European Synapse Meeting 2026
21-23 October 2026, Leuven, Belgium
Supported by VIB Training & Conferences
European Synapse Meeting 2026
European Synapse Meeting 2026
Supported by VIB Training & Conferences
Keep me postedAdd to calendar
We are pleased to announce the 10th edition of the EU Synapse Meeting - EUSYN2026, to be held at the University Hall in the historic center of Leuven, Belgium, from 21 to 23 October 2026.
Since its first edition in Bordeaux in 2007, the EU Synapse Meeting has grown into a leading international forum for scientists exploring every aspect of the synapse. Over nearly two decades, it has built a collaborative community that connects researchers across career stages, disciplines, and model systems.
This anniversary edition will continue that tradition, offering a stimulating environment to share new insights into synaptic structure and function — from molecules and organelles to circuits and behaviour. The program will include invited talks by leading and emerging scientists from Europe, the USA, and Asia, selected short talks, and a poster session, with plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking.
We look forward to welcoming you to Leuven for EUSYN2026, where we will celebrate this milestone in synapse research.
Confirmed speakers
Cécile Charrier
Cécile Charrier
Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, FR
Matthew Dalva
Matthew Dalva
Tulane University, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Tulane Brain Institute, US
Michael R. Kreutz
Michael R. Kreutz
Leibniz Group 'Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function' Center for Molecular Neurobiology, UKE, DE
Baptiste Libé-Philippot
Baptiste Libé-Philippot
Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM), NeuroMarseille, FR
William Schafer
William Schafer
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge and Department of Biology, KU Leuven, BE
Song-Hai Shi
Song-Hai Shi
School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University - IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, CN
Tabrez J. Siddiqui
Tabrez J. Siddiqui
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg - PrairieNeuro Research Centre, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, CA
Program
Day 1 - Wednesday, 21 October, 2026
08:50
09:20
Registration & welcome coffee
09:20
09:30
Welcome words
09:30
10:45
Session 1: Molecular mechanisms of connectivity
Chair: Joris de Wit
09:30
10:00
Neuronal excitability and the development of synapse identity
Fekrije Selimi
CIRB, Collège de France, CNRS, FR
10:00
10:30
Mechanisms governing nanoscale trans-synaptic alignment in the mammalian brain
Tabrez J. Siddiqui
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg - PrairieNeuro Research Centre, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, CA
10:30
10:45
A Molecular Syntax to Assemble Visuomotor Circuits in Drosophila
Tomas Masson
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), AT
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
13:00
Session 2: Synaptic organelles
Chair: Ana Luisa Carvalho
11:15
11:45
Amphisome biogenesis couples presynaptic autophagy to local protein synthesis
Michael R. Kreutz
Leibniz Group 'Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function' Center for Molecular Neurobiology, UKE, DE
11:45
12:15
How neuronal ER organization controls calcium in neurotransmission
Marijn Kuijpers
Radboud University, NL
12:15
12:45
Extreme Compartmentalization of Mitochondrial Structure and Function at Synapses of CNS Neurons
Franck Polleux
Columbia University - Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, US
12:45
13:00
Activity-dependent regulation of mitochondrial translation shapes synaptic function
Sandra Dubes
The Francis Crick Institute, GB
Selected from abstracts
13:00
13:05
Group picture
13:05
14:00
Lunch
14:00
15:00
Poster session 1
15:00
16:30
Session 3: Synapse metabolism
Chair: Marinka Brouwer
15:00
15:30
Hijacked NAD+ metabolism in axon- and neurodegeneration
Lukas Neukomm
Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, CH
15:30
16:00
Neuromodulation in worms and octopuses
William Schafer
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge and Department of Biology, KU Leuven, BE
16:00
16:30
The intersection of guanosine metabolism and bioenergetics is a driver of Parkinson's Disease
Tim Ryan
Weill Cornell Medicine, US
16:30
17:00
Coffee break
17:00
17:05
Introduction keynote Eunjoon Kim
Matthijs Verhage
Vrije Universiteit & Amsterdam University Medical Center, NL
17:05
18:05
Synaptic dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders
Eunjoon Kim
IBS/KAIST (Inst Basic Sci/Korea Adv Inst Sci Technol), KR
Keynote speaker
18:15
19:15
Reception
Day 2 - Thursday, 22 October, 2026
08:30
09:00
Welcome coffee
09:00
10:45
Session 4: The synaptic protein landscape
Chair: Noa Lipstein
09:00
09:30
Synaptic disease pathways and functional modules in the new SynGO expert-curated synapse interactome
Matthijs Verhage
Vrije Universiteit & Amsterdam University Medical Center, NL
09:30
10:00
Building an antibody panel for synaptic cleft receptors
Rob Meijers
