Satellite Symposia

Mosquito Neurobiology and Behaviour

Marta Andrés, Spanish National Research Council; Matthew Paul Su, Nagoya University; Jeffrey Riffell, University of Washington; Meg Younger, Boston University.

  • July 25th, 2026: 8 AM – 8 PM
  • July 26th, 2026: 8 AM – 4 PM
  • Posters: Yes

The field of mosquito neuroethology is expanding rapidly, due in part to the advent of an arsenal of new tools, which allow to study the mosquito nervous system in unprecedented ways. The goal of this satellite meeting is to bring together researchers who work on mosquito neurobiology and behaviour to discuss current ideas and approaches being used and developed in different mosquito species. We expect topics to include mosquito reproductive behaviours (such as mating, host seeking, blood drinking and egg laying), associated sensory systems, tool development for mosquito neuroethology, and other key topics in the field. We hope that this satellite symposium will bring together researchers who normally do not have a chance to interact. There are few meetings that attract mosquito neuroethologists; a satellite meeting at the ICN is thus an ideal opportunity to fill this void. We hope that attendees will forge new collaborations, give each other feedback, and share ideas openly. Lastly, we hope that more junior scientists see this as a chance to get to know, and interact with, more senior colleagues in an inspiring, low-threshold, like-minded environment. The title of the Satellite Meeting has been kept intentionally broad to attract researchers who work on a variety of mosquito species and behaviours.

  • Cost of registration: $200 CAD

Lepidopteran Neuroethology

Simon Sponberg, Georgia Institute of Technology; Anna Stöckl, University of Konstanz; Alexander Haverkamp, University of Wageningen.

July 26th, 2026 – 8 AM – 4 PM

  • Posters: No

Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) is one of the most specious of insect orders and importantly captures a vast range of sensory and motor behaviors from long distance migration, agile high-speed hovering during foraging, and exquisitely sensitive odor tracking. The group plays important roles as pollinators, pests, and prey and are exemplars of how organisms accomplish multiple tasks with similar physiology and morphology to balance the needs of stability and change. Building on decades of neuroethology and neurophysiology in a variety of insect systems, there are a host of questions for which Lepidopterans are emerging as exceptionally well-suited species for investigation, including long distance migration, flight control, light adaptation across day and night, mechano-sensation, and olfaction, including pheromone detection. There is a growing but decentralized group of researchers that spans many countries and includes many young PI’s pushing new directions in neuroethology. The satellite meeting of Lepidopteran researchers held in conjunction with the International Congress of Neuroethology in 2026 in Vancouver will bring together the community of Lepidopteran researchers for a day of inspiring plenary talks from experts in their respective disciplines, discussion rounds, method highlights and ample opportunities for exchange. We aim to give young researchers participating in the meeting a platform to present their work, and thus highly encourage students to join the meeting!

  • Cost of registration: $25 CAD

Archerfish to Zebrafish

Yihang (Kevin) Pan, University of British Columbia; Jennifer Li, MPI Tübingen; Boris Chagnaud, University of Graz; Ronen Segev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

  • July 25th 2026: 10 AM – 6 PM
  • July 26th, 2026: 9 AM – 3 PM
  • Posters: No

Teleost fish are a species-rich vertebrate group that has conquered diverse ecological niches on six of the seven continents with great behavioral diversity and striking cognitive abilities. Indeed, there is lots to study, from the ability of the archerfish to shoot down airborne prey with a water jet to the complex social systems of cichlids from the great East African lakes. More recently, the cyprinid zebrafish (Danio rerio) has risen to the ranks of a premier model system in biomedical research, largely owing to the optical accessibility of its larval stage. Detailed brain atlases that link structure to function are now available, as are high-resolution computational maps of kinematic motifs and an ever-expanding library of transgenic lines and mutants. While these advances have revealed basic principles of vertebrate neural circuit development and function, the mechanistic insights gleaned from zebrafish studies do not transfer easily to the questions asked by researchers interested in teleosts with different lifestyles or more sophisticated behavioral repertoires. This satellite symposium aims to foster cross-fertilization between speakers with neuroscience background and communities working on different fish species.

Neuroethology in a Changing World

Stefan Pulver, University of St. Andrews; Wolfgang Stein, Illinois State University; Martin Tresguerres, University of California, San Diego.

