Cancer Neuroscience

Bilbao, Spain : 14 - 16 October 2025

Scientific Programme

Tuesday 14th October 2025

Listed times are in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

11:30

REGISTRATION

Light refreshments will be served at 12:00

13:00

WELCOME TO DAY ONE

Session 1: Neural influences on cancer cells

Chair: Frank Winkler

13:10

Opening Keynote Lecture

Michelle Monje Stanford University, US

'The Neuroscience of Brain Cancers'

Q&A: 13:40-13:55

13:55

Varun Venkataramani University of Heidelberg, Germany

'Characterizing and targeting glioblastoma neuron-tumor networks with retrograde tracing'

Q&A: 14:15-14:25

14:25

Matteo Bergami University Hospital Cologne, Germany

Proffered Paper 1: 'Functional synapses between small cell lung cancer and glutamatergic neurons'

Q&A: 14:35-14:40

14:40

EXHIBITOR INTRODUCTIONS

14:50

COFFEE BREAK, EXHIBITON AND SOLO TRAVELLER MEET-UP

15:20

Humsa Venkatesh (Virtual Presentation) Harvard Medical School, US

'Neural Communication Axes in Small Cell Lung Cancer'

Q&A: 15:40-15:50

15:50

Vera Thiel German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Germany

'Trace-Me(tastasis)-if-you-CAN (Cancer-Associated-Neurons): Unravelling how cancer-associated neurons shape the tumor microenvironment'

Q&A: 16:10-16:20

16:20

Karen Sleiman IBDM, France

Proffered Paper 2: 'Matrix stiffness and its impact on cancer innervation'

Q&A: 16:30-16:35

16:35

Molecular Oncology: Call for Content

16:45

POSTER SPOTLIGHTS 1

Poster 01 - Sena Oten (USA) 'Regional functional connectivity shapes neuron-glioma interactions in oligodendroglioma'

Poster 30 - Mirela Perla (Netherlands) 'Characterizing innervation in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer'

Poster 60 - Carmen Mota Reyes (Germany) 'Tumor Cell Neural Mimicry Orchestrates Neural Invasion in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Insights of a Multiomic Approach'

16:55

Meet the Scientific Programme Committee

An informal session where the organisers for the conference will join together to share their own personal and professional experiences of their path to scientific leadership.

17:45

WELCOME RECEPTION

18:15

POSTER DISCUSSION SESSION 1

Led by members of the Scientific Programme Committee

Wednesday 15th October 2025

Listed times are in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

08:15

EARLY POSTER VIEWING (with coffee & biscuits)

08:45

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT - biomodal

Leonardo Motta biomodal

'The 6-base genome as a tool to reveal novel biomarkers and mechanistic insight in cancer neuroscience'

Session 2: Neural influences on the tumor environment

Chair: Michelle Monje

09:00

Erica Sloan Monash University, Australia

'Neural-tumour crosstalk drives breast cancer metastasis and impairs treatment response'

Q&A: 09.20-09.30

09:30

Anastasia Maria Zavitsanou (Virtual Presentation) Columbia University, USA

Proffered Paper 3: 'Investigating how lung cancer alters behavior via regulating the internal sensory system'

Q&A: 09.40-09.45

09:45

Sebastien Talbot Queen's University, Canada

'Nociceptor neurons impact anti-tumor immunity'

Q&A: 10:05-10:15

10:15

Linda Douw Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands

'Multiscale network neuroscience in neuro-oncological patients: from cell to circuit to cognition'

Q&A: 10:35-10:45

10:45

COFFEE BREAK & EXHIBITION

11:15

Barbara Marte: Meet the Editors

Join us in this session led by Barbara Marte, Senior Editor at Nature (UK), to hear advice and insight about being an editor.

