ESCAN Welcome Drinks.
Programme Overview
- 13:30 – Welcome & coffee
- 13:50 – Welcome address by Prof. Paul Jenkinson & Prof. Aikaterini Fotopoulou
- Keynote Lecture (1 hour incl. Q&A)
Prof. Olaf Blanke (EPFL) - Invited Talks (1 hour incl. Q&A)
- Dr. Ignacio Rebollo (DIFE)
- Prof. Francesca Garbarini (University of Turin)
- Associate Prof. Ana Tajadura-Jiménez (UCL / UC3M)
- Networking Session (1 hour incl. Q&A)
- Structured discussion on collaborations and future grant initiatives
- Open networking across disciplines and career stages
Open to all ESCAN delegates. Participants will be invited to join SIREN and contribute to future activities.
Organized by the ESCAN Junior Committee
Aim
Academic careers are often presented as linear trajectories of success, while in reality they are frequently shaped by setbacks, rejected applications, unexpected opportunities, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining a sustainable work–life balance. For early career researchers in particular, the pressure to present a perfect academic profile can create unrealistic expectations and discourage open conversations about failure.
This junior pre-conference workshop embraces the concept of the “perfect/imperfect CV” to promote a more transparent and supportive academic culture. Through an open discussion with three ESCAN members, the session will explore how failures, rejections, and career detours are common and valuable elements of academic development.
By sharing personal experiences across different research fields and career stages, the speakers will reflect on the realities of academic life, including navigating career uncertainty, coping with rejection, and finding balance between professional and personal commitments.
The event is primarily intended for Master’s students, PhD candidates, and early postdoctoral researchers, but it is open to all ESCAN participants.
Programme Overview
15:30 – Welcome & coffee
15:45 – Lei Zhang (15 minutes)
Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, where he directs the Adaptive Learning Psychology & Neuroscience (ALPN) Lab. His research spans cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and computational modelling.
16:00 – Audience discussion (5 minutes)
16:05 – Anita Harrewijn (15 minutes)
Assistant Professor at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University of Rotterdam. Her research focuses on anxiety, including social stress, anxiety disorders, and their behavioural and neural correlates.
16:20 – Audience discussion (5 minutes)
16:25 – Henryk Bukowski (15 minutes)
Professor at the Catholic University of Louvain. His work lies in social cognition and affective neuroscience, with a focus on empathy, perspective taking, self–other distinction, and clinical populations.
16:40 – Audience discussion (5 minutes)
16:50 – Open Q&A discussion (30 minutes)
General discussion with the speakers on academic careers, failures, and work–life balance.