Opening words –

André Aleman, dean FPN

20 years of RMa CCN – Milene Bonte, programme director 

Athena Demertzi 

Dr. Demertzi Athena is a tenured FNRS Research Associate at the GIGA CRC Human Imaging Center, University of Liège, Belgium. She directs the Physiology of Cognition Lab, where she investigates the human mind through brain-body interactions across typical, pathological, and pharmacological states. She holds a PhD in Medical Sciences (ULiège), MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychology and Psychopathology (Maastricht University), and "Ptychio” in Psychology (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). Since 2024 serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness (Oxford University Press). 

Gojko Zaric 

Gojko Žarić, Ph.D., is a Manager of Analytics at Booking.com in Amsterdam, where he transitioned into data analytics after a career in academia. He earned his doctorate from Maastricht University, specializing in cognitive neuroscience and the neural correlates of dyslexia in children. Throughout his research career, he published numerous scientific papers focused on brain imaging, EEG, and the integration of letter-speech sounds.

Anne Deckers 

After completing a Research Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychology and Psychopathology at Maastricht University, Anne Deckers combined research and clinical practice within specialized mental health care for children and adolescents. She conducted PhD research on social interaction in Autism spectrum disorder. Currently, she works as a GZ-psychologist and is in training for Clinical Psychologist. 

Renzo Riemens

Renzo Riemens is an Assistant Professor at Maastricht University, where he studies epigenetic mechanisms of neurodegeneration using advanced cellular models and brain cell–specific DNA profiling. He completed a Research Master in Fundamental Neuroscience and a joint PhD with University of Würzburg, focusing on neuroepigenomics in Alzheimer’s disease while critically assessing the translational value of stem cell–based systems. His internationally connected career includes research experience at IDIBELL and Hasselt University, reflecting a trajectory from fundamental neuroscience to translational neurodegeneration research.

Samantha Klaas

Samantha graduated from the Drug Development and Neurohealth Track in 2022 and has since then worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry. First as a Global Medicine Trainee in the Mental Health Team, and now as a Global Scientific Project Manager in the same Therapeutic Area. She is a health enthusiast, enjoys understanding how disorders and health manifest, and working on the challenges of developing a CNS drug and bringing it to market.

Keynote lecture – Sophie Scott 

Professor Sophie Scott is the Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She studies the neural basis of speech and sound processing and the social roles of vocalizations. She has pioneered neuroscientific studies of non-verbal emotional vocalisations, and has developed a specific interest in the perception and production of laughter. She gave the Royal Society Christmas Lectures in 2017, was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2020 and was awarded the Royal Society Faraday Prize in 2021.

Title of the lecture: Funny, peculiar: the science of laughter

In this talk she will explore the evolution and neuroscience of laughter, and explore the ways that it is used by humans and other animals, from play and social bonding to amusement and humour.