UCL hosts international neuroscience symposium

Held on the 16^th and 17^th of April 2026 at UCL East, the event brought together around 160 people including 80 different speakers, 33 of whom had travelled from Chinese institutions. The meeting formed part of UCL’s bicentenary celebrations and aimed to showcase research excellence in the field of neuroscience and encourage new partnerships.

Attendees represented UCL, UK partner institutions and universities across China. Sessions covered topics including neurotechnology, memory circuits, the biology of glial cells in the nervous system, the plasticity of myelin in our nerves, sensory processing, neurodegenerative disease and more.

Speakers included leading UCL neuroscientists such as Professor Bill Richardson (UCL Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research), who gave a talk about oligodendrocytes, cells that forms the myelin sheath (a layer that covers and protects nerve cells) in the brain and spinal cord. Professor Sir John Hardy (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) was also in attendance as a keynote speaker and presented his latest work on Alzheimer’s disease involving collaborators in China.

Another keynote speaker, Nobel Prize laureate Professor John O’Keefe, joined the programme alongside senior researchers from major Chinese schools such as Professor Shumin Duan from Zhejiang University, Professor Songhai Shi from Tsinghua University and Professor Qingming Luo from Hainan University.

Professor Karen Duff, Centre Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, and Professor Yun Wang from Peking University, Chairwoman of Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences, provided brief introductions to their respective institutes and organisations, highlighting opportunities for collaboration.

The organising committee was led by Huiliang Li, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience at the UCL Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and a member of UCL Neuroscience RIOS Stakeholder Group. He said: “This symposium has demonstrated the depth of shared ambition between researchers at UCL and at partner universities in China. Over two days we have seen outstanding science, but also the beginnings of new partnerships that will shape the future of neuroscience. We look forward to developing and nurturing joint initiatives that were born out of this event.”

UCL is one of the world’s leading centres for brain research. It is ranked first in Europe for neuroscience and behaviour by Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators and produces twice as many publications and citations as any other European institution in the field. Nine of UCL’s 33 Nobel Prizes have been won for insights into the brain and nervous system.

The symposium was organised to celebrate UCL’s longstanding tradition of academic collaboration with East Asia, including China. Notably, Professor Feng Depei—one of the founders of modern Chinese neurobiology and physiology—obtained his PhD from UCL in 1933 under A. V. Hill. He later served as Director of the Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry and Director of the Institute of Physiology, both in Shanghai, and as Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, UCL’s Vice Provost (Health), attended the symposium and gave opening remarks. Following the event, he said: “Brain health is a global priority, and progress depends on connecting fundamental science with clinical impact. This symposium reflects UCL’s commitment to integrating research, healthcare and education so that breakthroughs in neuroscience can deliver real benefits for populations worldwide.”

Counsellor Kuang Jianjiang from the Chinese Embassy (Education Section) also gave opening remarks, emphasising the importance of UK–China bilateral collaboration in science and education.

Professor Geraint Rees, UCL’s Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) said: “Neuroscience advances most rapidly when outstanding research is combined with strong international partnerships. Bringing together experts from UCL and leading institutions across China has created new opportunities to share ideas, align priorities and develop collaborative projects that will drive the field forward.”

Links

• Professor Huiliang Li's academic profile
• Professor Sir John Hardy's academic profile
• Professor John O’Keefe's academic profile
• UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL
• UCL Dementia Research Centre
• UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
• UCL Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research
• UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences
• UCL Brain Sciences
• UCL and China

Images

• Credit: Mr Ziyue Chen