July 5-11, 2026

Exploring Cellular Diversity and Circuitry Across the Neural Landscape

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Aim & Scope

Why Attend?

This exciting one-week professional-level summer course will include a series of extended lectures that explore the diversity of cell fate, patterning and functional circuitry across diverse regions of the nervous system, combined with an intensive workshop on high resolution cellular brain anatomy and connectivity with cutting edge tools to navigate the emerging atlas of cellular diversity and expression patterns produced by the Allen Institute. Students will learn practical skills for the use of the brain atlas and its many features. A variety of model systems and brain regions will be discussed in a format that encourages collaborative engagement and offers ample time for follow up conversation and networking. Approaches that build on single-cell transcriptomics and other modern molecular genetic technologies, paired with sophisticated computational analytics, plus in vivo analysis if neural circuit and cellular functions, will be considered. Implications for the evolution of the brain and its many subsystems will also be discussed. The course setting will provide an ideal atmosphere of collegiality for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty to share knowledge and insights in this important and rapidly expanding area of neuroscience.

Speakers
Directors
Trygve Bakken

Trygve Bakken

Allen Institute

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Alessandro Cellerino

Alessandro Cellerino

SNS Pisa

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Gordon Fishell

Gordon Fishell

Harvard Medical School & The Stanley Center/Broad Institute

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Tommaso Pizzorusso

Tommaso Pizzorusso

SNS Pisa

Matthew Schmitz

Matthew Schmitz

Allen Institute

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David Van Vactor

David Van Vactor

Harvard Medical School

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Alfredo Ferro

Alfredo Ferro

University of Catania

Giovanni Pioggia

Giovanni Pioggia

IRIB CNR Messina

Tommaso Pizzorusso

Tommaso Pizzorusso

SNS Pisa

David Van Vactor

David Van Vactor

Harvard Medical School

Travel and accommodation

The conference room (at Hotel Carasco, Porto delle Genti, Lipari) is air-conditioned and equipped with all necessary conference materials. In addition, special areas are reserved for students for the afternoon coursework and study. The island of Lipari can be easily reached by ferry or hydrofoil from Milazzo, Palermo, Naples, Messina, and Reggio Calabria (a 50-minute ride from Milazzo).

Registration

Two kinds of participants are welcome.

Students: Participants are expected to do afternoon coursework and take a final exam. The course will consist of 24 hours of teaching. Upon successful completion of the final exam, participants will earn the equivalent of 1 ECTS credits applicable to any Ph.D. program. Grades will be assigned according to the ECTS grading scale.

The final exam includes:

  • Student presentation: a 3-minute talk on the student’s research project, scheduled during the course.

  • Written test: conducted on the last day of the course.

In addition:

  • The best three short talks will be selected by the course instructors and conference attendees and announced at the end of the course.

Auditors: participants not interested in taking the final exam.

The registration fee is 500 €. It covers the course material and coffee breaks. Transfer services (bus and hydrofoil) from Catania airport to Lipari and back, and social events, can be purchased separately. Late registration is 600 €.
Early registration applications can be submitted up to May 29, 2026. Late registrations will be accepted up to June 19, 2026.

Students must include a short intent letter, while other applicants should include an updated link to a website with their CV. The cell phone number in case of an emergency should also be provided. If a cancellation is made after payment of fees, a 30% penalty will be applied. Payment must be received as soon as possible, no later than June 19, 2026 . Only wire transfers or credit card payments can be accepted.

SPONSORED BY
Unict MedClin CNR IRIB