Message from the President, Douglas Zochodne
Dear members and colleagues,
I hope this message finds you well and ready to enjoy the holiday season! I wanted to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
As we wrap up the year, I would like to share some updates from the Canadian Association for Neuroscience. We have had an exciting year filled with impactful research and collaboration, and we look forward to continuing the momentum in the coming year.
We are delighted to highlight the excellence of Neuroscience research in Canada by awarding the CAN New Investigator Award, and the CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Awards. I invite you to send nominations for these awards.
It is important to relay that we have initiated work with our new government and public affairs consultants, Santis Health, to renew our advocacy strategy and deliver powerful advocacy messaging. I look forward to presenting our new strategy to our membership in the new year, and engaging with you and elected officials on our Hill Day next year. Advocacy by our membership will be critical to raising support for Neuroscience research, both fundamental and translational.
The CAN meeting program brings together an impressive list of speakers in 2026, and I wish to thank CAN members who have submitted proposals for parallel symposia. We have received many high quality proposals and the program committee will make difficult choices in selecting only 12 proposals for presentation.
I also want to bring to your attention the public lectures that will be part of the CAN meeting this coming year in Montreal. The lectures, organized by Dr. Stuart Trenholm will be a seminal and informative event linking literature and memory research in Montreal, by bringing together author Eric Andrew-Gee with two leading researchers in the field, Drs. Mihaela Iordanova and Blake Richards.
Thank you for your continued engagement with CAN, and I am looking forward to connecting with each of you in the new year and at our upcoming meeting.
Douglas Zochodne, President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience
Advocacy updates
Development of a new advocacy plan and strategy
The CAN leadership and advocacy team have been working with the governement and public affairs firm Santis Health to refine and update our advocacy strategy. We aim to show how neuroscience research is an important investment for the Canadian government, and that is more important and relevant than ever to support the important work of Canadian scientists in the current political situation. We would welcome insight and resources you may want to share with the CAN advocacy team. Send us a message at advocacy@can-acn.org.
We look forward to presenting a new and more effective advocacy strategy in the coming year, and to bring our message to elected officials in the new year. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved.
Apply for a CAN trainee outreach/advocacy award today
Do you have a great project or initiative to promote neuroscience research in Canada? We can provide support. Applications are accepted at all times, and reviewed every three months (March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1). Awards will be given based on adherence to award criteria and be contingent on budget availability.
Apply for advocacy & outreach awards
CAN Meeting updates
19th Canadian Neuroscience Meeting
May 18-21, 2026 | Montréal | Hotel Bonaventure
Join us for the 2026 Canadian Neuroscience meeting in Montreal, May 18-21, 2026. The Canadian Neuroscience meeting is a great opportunity to present your work, learn about new cutting-edge research and network with neuroscience leaders from Canada and abroad.
The chairs of this year’s meeting, Drs. Rosemary Bagot and Mark Cembrowski are putting together an exciting program that covers a wide range of neuroscience topics. Meeting local chair Dr. Stuart Trenholm has a great lineup for the 2026 public lectures.
The Call for posters is open – don’t miss this opportunity!
Save the dates!
- Dates: May 18-21, 2026
- Location: Hotel Bonaventure Montréal
- Organizers:
- Rosemary Bagot, Chair of the Scientific Program Committee,
- Mark Cembrowski, Co-Chair of the Scientific Program Committee
- Stuart Trenholm, Chair of the local organizing committee
Preliminary program
View the preliminary program, including the full list of plenary speakers and symposia here:
The scientific program committee is currently reviewing proposal received for parallel symposia – we wish to thank all submitters for the quality of the proposals received. The committee will have hard decisions to make.
Call for poster abstracts
The call is now open for abstract submissions for poster presentations at the Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, which will take place May 21-24, 2025 in Toronto.
Please note only members in good standing are eligible to submit an abstract
All abstract submissions must be made through our easy-to-use online system.
The deadline for submissions is January 24, 2026
Hotel accommodation
The CAN-ACN Meeting hotel, the Hotel Bonaventure Montréal is now open for booking.
Booking your room at the meeting venue allows you to:
- be present at the venue without commute for early morning sessions
- take advantage of the preferential rates we have negotiated
- be present for many informal networking opportunities at breakfast and meals
- helps CAN financially as each room booked by meeting attendees counts towards keeping costs down
Reserve your room today!
Please ensure that all reservations are made on or before the cutoff date of April 29, 2026. After this date the preferred rates are not guaranteed and may substantially increase. Please remember to reserve your hotel room(s) before the deadline as the CAN room block will not be extended beyond this point. There are a fixed number of rooms available to our group, so please reserve your room early to avoid disappointment.
Professional development awards
The Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) provides Professional development awards for students and post-doctoral fellows to cover part of the costs associated with meeting attendance. All trainee meeting attendees can apply for professional development awards.
Additionally, through partnerships with IBRO and BrightFocus, we are proud to provide Travel awards for members of underrepresented groups.