Institute for Protein Innovation, US
10:00
10:30
Revealing synaptic structural interactome by cross-linking mass spectrometry
Fan Liu
Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), DE
10:30
10:45
The landscape of synaptic proteome diversity
Marc van Oostrum
Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
13:00
Session 5: Inhibitory synapses
Chair: Lynette Lim
11:15
11:45
Assembly of cortical neurons in a dynamic circuit
Beatriz Rico
King’s College London, UK
11:45
12:15
Striatal interneuron innovation modulates flexible behavior
Song-Hai Shi
School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University - IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, CN
12:15
12:45
Coordinated development of inhibitory and excitatory networks
Natalia De Marco Garcia
Weill Cornell Medical College, US
12:45
13:00
Early postnatal changes in CCK+ basket cell synaptic connectivity and intrinsic excitability within CA1 hippocampal circuits
Tarik Col
Mediterranean Institute of Neurobiology (INMED), Marseille, FR
Selected from abstracts
13:00
14:00
Lunch
14:00
14:45
Poster session 2
14:45
15:15
ERC info session
15:15
18:20
Session 6: Circuits and neurodevelopmental disorders
Chair: Esther Klingler
15:15
15:45
Early circuit reprogramming via metabotropic signaling in Fragile X mice
Gabrielle Pouchelon
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), US
15:45
16:00
From heart to brain: cardioception as a novel mechanism of emotional dysregulation in SHANK3 disorders
Alessandra Panzeri
Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, CH
16:00
16:30
Setting the pace of the developing cerebral cortex: ion channels at the interface of identity and connectivity
Simona Lodato
Humanitas Research Hospital/IRCCS, Humanitas University, IT
16:30
16:45
Position-independent emergence of neocortical neuron molecular identity, connectivity and function
Sergi Roig-Puiggros
Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, CH
Selected from abstracts
16:45
17:15
Coffee break
17:15
17:20
Introduction keynote Nathalie Rochefort
Vincent Bonin
VIB-KU Leuven Center For Neuroscience, BE
17:20
18:20
Neuromodulation of vision in SYNGAP1-related disorder
Nathalie Rochefort
University of Edinburgh, UK
Keynote speaker
18:30
20:00
Guided tour
20:00
22:30
Conference dinner @ Faculty Club
Additional fee
Day 3 - Friday, 23 October, 2026
08:30
09:00
Welcome coffee
09:00
10:30
Session 7: Synaptic partnerships beyond the neuron
Chair: Patrik Verstreken
09:00
09:30
Targeting the neural blueprint of brain tumors
Varun Venkataramani
University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, DE
09:30
09:45
Cytoskeletal plasticity in axon remodeling
Monika Brill
Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University of Munich, DE
09:45
10:15
Modes of control and derangement of synaptic networks by astrocytes
Andrea Volterra
University of Lausanne and Wyss Center Geneva, CH
10:15
10:30
Hormonal control of the motor synapse
Diana Piol
University of Padova, Department of Biomedical Sciences, IT
10:30
11:00
Coffee break
11:00
13:15
Session 8: Human synapses
Chair: Pierre Vanderhaeghen
11:00
11:30
Cellular and circuit-selective approaches to understanding and treating neurodegenerative disease
Ed Lein
Allen Institute for Brain Science, US
11:30
12:00
Silent cells and networks in the cerebral cortex: does it mean anything?
Gabor Tamas
University of Szeged, HU
12:00
12:30
Human-specific and activity-dependent regulations of synapses
Cécile Charrier
Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, FR
12:30
13:00
Human-specific synaptic adhesion proteins NLGN4X and NLGN4Y regulate dual innervation of dendritic spines
Matthew Dalva
Tulane University, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Tulane Brain Institute, US
13:00
13:15
Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying human neuronal and circuit evolution
Baptiste Libé-Philippot
Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM), NeuroMarseille, FR
13:15
13:30
Closing remarks
13:30
Lunch to go
Organizing committee
Marinka Brouwer
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience, BE
Ilse Debaille
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience, BE
Joris de Wit
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience, BE
Esther Klingler
VIB-KU Leuven Center For Neuroscience; Leuven Brain Institute; Leuven Institute for Single-Cell Omics, BE
Lynette Lim
VIB-KU Leuven Center For Neuroscience, BE
Renzo Mancuso
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, BE
Emanuela Pasciuto
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, BE
Pierre Vanderhaeghen
VIB-KU Leuven Center For Neuroscience, BE
Abstracts
Poster information
The format for your poster should be: A0 (841 x 1189 mm / 33.1 x 46.8 in), portrait orientation.
The full list of abstracts will be available on 07-10-2026 until 23-01-2027
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Attendees
The full list of attendees will be available on 07-10-2026 until 23-01-2027
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Sponsors
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