Message from the president

A fast‑paced season at ECNP: highlights and reflections

Do you have the same experience: whereas February and March used to be relatively quiet months—when one could focus on clinical work, teaching, or more glamorous tasks such as writing papers (or perhaps even conducting experiments)—this is no longer the case? The gods of time-planning seem to have discovered this period of the year, resulting in an ever-increasing number of meetings and other obligations. Maybe it is because I am getting older, or perhaps it is indeed true, but in my perception the treadmill is accelerating for us academics, driven by the “publish or perish” cycle as well as the endless amount of work invested in grant-writing, which nowadays often feels more like a lottery than a merit-based endeavour. This is certainly not healthy—especially when it comes to mental health—and I seriously doubt whether it helps to advance science or improve people’s lives. We must overcome this rat race, but I have no clear solution; I would, however, be very interested in your thoughts and ideas!

ECNP is no exception; indeed, it is a machine that never sleeps. The first meeting we had in the past weeks may have gone unnoticed from the outside: in early February, the chairs of our Networks met in Leiden in the Netherlands to present their progress and discuss the future of the Networks. It was a highly productive meeting, with many valuable discussions that will certainly inform our policies—for example, our aim to further broaden the Networks internationally, i.e. to other continents. This is a good opportunity to say “thank you” to all the researchers and colleagues who dedicate substantial time to the Networks—your efforts are highly appreciated. The Networks are a flexible and versatile tool when it comes to addressing urgent needs and are instrumental in developing educational content. In addition, they are highly productive in terms of scientific output, EU grants, and many other activities. For ECNP, they have become a cornerstone of our mission and will be even more important in the years to come. We could not do this without you!

In March, we held our annual ECNP Workshop on Applied Neuroscience in Nice. This year was its 25th anniversary. I attended myself as an early career scientist, and for me it was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the community. I have stayed involved with ECNP ever since, which shows that the Workshop is not only about outstanding science (which is, of course, one of its core aims—and we saw excellent presentations again this year), but also about career development and, above all, community building. It is an opportunity not to be missed. So, if any of your students or postdocs aspire to become ECNP president in 20 years: send them next year.

Back-to-back with the Workshop—something that has itself become a tradition—we held the New Frontiers Meeting. This year’s topic was “plasticity,” which we explored from multiple perspectives (including its darker aspects) and across different levels of analysis. We welcomed leading international scientists such as Takeo Hensch, Igor Branchi, and Eero Castrén, and saw outstanding audience engagement in the discussions. For me, this was an early highlight of the year, as is often the case with the New Frontiers Meeting. Next year’s topic will be AI in Mental Health—I expect it to fill up quickly once registration opens, so be sure to register early.

As you can see, ECNP is busier than ever. A few days of rest over Easter seem well deserved—so enjoy a spring break with your loved ones!