Workshops 2025
How to generate brain organoids from different species to study human brain development and evolution
Host: dr. Feline Lindhout
Feline completed her PhD in Casper Hoogenraad’s group at Utrecht University, investigating the cell biology of neurons. Working with both primary and stem-cell-derived neuron cultures, she uncovered molecular mechanisms critical for neuron development and communication, earning 3R Funding for her research on human models. She has also contributed to scientific outreach efforts, including Breaking Science and Science Battle, which was recognised by several awards. For her postdoctoral research, Feline joined Madeline Lancaster’s group in Cambridge, where she investigates human brain evolution using brain organoids, she received an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship and an NWO Rubicon grant for this work.
Workshop description
The discovery of how to make brain organoids about a decade ago has been a groundbreaking development in neuroscience. Indeed, these methods provide unrestraint access to investigating neural tissue from humans and other species, opening doors to address previously challenging questions related to human brain development, evolution and disease. This has led to unprecedented insights into distinct aspects of brain development and functioning in humans, as well as related pathologies. This advancement is especially pertinent to neurological disorders, where nearly all clinical trials fail during the transition from rodent models to humans.
Since its discovery, the brain organoid model has quickly gained traction across various fields, prompting the development of numerous protocols to model specific brain regions or more complex tissues with diverse cell types. These protocols can also be applied to other species, such as nonhuman apes and mice, enabling comparative studies in otherwise challenging models and reducing the need for laboratory animals.
This interactive workshop will offer an overview of current protocols, how they recapitulate different developmental milestones and species-specific features, and which methods are best suited for specific research questions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to view real organoids.
Understanding normal and pathological ageing: From open access research to brain age prediction
Host: dr. Michelle Jansen
Michelle Jansen obtained her MSc degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at Radboud University. During her MSc, she conducted research on vascular ageing at Radboud UMC and the University of Oxford. In March 2020, Michelle began her PhD research at the Department of Neuro- and Rehabilitation Psychology within the Donders, focusing on inter-individual variability in cognitive ageing. Her work used different populations (normal and pathological ageing) and methods (from qualitative research to the application of machine learning for brain age prediction). She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at Amsterdam UMC.
Workshop description
Ageing is a highly individual process influenced by complex interactions between brain health, cognition, and lifestyle. In this workshop, we explore how recent advances in open-access research can help unravel these differences and advance our understanding of cognitive ageing. We begin by discussing my own experiences on publishing an open-access study on ageing, namely the Advanced BRain Imaging on ageing and Memory (ABRIM) dataset. Next, we dive into brain age prediction, a technique that provides an estimate of an individual’s brain age based on neuroimaging data. How does this work? How can it help detect deviations from typical ageing trajectories? And what are its potential clinical applications, for example, in the context of neurological or psychiatric conditions? Through interactive discussions and hands-on examples, we will explore the opportunities and practical considerations of using open-access datasets and predictive modelling in ageing research. While no prior coding experience is required, participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops to engage with available resources and explore potential applications.
Restoring sight to those who have lost it
Host: Puk Nuijten, PhD candidate
Puk Nuijten is an emerging neuroscience researcher specializing in sensory systems and vision restoration. With a strong academic foundation — including a Research Master in Brain and Cognitive Sciences (magna cum laude) and ongoing PhD studies at the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience — Puk combines expertise in electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, and behavioral research across mice, non-human primates, and humans. Her current work focuses on developing and validating microstimulation devices to restore vision in the blind, specifically targeting the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to optimize stimulation parameters for generating artificial visual percepts. This research aims to refine neural interface technologies for practical clinical applications.
Workshop description
This workshop dives into the cutting-edge intersection of neuroscience and neural engineering, exploring how microstimulation — specifically targeting the brain’s visual pathways — could provide a promising route toward restoring vision.
We’ll begin by exploring the science behind artificial visual percepts (phosphenes): how targeted electrical pulses can activate the brain’s sensory system to evoke the perception of light. Using the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) as a key example, we’ll examine why this brain region is a strong candidate for high-resolution visual prosthetics.
Next, we’ll walk through the design of an experiment aimed at testing this technology, from experimental setup to data collection. Participants will engage in a thought exercise to design an experiment in mice to verify whether microstimulation of the LGN can induce artificial vision, and what stimulation parameters are crucial for perceptual clarity.
Finally, we’ll discuss the challenges of translating success in animal models to human applications: including biocompatibility, ethical considerations, and the substantial engineering challenges in scaling from mouse brain to human cortex.
Whether you’re a neuroscientist, engineer, or just curious about the future of brain-machine interfaces, this workshop offers an inside look at how our research may shape vision restoration technologies.
Theory and practice of (f)NIRS and EEG
Host: Brighton de Jong, Application Specialist at Artinis Medical Systems
Brighton is an Application Specialist at Artinis Medical Systems. He holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, where he focused on analyzing various brain and muscle signals. His fascination with the workings of the brain led him to develop a background in EEG and fNIRS.
Artinis is an innovative Dutch company that develops user-friendly, high-tech, and top-quality functional near-infrared (fNIRS) and ExG (EEG and EMG) devices and integrated multimodal solutions (i.e., fNIRS-EEG). Coming from the research field ourselves, we cooperate with scientists from various institutes around the globe. We provide different NIRS, EEG and EMG systems for subjects of all ages to measure brain and muscle activity non-invasively.
Workshop description
The workshop will be divided into two different parts to learn more about the theory and practice of (f)NIRS and EEG.
First part: EEG
(12:15-13:00)
Theoretical background — in which you will learn more about:
- The theory and technology behind EEG
- Examples of the wide range of applications of EEG
- EEG devices of Artinis
- Applicable experimental setup and analysis methods
Additionally, there will be a demo session in which you can experience a unique water-based EEG set-up to quickly visualize EEG signals and some of its key features.
Second part: fNIRS
(14:00-15:00)
Theoretical background — in which you will learn more about:
- The theory and technology behind (f)NIRS
- (f)NIRS applications in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and sports science
- NIRS devices of Artinis
- Applicable experimental setup and analysis methods
Finally, there will be a demo session in which you can put the acquired theoretical knowledge into practice and experience a (f)NIRS experiment from set-up to simple data analysis.
