Genomics of Brain Disorders

We are pleased to announce the 5th conference on the Genomics of Brain Disorders.

This meeting will bring together international scientists and clinicians working across psychiatric, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental disorders to explore how genetic variation shapes brain function and disease across the lifespan. By integrating perspectives from diverse disease areas, the conference aims to identify shared principles and emerging insights across brain disorders.

Recent advances in human genetics, functional genomics, and experimental modelling have transformed our understanding of the genetic architecture of brain disorders. Large-scale association studies, sequencing efforts, and multi-omic approaches are now revealing when and where genetic risk acts, and how it converges on molecular pathways, cell types, and circuits in the healthy and diseased brain.

The programme will highlight these advances by discussing how to move from genetic discoveries to disease insight and by showcasing new tools and technologies to decode brain disorders. Sessions will also address applications to patient stratification and clinical trials, as well as the translation of genetic findings into high-quality therapeutic targets. Together, these discussions will explore how genomics is reshaping our understanding of brain disorders and accelerating the path from discovery to clinical impact.

The conference will feature invited talks from world-leading experts, short talks and posters selected from abstracts, and interactive networking sessions designed to spark discussion and foster new collaborations.

The conference will begin at approximately 12.00 on Wednesday, 16 September, and will conclude around 13.00 on Friday, 18 September 2026. All times are in BST.

Discussions will focus on a variety of exciting topics, including:

• Genes in context: when and where genetic risk acts
• The healthy brain: a genomic reference map
• From association to mechanism
• New tools to decode brain disorders
• Genomics-driven patient stratification
• From human genetics to high-confidence targets

A draft programme will be available soon.

Scientific programme committee

Anders Børglum
Aarhus University, Denmark

Kristen Brennand
Yale University, USA

Danielle Posthuma
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Mina Ryten
University of Cambridge, UK 

Keynote speakers

Matthew Hurles
Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Manolis Kellis
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

A list of confirmed speakers will be announced soon.

Organisers – Wellcome Connecting Science
Jemma Hume, Event organiser
Nagehan Ramazanoglu Bahadir, Programme developer

Registration deadline: 18 August (in person) | 8 September 2026 (virtual)

The in-person registration fee includes:

• Full access to scientific programme: oral and poster presentations, and networking on campus
• Access to the online conference portal to network with online participants
• Meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have booked onsite accommodation.
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, which will be available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends

Virtual registration fee includes:

• Access to the virtual event portal (Log in details will be emailed a few days before the event starts)
• Live-stream sessions, including posters and online networking channels
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends.

* To promote more inclusive scientific discussions with international colleagues at our conferences, virtual delegates based in Lower and Middle-Income Countries can register for free (see list of countries here).

If you are an editor or journalist, please contact the conference organiser for more information about the discounted fee or media pass.

Accommodation
Booked accommodation is for the nights of 16 and 17 September 2026.
Please note: there is limited onsite accommodation and this will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis; therefore, early registration is recommended.

If you wish to book campus accommodation either side of the conference dates, please contact the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre directly.

Accommodation services phishing scam – please be vigilant. More information.

Travel visas

Please check the UK government website for advice on whether you will need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation and how to obtain one: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor. 

Confirmed attendees requiring a letter to support a visa application should contact our events team.

Bursaries

Bursary deadline: 7 July 2025

Wellcome Connecting Science offers registration bursaries (usually up to 50% of the registration fee) to those who would benefit from attending the conference but face financial barriers to attending events.

Priority will be given to PhD students/trainees,  applicants from lower and middle income countries, or those from underrepresented/minoritised groups. Other early career researchers will be considered if funds allow.

To apply for funding support, please register and then select that you want to apply for a bursary. This will direct you to the online application form. Please explain why you need support and how you will benefit from attending the conference. Once you have submitted the application form, you will be emailed an abstract portal link. Please use this to submit your abstract before bursary deadline.

Applications without abstracts will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Additional funding opportunities

Visit our support page for information on financial support, including carer grants to help delegates with the costs of caring for children or dependent family members while attending a course or a conference.

Abstract deadline: 7 July 2026

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted. Presenters of oral presentations are expected to be onsite for the duration of the conference, whereas those presenting posters can do so in person or virtually.

To submit an abstract, you must first register for the conference. Once your registration is completed, you will be emailed a link to submit to the abstract submission portal. If you wish to edit your abstract following submission, please use the link in the abstract acknowledgement email.

All abstracts must be submitted and, if desired, edited by the deadline. The scientific programme committee will then assess your abstract and you will be notified about 2 weeks after the deadline whether you have been selected to present an oral or poster presentation. If you require acknowledgment that your abstract has been accepted earlier than this, please contact the event organiser.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the conference programme book; poster board numbers will be allocated at the conference.

All those accepted for a poster presentation will also have the opportunity present a ~1 min ‘poster pitch’ summarising their work.

If you are interested in supporting this meeting, please contact us.

For more information about the benefits of having a presence at this meeting, see our sponsorship page.

Keynote lecture by Sir John Hardy, University College London, UK

A keynote lecture from Genomics of Brain Disorders 2023.

Feedback from previous conferences in this series:

“This was one of the best conferences for networking that I have been to. The conference brings together researchers with fairly broad research interests and methodologies and offers excellent opportunities to learn from one another. Everyone staying at the same center and having meals together enabled lots of networking in a comfortable and friendly environment. Thanks for a great experience!”

“The calibre of the talks exceeded my expectations, most had excellent content and were delivered well. The opportunities to interact with other attendees in a relaxed setting was very helpful (one of the more effective set ups I have seen for networking). The infrastructure was fantastic.”