With the year ending, I am very pleased to reflect upon the large number of steps ECNP has taken to further enhance our community and to broaden the reach and scope of our educational mission.
Many of the activities that the Executive Committee planned two years ago have now been implemented and are starting to really take off. I am especially thinking of the new ECNP courses that were launched in a blended-learning fashion, allowing participants to address a broader variety of topics and reaching a large audience of researchers and clinicians eager to extend their knowledge. Thanks to the ECNP Networks, these courses are providing top-notch insights into important areas of applied neuroscience research. With the recently launched ECNP Knowledge Hub, a one-stop learning platform is now in place to manage the course content and stimulate interaction. In 2025, three new courses will be added, and several more are in the pipeline. Watch out for them!
Also in 2024, the ECNP Early Career Academy (ECA) was launched, and recently a new call was released to select another 20 new members for a five-year term. ECA members have the opportunity to apply for a fixed-term position within one of ECNP’s Networks or Thematic Working Groups, allowing them to actively participate and contribute to Network initiatives. They also have an annual in-person meeting at the ECNP Congress, enabling face-to-face interactions and the opportunity to engage with peers and experts in the field. They can organise events, invite expert scientists, and gain insights on career development, publishing, grant writing, and much else. They are also invited to participate in other ECNP initiatives, such as the ECNP podcast series, and to write commentaries for ECNP’s journals. If you are interested in joining, make sure to apply!
Looking ahead to the first months of the New Year, the ECNP Roadmap Meeting on Precision Psychiatry in Frankfurt is all set to start in the third week of January (20-21). This meeting is part of our Roadmap initiative and addresses the need to globally align on principles and procedures, such as the development and validation of biomarkers for mental health conditions. It is still possible to register for virtual participation.
Next up is the 2025 New Frontiers Meeting on 23-24 March, which builds on our understanding of the underlying neurocircuits relevant for mental health conditions to look at how those neurocircuits can be targeted for treatments. Registration for virtual participation is open for this meeting too, also through the meeting webpage.
And don’t forget too that registered participants of the 2024 ECNP Congress can still access all the great congress content via the congress platform until 18 December.
In the spirit of community, let us also remember those whose experience of the holiday season will not be so positive. With that in mind, I would like to wish you all a warm and thoughtful Christmas and a safe and peaceful New Year!