Enjoy an evening of networking over drinks while exploring posters showcasing innovative projects.
08.00 – 09.00 PM | Evening program
Live music with The band combines elements of blues, rock and soul to create an engaging music performance – an ideal way to relax and connect with fellow participants in an informal setting.
7 November 2025
Chair: Prof. Bogdan Draganski, Prof. Bogdan Draganski, University of Bern, Board Member Swiss Network for Dementia Research and Swiss Memory Clinics
08:30 – 09:00 AM | Morning coffee
Start with a cup of coffee and casual networking.
09:00 – 09:45 AM | Keynote lecture: Underlying mechanisms of dementia
Chair: Prof. Johannes Gräff, EPFL
Early Cellular and Circuit-Level Vulnerabilities in Alzheimer’s Disease
Prof. Marc Aurel Busche, University of Basel and Universitäre Altersmedizin Felix Platter
09:50 – 10:45 AM | Lightning talks
Chair: , University of Bern and board member of the Swiss Network for Dementia Research and Swiss Memory Clinics
Clinical characteristics, biomarkers and prevalence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in Alzheimer’s disease: Applying the Boston criteria v2.0 in a memory clinic population
, University of Geneva
Cerebrospinal fluid proteomic profiles of depression in older people in the context of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease
Dr. Miriam Rabl, University of Zurich, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich
Detecting cognitive changes through continuous digital monitoring: Role of AI and visual analytics
Prof. Arzu Çöltekin, FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
Suppressing both amyloid-β and tau is essential to restore neuronal circuit function in an Alzheimer’s disease model
Dr. Robert Ellingford, University College London
Characterization of brain barrier fluorescent reporter mouse models of cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Linh Tran, Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern
Closed-loop auditory stimulation of deep sleep rescues neuropathological and phenotypic hallmarks in Alzheimer’s disease mice
PD Dr. Daniela Noain, University Hospital Zurich
Blarcamesine: A New Oral Treatment Approach for Alzheimer’s Disease
Prof. Audrey Gabelle, University of Montpellier
Designing integrated care pathways in Ticino and Moesano: Mapping entry points and nodes through a participatory approach
Dr. Rebecca Amati, Università della Svizzera italiana
10:45 – 11:15 AM | Coffee break
Connect with fellow attendees over a coffee.
11:15 – 12:30 PM | Parallel sessions
The parallel sessions feature two expert speakers presenting different perspectives on a shared topic. An interactive discussion, led by the session chair, follows the presentations, encouraging audience engagement and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange.
Public Health Perspectives of Dementia
Chair: Prof. Emiliano Albanese, WHO Collaborating Center, University of Geneva and Università della Svizzera italiana
Public policy, cognitive health and dementia: Insights from natural experiments
Prof. Mauricio Avendano, University of Lausanne
Early detection, brain health and ground-state prevention: Ethical and conceptual challenges for cognitive public health
Dr. Alessandro Blasimme, ETH Zurich
Care aspects of dementia
Chair: Prof. Stefan Klöppel, University of Bern
Requirements for implementing physical activation approaches for people with dementia in care homes to maintain their everyday abilities
, Ostschweizer Fachhochschule
Care for people with dementia in Swiss nursing homes: Legal and financial framework and the diversity of practices Dr. Christina Zweifel, CURAVIVA
AI & Data Analytics in Dementia
Chair: Prof. Michael Krauthammer, University of Zurich
Capturing cognitive deficits through language analysis
Prof. Philipp Homan, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich
AI-based voice assistants for early dementia
, University of Zurich
Blood-based biomarkers - Session organized by the
Chair: Prof. Julius Popp, University of Zurich
Monitoring neurodegeneration through brain-derived extracellular vesicles in biofluids
Prof. Paolo Arosio, ETH Zurich
Blood based biomarkers: the HbA1c of dementia diagnosis? Dr. Ansgar Felbecker, Inselspital Bern, Neurologische Praxis St. Gallen
Unconscious episodic memory despite severe memory impairment?
Prof. Katharina Henke, University of Bern
Memory traces on the chromatin
Prof. Johannes Gräff, EPFL
Forgetting as a form of learning
Dr. Tomas Ryan, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
03:15 – 04:00 PM | Lightning talks
Chair: , University of Bern and board member of the Swiss Network for Dementia Research and Swiss Memory Clinics
Elucidation of Amyloid-Beta’s Gambit in Oligomerization
Dr. Adrien Schmid, EPFL
Therapeutic potential of mitochondrial transplantation in a cellular model of tauopathy
Aline Broeglin, University of Basel
Biological characterization of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) using human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs): an innovative approach of the Swiss FTD network
Dr. Paolo Salvioni Chiabotti, Leenaards Memory Center, University of Lausanne
Uncoupling between tau deposition and hypometabolism in the brain explains heterogeneity in Alzheimer’s disease
Dr. Cecilia Boccalini, University of Geneva
Slow wave–spindle coupling during deep sleep is uniquely linked to Plasma Amyloid-β levels in Older Adults
Dr. Marina Wunderlin, University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Memories Fade, Traces Remain: Neural and Behavioural Correlates of Forgotten Episodic Memories Found After 6 Months with 7T fMRI
Konstantinos Ioannis Zervas, University of Bern
Preliminary data on power spectral analysis of resting-state EEG in cognitive decline and healthy aging
Camille Bouhour, University of Geneva
04:00 – 04:30 PM | Coffee break
Connect with fellow attendees over a coffee.
04:30 – 05:40 PM | Parallel workshop sessions
The workshop sessions offer an interactive, hands-on learning experience, allowing participants to engage with each other and explore specific topics in depth. By focusing on interdisciplinary themes, these workshops bring together diverse perspectives from various disciplines, fostering valuable cross-disciplinary exchange.
Producing Useful Evidence – Translation methodology for implementation
Prof. Marina Boccardi, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland
Developing patient centered and ethical dementia research
Dr. Kelly Ormond, ETH Zurich
Success Factors for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Dementia Research
Leenaards Memory Center and Center of Psychiatric Neurosciences, CHUV
A case study in translation: from research data to a start-up for a new dementia therapy
Dr. Stéphane Pagès, Wyss Center
05:45 – 06:00 PM | Closing plenary & award ceremony
Prof. Bogdan Draganski, Swiss Network for Dementia Research
'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_499_30816'%20x1='420.5'%20y1='296'%20x2='316.5'%20y2='531'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%23173557'%20stop-opacity='0'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23173557'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_483_29441'%20x1='420.5'%20y1='296'%20x2='8.49987'%20y2='880'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%23173557'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23173557'%20stop-opacity='0'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_499_30819'%20x1='420.5'%20y1='296'%20x2='330'%20y2='525.5'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='white'%20stop-opacity='0'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='white'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_483_29639'%20x1='420.5'%20y1='296'%20x2='8.49987'%20y2='880'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='white'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='white'%20stop-opacity='0'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)