Welcome to our LC Meeting 2026 in Innsbruck!
As in the last three meetings, we aim to bring together researchers with a background in clinical research, cognitive neuroscience, MRI Physics, neuroscience in animal models and other relevant disciplines with an interest in neuromodulatory systems of the brainstem and in particular the noradrenergic locus coeruleus in health and disease.
We welcome abstract submissions addressing methodological, theoretical, and empirical aspects of LC and brainstem research across ageing and neurodegeneration.
- Submissions may focus on advances and challenges in capturing LC anatomy and function in vivo, including optimisation of structural and functional imaging sequences, segmentation and mapping approaches, and cross-species integration with post-mortem and animal models.
- We also encourage contributions using direct and indirect markers of neuromodulatory function, such as neuroimaging, pupillometry, electrophysiology, EEG, PET, peripheral physiological measures, and fluid-based biomarkers.
- Further topics include the consequences of altered brainstem function for sleep regulation, vascular and glymphatic processes, cognition, inflammation, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, as well as interindividual variability, sex-related differences, and intervention studies encompassing pharmacological, stimulation-based, and lifestyle approaches.
For more details on the meeting see the program information
To participate, please register and submit your contribution.
You can, of course, also join the LC meeting without submitting an abstract /making a contribution. In this case, you would only need to register.
Please note, that if you participate without a contribution, registration fees still apply. In any case, your meeting registration is only effective once we have received the registration fee.
Early Career Researchers will be able to apply for travel grants. Priority will be given to LMIC countries and applications will be evaluated based on scientific relevance and quality.
Additional Information: General Meeting of the COST Action Imaging Brainstem Health
In the two days preceding the LC Conference, the first General Meeting of the COST Action Imaging Brainstem Health CA24118 will take place on 7–8 September 2026 at the same venue.
COST is a European funding framework that supports international research networks and scientific collaboration. This COST Action brings together researchers and clinicians to advance and standardise brainstem MRI for research and clinical applications.
Participation is free and open to everyone, with the possibility to join either in person or online; limited funding for travel and daily allowance may be available for some members attending in person, we will inform you whether your travel reimbursement request could be granted by the end of April. Depending on demand, travel reimbursement requests might also be still possible after the end of April. You can request travel reimbursement during registration for the COST meeting, no application via e-cost is necessary.
Registration for the COST meeting is open now and will close on the 15th of April for the room booking at the conference venue, registrations will also be possible later, but rooms are limited and allocated on a first come – first serve basis, so make sure to register early. Also, the venue is limited to 100 people, so another reason to register early.
Find more information on our COST Action website!
Funding for this conference was made possible in part by the ISTAART Grant Program for Conferences and Convenings 26IGPCC-A-1582281, and Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART), through the Neuromodulatory Subcortical Systems (NSS) Professional Interest Area (PIA). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Alzheimer’s Association; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the Alzheimer’s Association.