Spotlight on Brain Disease Intervention: The 2026 Beijing Brain Conference Wraps Up
CHANGPING, Beijing, August 16, 2026 — The 2026 Beijing Brain Conference (2026·北京脑科学国际学术大会) concluded successfully in Changping, Beijing, on August 16, capping three days of intensive academic exchange. As part of the 2026 Beijing Changping Life Science Forum series, this year's conference was held under the theme "From Molecules to Circuits: New Pathways for Brain Disease Intervention," spotlighting cutting-edge advances in multi-scale mechanistic analysis and clinical translation. A total of 49 renowned scientists — including six academicians — from China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and other countries and regions were invited to attend and deliver presentations.The opening ceremony featured remarks from Zhao Shiwei, Deputy Director of the Beijing Future Science City Administrative Committee and Deputy District Mayor of Changping District, Beijing; Professor Xie Xiaoliang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of Changping Laboratory; Rao Yi, Honorary Director and Distinguished Investigator of the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR); and Luo Minmin, Director and Distinguished Investigator of CIBR.
This year's conference featured diverse formats of academic exchange across six core themes — brain developmental disorders; neural mechanisms of psychiatric disorders; neurodegenerative diseases and brain aging; neural injury and systemic dysfunction; brain–computer interfaces and neural engineering; and innovative therapeutic strategies for brain diseases — delivering a high-caliber academic showcase in the field of brain science. The conference drew wide attention and active engagement from more than 200 institutions at home and abroad, with cumulative participation exceeding 2,000 person-times.
To inspire innovation among early-career researchers, the conference held an Outstanding Achievements Poster Exhibition alongside the main program, receiving 99 poster entries from 36 institutions. Poster authors engaged in in-depth exchanges with attendees during the Poster Session, and six outstanding poster presenters were selected by the organizing committee to deliver short talks at the conference. Ultimately, six Best Poster Awards and two Best Short Talk Awards were presented.
CIBR Director Luo Minmin and Investigator Li Chong present awards to the poster-exhibition winners.
Under the guidance and support of the Beijing Future Science City Administrative Committee, Changping Laboratory and the China Science and Technology Development Foundation, the conference was co-hosted by the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR), Nature Portfolio, the Beijing Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the School of Brain and Intelligence, Peking Union Medical College. It was co-organized by the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Tsinghua University–IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; National Engineering Research Center for Neuromodulation, Tsinghua University; School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University; Peking University IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University; Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences; Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University; China-Japan Friendship Hospital; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Chongqing Institute for Brain and Intelligence; Greater Bay Area Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Research Center; Cognitive Neurobiology Division of the Chinese Neuroscience Society; and Beijing Neuroscience Society.
Special thanks also go to Zhongke Yixiang (Nanjing) Technology Co., Ltd., Baidu AI Cloud, Beijing Kesheng Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Mingtai Jiaxin Technology Co., Ltd., Fangyuan Internet (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., MGI Tech Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen), and Dingxiangyuan (DXY)–Dingxiangtong for their strong support of the conference.
Staying true to our original aspiration and never pausing in our pursuit, we look forward to the Fifth Beijing Brain Conference in 2028, and to joining hands once again to chart a new blueprint for the future of brain science.