11:45

Meike Thijssen Maastricht University Medical Center, Netherlands

Proffered Paper 4: 'Adrenergic Signaling affects Tumor-associated B cell Maturation in Colorectal Cancer'

Q&A: 11:55-12:00

12:00

POSTER SPOTLIGHTS 2

Poster 70 - Jai Sidpra (UK) 'A prognostic human brain network for diffuse midline glioma'

Poster 100 - Tara Moghiseh (Germany) 'Activity-Dependent Glutamatergic Synaptic Signaling Drives Brain Metastasis Proliferation'

Poster 120 - Andreia Gonçalves (Portugal) 'Neuro-immune regulation of metastatic breast cancer dormancy in the liver'

12:10

INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM - LUNAPHORE

Müge Akpinar-Puchalla and Daniel Azorín Lunaphore and ETH Zurich

'Spatial Multiomics for Cancer Neuroscience: Mapping Neuron-Tumor Interactions in Glioblastoma and Other Tumors'

Q&A: 12:30-12:40

12:40

LUNCH

Light refreshments will be served.

13:30

POSTER DISCUSSION SESSION 2

Led by members of the Scientific Programme Committee

Session 3: Influences of cancer on the nervous system

Chair: Barbara Marte

15:00

Timothy Wang Columbia University, US

'Nociceptive neurons interact directly with gastric cancer cells via a CGRP/Ramp1 axis to promote tumour progression'

Q&A: 15:20-15:30

15:30

Valentina Lind University College London, UK

Proffered Paper 5: 'Glioblastoma neural activity maps to a prognostic human brain network'

Q&A: 15:40-15:45

15:45

EANO SPEAKER

Manuel Valiente CNIO, Spain

'Molecular and cellular rationale underlying the heterogeneous impact of metastases on brain activity'

Q&A: 16:05-16:15

16:15

COFFEE BREAK & EXHIBITION

16:45

Benjamin Deneen Baylor College, US

'Decoding the Language of Brain Tumor and Neuron Communication'

Q&A: 17:05-17:15

17:15

Shawn Hervey-Jumper UCSF, USA

'A Multiscale Framework for Neuromodulation in Glioma-Infiltrated Cortex'

Q&A: 17:35-17:45

17:45

Panel Discussion

Which technologies do we need for the further advance of Cancer Neuroscience? How can we best educate future Cancer Neuroscientists? What do we need for successful development of Neuroscience-instructed Cancer Therapies?

Scheduled to end at 18:45

20:00

CONFERENCE DINNER

The conference dinner will take place at Kafe Antzokia Restaurant. After dinner, we will enjoy music and dancing with a live DJ. Optional ticketed event.

Thursday 16th October 2025

Listed times are in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

08:15

EARLY POSTER VIEWING (with coffee & biscuits)

08:45

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT - Cell Signaling Technology

Maxime Jacquet Cell Signaling Technology

'From Chimeric Antibodies to SignalStarTM: CST's Innovative Solutions for Cancer Neuroscience Research'

Session 4: Cancer-intrinsic neural mechanisms

Chair: Erica Sloan

09:00

Frank Winkler University Hospital Heidelberg & DKFZ, Germany

'Neural influences on brain tumor progression and therapy resistance: from fundamental insights to clinical trials'

Q&A: 09:20 - 09:30

09:30

Itay Tirosh Weizmann Institute, Israel

'Cancer cell states and their neuronal associations'

Q&A: 09:50 - 10:00

10:00

Melina Müller University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany

Proffered Paper 6: 'KCa3.1 inhibition increases antitumor effects of radiotherapy in glioblastoma models'

Q&A: 10:10 - 10:15

10:15

COFFEE BREAK & EXHIBITION

10:45

Sofia Micheli Institute of Anatomy, Switzerland

Proffered Paper 7: 'Peripheral glia drive the initiation of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma'

Q&A: 10:55-11:00

11:00

Leanne Li Crick Institute, UK

'Genetically engineered mouse models in cancer neuroscience research'

Q&A: 11:20 - 11:30

11:30

THE EMBO Closing Keynote Lecture

Doug Hanahan EPFL, Switzerland

'The neuronal RNA-binding protein FMRP is a master regulator of the immuno-evasive tumor microenvironment'

Q&A: 12:00 - 12:15

12:15

SUMMARY & CLOSE

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