View all the details here:
Dependent care subsidies
CAN is proud to offer Conference Childcare, Dependent, or Disability Care Subsidies for the second year. Funding under this program is intended to benefit Canadian Association for Neuroscience trainee members, postdoctoral fellows, and pre-tenure faculty (or equivalent) who attend the Canadian Association for Neuroscience conference by helping to alleviate the financial burdens of childcare or adult dependent care while attending the meeting for oral or poster presentations. Members who require a travel companion due to their own disability are also eligible for the subsidy.
Key dates – 2026 meeting
| Begins | Ends | |
|---|---|---|
| Call for poster presentations | December 15, 2025 | January 25, 2026 |
| Call for application – Meeting Professional development awards | December 15, 2025 | February 1, 2026 |
| Call for New Investigator Award nominations | November 14, 2025 | January 25, 2026 |
| Meeting registration (early-bird rate) | January 15, 2026 | March 3, 2026 |
| Meeting registration (regular rate) | March 4, 2026 | April 29, 2026 |
| Meeting registration (late, on-site) | April 30, 2026 | May 21, 2026 |
Opportunities
CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award Competition open until January 15, 2026
We recentley launched the 2025 Brain Star Award Competition!
Objectives
Brain Star is a program of CIHR’s Institute of Neurosciences Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA) designed to recognize the excellence of research done in Canada by students and trainees in all fields and disciplines covered by CIHR-INMHA.
Brain Star Awards are given for publications by students and trainees published during the 2024 calendar year.
The specific objectives of the Brain Star program are to:
- Promote research careers in neuroscience, mental health and addiction in Canada.
- Stimulate the involvement of students and trainees in the Institute and increase awareness of INMHA activities among students and trainees.
Award
- A maximum of fifteen awards of $1,500 each are available each calendar year.
- Top-ranked winner of the Brain Star award will be named the Marlene Reimer Brain Star of the Year.
- A profile of award recipient’s research on INMHA’s and CAN’s websites.
- In the case of equal first co-authors, the prize will be divided equally.
- Top three ranked award recipients may be invited to present a summary of their research paper at the Canadian neuroscience meeting. In the case of co-authors, the primary principal applicant will be invited to present.
Application deadline: January 15, 2026.
Details about the competition, including full eligibility criteria and the application form can be found on the CAN website:
Call for nominations: CAN New Investigator Award
The CAN New Investigator Award recognizes outstanding research achievements by a neuroscientist at the early stage of their career.
Award: The awardee will have the opportunity to present at the CAN annual meeting. The award consists of economy class travel to the meeting, accommodation at the conference hotel for three nights, complimentary conference registration and a $1000 award presented at the CAN annual meeting (1)
Eligibility: Candidates must hold a PhD or MD degree (or equivalent), hold an academic or independent research appointment, be within 7 years of their first appointment in a Canadian university or affiliated research institution at the time of application (2).
To Apply:
Please review the evaluation criteria before completing the application form below to apply
All letters of reference must be submitted to the chair of the CAN Nominations Committee, at the following address: awards@can-acn.org.
All applications are reviewed by the CAN Awards and Nominations Committee.
Application deadline is January 30.
Joseph Altman Award in Developmental Neuroscience
The Japanese Neuroscience Society recently opened the call for nominations for the 10th Joseph Altman Award in Developmental Neuroscience, 2026.
Scope of the Award:
Research in developmental neuroscience at the tissue and cellular levels. The scope of the Award is not limited to phenomena during fetal or developmental stages; it also encompasses adult neurogenesis and its biological significance, as well as the changes resulting from aging and diseases. (As a general rule, applied studies are not included within the scope of the Award.)
Eligibility:
As a general rule, researchers who have received their doctorate or comparable academic degree less than 20 years prior to the application submission deadline. (Not limited to members of the Japan Neuroscience Society.)
Prize Money:
10,000 USD (Fixed total amount if the Award is granted to two or more recipients.)
The application deadline is January 31st, 2026
Please refer to the webpage below for all the details:
https://www.jnss.org/en/joseph-altman-award
IBRO
IBRO’s 2026 Grants Calendar is out!
Save the dates and start planning your next applications: https://ibro.org/grants-training/
The International Brain Research Organization has multiple opportunities available in the USA-Canada region. Visit their website to view:
https://ibro.org/neuroscience-training-funding-us-canada
Meeting registration for the FENS and Japanese Neuroscience Society Meetings
We are happy to announce that we have renewed our agreements with FENS and the Japanese Neuroscience Society to provide member rate registration at our respective meetings for members of these societies. Get in touch with us if you plan on attending either of these meetings, and we will provide our members with instructions to take advantage of member registration rates.
FENS Forum 2026
Join thousands of neuroscientists in Barcelona from 6–10 July 2026 for Europe’s premier international neuroscience meeting. By submitting your abstract, you can showcase your latest research to a global audience, while our travel grants help support early career researchers and broaden participation across the community.
Register by 27 January 2026 to benefit from reduced early-bird fees and secure your place at the Forum. The deadline for abstract submissions and travel grant applications is also 27 January 2026.
