This week, Paris welcomes stakeholders from 60+ organisations and 30+ countries for the official kick-off of the European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth). A packed programme of events will bring together, funders, researchers, patients and other relevant stakeholder in the brain health field to jointly start into the future of the Partnership.
From 18 to 22 May 2026, Paris will host a series of pivotal sessions designed to align international investments for research and innovation as well as other activities for shaping the future of brain health.
On Monday, 18 May, the Musée national de la Marine will be the venue for the official Kick-off Meeting, featuring welcome notes from high-level stakeholders including the European Commission and representatives of the national ministries and the Scientific Advisory Board. A high-level panel will further explore how the Partnership can build a robust ecosystem to find solutions for the billions of people living with neurological and mental conditions worldwide.
Series of pivotal events
The morning of Tuesday, 19 May, marks the official implementation of the partnership’s governance structure during the first Governing Board meeting. In the afternoon, funding organisations in the Call Steering Committee will meet in a closed session to decide on the next steps in the implementation of the first funding calls.
On Wednesday, 20 May, the focus shifts to future priorities at the PariSanté Campus during the EP’s Foresight Symposium 2026. Leading experts and patient representatives will discuss research gaps and challenges for future funding activities of the EP BrainHealth.
The week concludes with a two-day Midterm Symposium at Espace Cléry for projects funded by EP BrainHealth predecessor initiatives, ERA-NET NEURON and JPND. This event aims to ensure a smooth transition into the new partnership by supporting networking between these established research communities. Coordinators and early-career researchers from 31 transnational projects will present their progress.
Brain health at Science 7 Summit
Promoting brain health for global societal resilience is also one of the three key topics being discussed at the Science Summit for the G7, which will take place in Paris on May 18 and 19. At Science 7 (S7) the science academies of the G7 countries will meet, for a scientific dialogue designed to inform international policy decisions with available scientific knowledge. Organized by the French Académie des sciences, S7 brings together every year the national science academies of France, Germany, Canada, the United States, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.