The O’BRAIN Lab at FENS Forum 2026

The O’BRAIN Lab took part in the FENS Forum 2026, Europe’s largest neuroscience meeting, held in Barcelona from 6–10 July 2026. The forum brought together thousands of researchers from around the world to discuss the latest advances in brain science.

As part of the scientific programme, Professor Annette Horstmann presented the talk “Ultra-processed food affects structural integrity of feeding-related brain regions in humans” in the symposium Internal States and Homeostasis on Tuesday, 7 July, in Hall F. The session was chaired by Stephanie Borgland (Calgary, Canada) and included talks by Fabien Naneix (Aberdeen, United Kingdom) and Serge Luquet (Paris Cedex, France). Together, the talks highlighted cutting-edge work on how internal states and diet shape brain function.

The lab’s presence was further strengthened by two poster presentations. Manon Chedeville presented “OBESITY AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF AN ONLINE ASSESSMENT STUDY” (PS05-09AM-624) on Thursday, 9 July, sharing exciting preliminary results from her ongoing thesis work.

Arsene Kanyamibwa presented “EXAMINING THE REINFORCING EFFECT OF CARBOHYDRATE-FAT COMBINATIONS AND PROCESSING LEVELS OF MODERN FOODS IN HUMANS” (PS03-08AM-249) during the Wednesday morning poster session. His presentation showcased ongoing work on macronutrient composition, processing level, and reward value in human eating behaviour.

Beyond the formal sessions, the week offered rich social and networking opportunities, including the JUMP THE FENS event at Razzmatazz club, where attendees reconnected with colleagues and formed new friendships. The social and scientific interactions throughout the week sparked fresh ideas, potential collaborations, and concrete inspiration for improving the lab’s ongoing research on eating behaviour, decision-making, obesity, and brain health.