HWK Workshop 2026

Our workshop aims to bring together researchers from the fields of systems neuroscience, comparative transcriptomics, connectomics, and primate palaeobiology in one place to foster mutual awareness and interdisciplinary discussions as well as identify yet unknown principles in the development, organization and function of the primate brain from computational and experimental points of view.

Evolution in mammal brains has formed basic building blocks that might superficially look similar, but are organized in different structures and are obviously specialized for distinct computations. Accumulating evidence indicates that, while rodents are close evolutionary relatives to our own primate lineage, fundamental changes on all levels of brain organization occurred at the primate-rodent-split. In addition, subsequent primate evolution appears to be marked by apparently qualitative grade shifts. Recent progress across distinct disciplines provides a springboard to take a fresh perspective on what makes primate brains special. We will aim to enhance this comparative cognition perspective by contributions on avians and machines, which, despite having very different “brain” structures, perform functions that are surprisingly similar to those of mammals.

The venue of the workshop will be at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, an institute for advanced studies in Delmenhorst, Germany (https://hanse-ias.de/en/). The event comprises ~20 plenary talks given by invited speakers. Poster sessions will give you the opportunity to present your own work and discuss with other attendees. We offer an extensive social programme to foster exchanges of new ideas, culminating in a cozy evening with a panel discussion in the fireplace room.

Confirmed speakers (as of April 2026): Tatjana Engel, Katja Nowick, Marieke Schölvinck, Matthias Kaschube, Henner Koch, Ken Miller, Huib Mansfelder, Wiktor Mlynarski, Fabian Sinz, Andreas Neef, Dan Eric Nilsson, Madineh Sedigh-Sarvestani, Ziad Hafed, Moritz Helias, Fred Wolf and Udo Ernst.

Registration fee is EUR 200,00 (reduced EUR 100,00 for students with proof of status) which includes participation in the event, lunch at the HWK, dinner at the HWK on Tuesday, and visit to the "Botanika" botanical garden in Bremen on Wednesday evening, followed by dinner at a restaurant close by. 

Registration is limited to 40 researchers in addition to the invited speakers, and is done on a first come, first-served basis. If you would like to join the workshop, please pre-register until 31st of May 2026 using the webform below.

After pre-registration, the HWK will contact you in June to finalize registration and assist you with hotel bookings near the HWK in Delmenhorst.

For further questions and inquiries, you may contact Britta Korkowsky under spp2205@ds.mpg.de