The topic of the day for the 12th Life Science Symposium taking place on 21 May 2026 at Naturalis, Leiden:
Life in 3D: Detection and Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases 🧠🧬
Morning sessions:
- Dr. Joost Smolders: Neuroimmunological research into the connection between the adaptive immune system and multiple sclerose.
- Prof. Dr. Danielle Posthuma: Decoding GWAS and ‘high risk’ genes to understand the hereditary blueprint of neurodegeneration.
- Prof. Dr. Marcel Verbeek: Identifying biomarkers in bodily fluids to detect Parkinson’s disease earlier than ever.
- Dr. Emma Coomans: Utilizing advanced Tau-PET scans to visualize protein aggregation and track cognitive decline in real-time.
Afternoon sessions:
- Dr. Sjors Scheres: Using the groundbreaking Cryo-EM technique to determine the 3D protein structures driving neurodegeneration.
- Nienke Mekkes, MSc: Machine learning to establish correlations between clinical and genetic data for improved diagnostics and predict clinical disease progression
- Dr. Marina Trombetta-Lima: Using 3D “mini-brains” to analyze the complex cellular mechanisms behind disease progression in a lab setting.
After each session there will be a discussion round hosted by our co-chairs Dr. Madeline Kavanagh and Dr. Marta Artola Perez de Azanza. We’ll wrap up the day with a closing ceremony and a reception with drinks, the perfect chance to network with peers and experts!
More information about the Life Science Symposium 2026:
- Check out our speakers page for their profiles!
- Read more about the talks in the abstract written by the speaker.
- Get a ticket to visit this event!
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