To post an advertisement, please use the form available here: Advertisement posting form
NEURO2026
The 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society
The 69th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry
The 36th Annual Conference of the Japanese Neural Network Society
Dates: July 30 – August 2, 2026
Venue: Kobe Convention Center, Japan
The Call for travel award applications is currently open:
https://neuro2026.jnss.org/en/international_travel_award.html
CNS-PDS Update
From the Canadian Speaker Series – Postdoctoral Series:
Thank you everyone for making the 2025 series a success. Thanks to the speakers for showcasing the level and diversity of neuroscience research in Canada.
Special thanks to the departing 2025 committee members: Susan Coltman, Prabhjot Dhami, Zahra Ghasemi, Xuming Yin, Fernanda Barros-Aragão, Lisa Fang, and Jay Kim.
Finally, thanks to everyone who submitted their abstracts for the 2026 series. As the new committee is preparing for a new season, if you would like to stay on top of all the updates and seminar announcement, please join our mailing list: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSff6xUGAyTtfkeOmzBA9RCZ_TnAF2XqArBnJXCY9UV_nNTMsg/viewform
Training opportunities
Neurotechnology Microcredential Course – Ethical Considerations in Neurotechnology (New)
This short (<50 hours), fully asynchronous course consists of 4 modules, where learners will cover the foundations of neurotechnology before exploring the legal, ethical, and social considerations related to the research, development, and application of neurotechnology. Participants will engage with a variety of real-world case-studies from the medical, consumer, and organization sectors. By the end of the course, learners will become proficient in conducting structured neurotech impact assessments using the TALES framework – evaluating the Technology, Analysis, Legal, Ethical, and Social considerations of a neurotech application.
Upon successful completion, learners will receive a digital microcredential certification that can be displayed on your resume and LinkedIn.
If this opportunity aligns with your interests or professional goals, we invite you to learn more and consider enrolling.
🔗 https://neurotechmicrocreds.com/courses/neuroethical-considerations/
Frontiers in Neurophotonics Summer School
The 19th Edition of the Frontiers in Neurophotonics Summer School will take place, from June 1st to 12th, 2026, at the CERVO Brain Research Center in Quebec City. Details of the program and instructions on how to apply can be found here:
https://neurophotonics.ca/frontiers-in-neurophotonics-summer-school/
The application deadline is January 16th 2026.
Canadian Graduate Programs in Neuroscience
View our full list of Canadian graduate programs in neuroscience here: https://can-acn.org/canadian-graduate-programs-in-neuroscience/
Neurojobs
Recent advertisements
- 2025-12-16 Professor-researcher (assistant or associate) in Neuroscience related to neural regeneration, stem cells and spinal-associated pathologies – Université de Montréal
- 2025-12-15 Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Experimental Cellular and Systems Biophysics – University of Ottawa
- 2025-12-08 Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences – Memorial University
- 2025-12-08 Postdoctoral positions: neural circuits underlying motor skill acquisition – Chen lab – University of Ottawa
- 2025-12-08 Modeling of rhythm perception and production – Master’s and PhD Student positions McMaster University
- 2025-12-08 Graduate Student Positions in Behavioural & Systems Neuroscience (Botterill Laboratory – University of Saskatchewan – CANADA)
- 2025-11-17 Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences – Memorial University
- 2025-11-10 Tenured Tier 1 Canada Research Chair / Tenure-Track or Tenured Faculty Position supported by the Bruce Mitchell gift (Mitchell Chair).
- 2025-11-07 Post-doctoral position at University of Alberta to study the role of gangliosides in the biogenesis and fate of neuronal extracellular vesicles
- 2025-10-07 Program Medical Director, Krembil Brain Institute (KBI)
- 2025-09-11 Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge
Renew your membership or become a member today!
If you have not already done so, we invite you to renew your annual membership or become a member of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience, for the 2025-2026 membership year. Your membership helps support our activities which aim to promote neuroscience research and advocate for increased funding for research in Canada.
CAN continuously strives for the betterment of the Canadian Neuroscience community by:
- Advocating for increased funding for basic research in Canada (https://can-acn.org/advocacy/) and supporting grass-roots advocacy initiatives
- Promoting Canadian neuroscientists and neuroscience research, through awards, our website and social media
- Strengthening the Canadian neuroscience community by providing opportunities to connect and network
- Supporting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Neuroscience in Canada, through the efforts of the CAN-EDI committee, and by supporting grass-roots actions proposed by neuroscientists (https://can-acn.org/equity-diversity-and-inclusivity-in-neuroscience/)
- Developing partnerships to help us achieve our goals – Examples include a Memorandum of Understanding with the Society for Neuroscience, which provides significant funds for advocacy in Canada; with CIHR-INMHA to manage the Brain Star awards; with IBRO and BrightFocus to support participation of underrepresented groups in the CAN meeting through Travel award attribution.
Your membership helps support these initiatives and many more. To learn more about us and the benefits of being a CAN member, please visit: https://can-acn.org/become-a-member/