From 6 to 10 July, Barcelona was hosting FENS Forum 2026, Europe's largest international neuroscience conference, bringing together scientists, researchers, clinicians, and students from around the world. The forum provides an outstanding platform to showcase the latest advances in neuroscience, discuss emerging scientific trends, and establish new international collaborations.
This year, ten researchers and early-career scientists from the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University (VU LSC) were participating in the forum: Prof. Urtė Neniškytė, Prof. Aurelijus Burokas, Prof. Daiva Baltriukienė, Dr. Nemira Žilinskaitė-Tranas, Dr. Solveiga Samulėnaitė, Dr. Ugnė Kuliešiūtė, PhD students Monika Iešmantaitė, Ieva Šiugždaitė, and Desideria Pezzuto, as well as Master students Urtė Minkevičiūtė and Ugnė Šmailytė.
Researchers from VU LSC presented eight scientific posters showcasing their latest findings across a broad range of neuroscience disciplines. Participation in a conference of this calibre provides an excellent opportunity not only to present research to the international neuroscience community but also to establish new collaborations and initiate future research projects.
One of the highlights for VU LSC at this year's forum was the symposium "Neuroplasticity and Depression: Double-Edged Sword", organized by Prof. Urtė Neniškytė together with colleagues from international institutions. The symposium explored the latest discoveries on the role of neuroplasticity in the development and treatment of depression. During the session, Prof. Neniškytė also presented her most recent research on local synaptic transcriptome signatures in the developing cortex to a large international audience.
FENS Forum is the largest neuroscience meeting in Europe and one of the world's leading neuroscience conferences. This year's event has attracted more than 8,100 participants, including scientists, clinicians, and students from across the globe. The forum provides exceptional opportunities to exchange scientific knowledge, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and build new international partnerships.
The active participation of researchers from the VU Life Sciences Center in FENS Forum 2026 once again highlights the international visibility of Lithuanian neuroscience research and demonstrates Vilnius University's contribution to addressing some of the most important challenges in contemporary neuroscience.