July 25th, 2026 – 8 AM – 8 PM

  • Posters: No

Join us for a focused satellite symposium on how changing environments shape animal brains and behavior, and how neuroethologists can help shape a better future. As rapid environmental change transforms ecosystems, neuroethology’s mechanistic lens on genes, neurons, and behavior is crucial for understanding which animals will adapt, which will struggle, and how human actions feed back into these dynamics.
This satellite meeting brings together neuroethologists, neurobiologists, and environmental scientists from around the world who not only study brain–behavior–environment links, but also turn their science into real-world impact through conservation, policy, advocacy, and community engagement. This satellite symposium will span scales and approaches, with four themed sessions:
Session 1: Monitoring the Environment across Scales
Session 2: Genetic Adaptations Underlying Neural Control of Behaviour
Session 3: Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms of Neural Responses to Environmental Change
Session 4: Advocacy and Change Making
Two rapid-fire data blitz sessions will showcase emerging results and create new opportunities for collaboration, making this an ideal entry point for anyone interested in connecting neuroethology with environmental and societal impact.

  • Cost of registration: $70 CAD
  • Reception: July 25th, 2026 – Location TBA

Neuroethology of Amphibians and Reptiles

Heather Eisthen, Michigan State University; Eva Fischer, University of California, Davis; Deborah Lutterschmidt, University of California, Irvine; Andrew Matheson, Columbia University; Alejandro Vélez M., University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

July 26th, 2026 – 9 AM – 6 PM

  • Posters: No

This satellite meeting will bring together researchers studying mechanisms underlying behavior in amphibians and reptiles. By integrating perspectives from fields as diverse as molecular biology, neurophysiology, endocrinology, evolutionary ecology, among others, the symposium will highlight how amphibians and reptiles serve as model systems for understanding the interplay between neural function, behavior, and adaptation. In addition, amphibians and reptiles present unique research challenges and opportunities, and coming together as a community will further both the intellectual and practical sides of our work. By fostering collaboration and exchange, this satellite meeting will strengthen research connections, provide mentorship, and advance our understanding of mechanisms mediating behavioral evolution.

  • Abstract submission link: Click here!
  • Cost of registration: $50 CAD

Bat Satellite

Paul Faure, McMaster University.

July 26th, 2026 – 8:30 AM – 4 PM

  • Posters: Yes

We aim to bring together researchers in the field of neuroethology focusing their research questions on bats. New advances in technology are enabling the exploration of broader questions in these animals. In this meeting we encourage the discussion of techniques and research questions so that we can learn from each other and foster new collaborations. We expect discussions on psychoacoustics, neurophysiology, molecular biology, behavior, and computational methods. The goal of the meeting will be to showcase the recent work done by trainees who are in many cases the executors and troubleshooters of these experiments, enabling them to teach others and simultaneously learn from their peers. At the same time we hope this smaller group environment will help trainees approach more senior researchers for advice and as a networking and recruitment opportunity. We welcome all participants wishing to learn more about the current advances in bat neuroethology.

  • Cost of registration: $50 CAD (Graduate Students & Post-doctoral Fellows); $75 CAD (Independent Investigators)

Mind hackers: Neural mechanisms underpinning parasitic manipulation

Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy, University of Rochester; Carolyn Elya, Harvard University.

July 25th, 2026 – 12 PM – 6 PM

  • Posters: No

This symposium will highlight the neural mechanisms and reprogramming of host phenotypic plasticity that allow parasites to “hack” and control the animal brain. Participants will present recent findings and lead discussions comparing parallel and convergent strategies used by parasites to manipulate host behavior across diverse biological systems.

  • Cost of registration: $20 CAD

Electric fishes: Neural systems, behavior and evolution

John Lewis, University of Ottawa; Adriana Migliaro, UdelaR.

  • July 25th, 2026: 8 AM – 7 PM
  • July 26th, 2026: 8 AM – 12 PM
  • Posters: Yes

This satellite symposium brings together researchers interested in the neuroethology of electric fish. For many decades, work on electric fish has benefited from multidisciplinary collaborations involving the laboratory and field studies, as well as experiment and computation. This has led to many advances in neuroethology, including those related to sensory-motor integration, neural coding, social behavior and its hormonal control, speciation and other evolutionary questions. The symposium, which is the continuation of a series of electric fish satellites associated with ICN, will reflect this diversity of research questions, methodological approaches, and study species and provide an update on recent progress, build new relationships, and provide early-career researchers the opportunity to present their work and engage with the vibrant and supportive “electric-fish community”.

  • Cost of registration: $100 CAD