IBRO Program
IBRO Program
IBRO 2027 World Congress
Discover the IBRO 2027 program
Discover the IBRO 2027 program
The IBRO 2027 World Congress program brings together the full spectrum of neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on global perspectives and regionally relevant research. The Scientific Program Committee is responsible for ensuring wide scientific and demographic representation.
The detailed schedule is coming soon. In the meantime, explore the core themes shaping the congress:
Submit now your call for symposia for IBRO 2027!
Call opens: 1 June 2026
Submission deadline: 31 July 2026
Congress dates: 13–16 September 2027, Cape Town
Format: Chair, four speakers and panel discussion
Scientific themes
This theme addresses how the nervous system emerges, organizes and evolves. It integrates studies of neural development using stem cells, organoids, and other comparative models to uncover principles of brain organization, including cortical lamination, gyrification, and early connectivity. Mechanisms such as axon growth and guidance, synaptogenesis, the formation and evolution of commissural systems, and the role of mechanical forces at the cellular level are included in this theme. It also considers early-life influences across diverse environmental and socioeconomic contexts, including maternal health, nutrition and perinatal influences. Mechanisms of post-injury plasticity, repair, and long-term adaptation are also considered as they relate to shaping brain structure and function.
This theme explores the biological processes underlying brain aging across the lifespan, with a focus on mechanisms of aging, vulnerability to decline and factors that promote resilience and healthy longevity by investigating how molecular, cellular, genetic, and environmental factors interact to drive cognitive and behavioral decline or preserve function through protective factors. It examines hallmarks of aging, neurodegenerative mechanisms linked to normal aging, and long-term regulation of brain homeostasis, alongside systemic influences such as hormonal and inflammatory changes. Distinguishing healthy from pathological aging through longitudinal and population-based studies are likewise included in the theme, as are the identification of resilience factors and sustainable interventions that support brain maintenance and promote healthy longevity.
This theme investigates the fundamental biological mechanisms of the nervous system, from molecular, cellular and genetic processes to functional neural circuits. It encompasses neuronal and glial biology, neurogenomics, cellular and systemic metabolism, and synaptic function, organization of activity from microcircuits to whole-brain networks. It also addresses neuroimmune signaling and inflammation-driven circuit changes, as well as interactions between neurons and glia across experimental systems. Advanced in vivo and in vitro approaches, including imaging and activity manipulation, are used to link cellular properties with emergent circuit dynamics.
This theme focuses on how organisms perceive the external world and generate coordinated actions. It examines sensory processing, neural coding, and motor control, and the transformation of sensory information into action and goal-directed behavior. Emphasis is placed on system-level integration across brain regions, including the use of internal models and computational frameworks to understand innate behavior. The theme bridges basic and translational perspectives on how perception and action are coupled in adaptive behavior.
This theme centers on higher-order brain functions that support flexible behavior and mental processes. It investigates the neural mechanisms underlying learning, memory, decision-making, attention, and executive function, as well as emotional processing, reward, and motivation. Social cognition, language, and multilingualism are also included in the theme. The goal is to understand how cognitive and affective processes interact to shape behavior and how these insights can inform translational applications.
This theme examines how the brain monitors and regulates internal physiological states to maintain stability and support survival. It includes the study of sleep and circadian rhythms, neuroendocrine signaling, metabolism, interoception, and gut–brain communication. The theme highlights bidirectional interactions between the brain and peripheral systems and organs, including immune pathways, and how these interactions contribute to the regulation of internal states.
This theme develops formal frameworks to describe and predict brain function. It focuses on theoretical models and computational principles that explain how neural systems process information, learn, and generate behavior. It also includes the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze complex neuroscience data, as well as the use of biological insights to inspire new algorithms. The theme fosters a bidirectional dialogue between neuroscience and AI to uncover general principles of the human state as it relates to the understanding of the nervous system.
This theme highlights technological innovations that enable new discoveries and applications in neuroscience. It includes advances in neuroimaging, cellular, systems and whole-brain recording, omics, optogenetics, neuroengineering, and brain–machine interfaces, as well as robotics and AI-driven data analysis. Scalability, accessibility, low-cost technologies is likewise part of the theme.
This theme focuses on understanding and treating neurological, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan. It integrates insights into disease mechanisms, genetic contributions, pathophysiology and comorbidities. The theme emphasizes the identification of biomarkers for diverse and specific populations, the development of novel therapeutic strategies, including those linked to traditional approaches, and preventative strategies, with the goal of translating fundamental discoveries into improved clinical outcomes. The theme likewise integrates studies of national, regional and global challenges linked to specific populations and backgrounds.
This theme investigates how external drivers and exposures shape nervous system function and health, including those that may lead to disease. It includes the impact of nutrition, infectious agents, epigenetic and neuroimmune processes, as well as environmental stressors. The theme likewise interrogates the effects of climate change, exposure to toxins, and traumatic brain injury. The focus is on understanding how these exposures influence neural integrity and function through biological pathways, contributing to both risk and adaptation in the nervous system.
This theme examines the broader societal context of neuroscience research and its ethical, cultural and philosophical applications. It addresses neuroethics, diversity, and equity in neuroscience research and healthcare access, alongside the historical and philosophical foundations of the field. Topics may include public engagement, open science, reproducibility, representation in research, and access to resources. Societal implications, including unequal access to emerging technologies, particularly at the intersection of neuroscience and AI, potentially addressing the responsible and ethical use of AI, particularly in clinical and large-scale data contexts.
