As neuroscientists we are interested in the brain and its functionality; how it processes external inputs and creates behavioral outputs. In our experimental approaches, we often only focus on the brain and regard it as an independently functioning organ, forgetting that other internal organs are continuously interacting with it.

With this advanced course, our aim is to give room for discussions on how the brain and different peripheral systems influence each other. More specifically, we will ask how the digestive system, the gut-microbiome and the immune system shape, and are shaped, by the brain and the behaviour it produces. What is the evidence for these interactions? What are their possible underlying mechanisms? 

By combining a series of presentations by distinguished researchers working in these areas with open and informal discussions, this course aims to answer these questions and help build an integrated picture of a functional organism as a whole. Besides learning about and evaluating the evidence, our goal is to also promote a cross-talk between different fields, discuss possible implications and perhaps even foster novel cross-disciplinary ideas.

Register now and join us in this exciting challenge. The workshop will be held at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon from April 20th to 22nd, 2016. There is a limited number of seats available.