Speakers
We’re excited to welcome an exceptional line-up of invited speakers to this year’s BSN Annual Meeting. These leading researchers are driving innovation in neuroendocrinology and will be sharing cutting-edge insights across the field.
Scientific Programme Highlights
We are delighted to welcome Professor Anne White as the presenter of the distinguished Mortyn Jones Lecture.
We are also proud to announce that Professor Denise Belsham will deliver the prestigious Alison Douglas Lecture at this year’s annual meeting. In addition to this honour, she will also contribute to the symposium Endocrine Disruption by Environmental Factors.
We are pleased to recognise the achievements of two exceptional early-career scientists:
- Dr Jo Lewis, recipient of the 2025 Michael Harbuz Prize, awarded in recognition of an outstanding member of the emerging generation of neuroendocrinologists.
- Dr Celine Camon, recipient of the 2025 Julia Buckingham Award, which celebrates the promise and achievement of an up-and-coming scientist within the BSN.
This year’s scientific programme features a dynamic series of symposia and speaker sessions, showcasing the latest advances and diverse perspectives in neuroendocrine research.
Symposia Highlights
Endocrine Disruption by Environmental Factors
Professor Denise Belsham, Dr Alexander Tups, Dr Peter Duncan and Dr Richard Clayton
This symposium will examine how environmental influences affect endocrine pathways and long-term physiological outcomes.
Rhythms and Hormonal Interactions
Professor Jonathan Johnston, Dr Beatrice Maria Filippi, Dr Chris Coyle and Dr Szilvia Vas
A focused discussion on the complex interplay between circadian rhythms and hormonal regulation.
Beyond Traditional Models in Neuroendocrine Research
Professor Simone Meddle, Dr Chris Faulkes, Dr Eder Zavala, and Ms Tabinda Islam
This session will explore innovative approaches that extend beyond conventional models, pushing the boundaries of neuroendocrine science.
Neuroendocrine Links to Dementia
Professor Mirela Delibegovic and Ms Bethan David
Presenting new insights into the role of hormonal regulation in neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline.
Early Career Researcher Spotlight
We’re excited to feature emerging research from our Early Career Researchers. Among the selected oral presentations from abstract submissions, Dr Laura Jones, Mr Jari Berkhout, Mr Sooraj Nair, Dr Vito S. Hernández, Dr Teodora Georgescu and Dr Alasdair Leeson-Payne will share their latest findings during a dedicated ECR session.
Award and Prize Lectures
Mortyn Jones Lecture
Anne White
Professor of Endocrine Sciences
University of Manchester, UK
Anne is Professor of Endocrine Sciences at the University of Manchester and her research passion is the biochemical processing of POMC to ACTH and melanocortin peptides and their actions both in the stress axis and in neuropeptide networks linked to obesity. Her research has led to ground-breaking changes in the way ACTH is measured in most hospital labs. She was awarded a Royal Society Research Fellowship with Astra Zeneca to study the impact of glucocorticoid metabolism on the HPA axis and in 2020, the Jubilee Medal by the Society for Endocrinology. In parallel, Anne has had numerous leadership roles including Dean for Graduate Education at the University of Manchester and treasurer on the Executive Board of the Society for Endocrinology and BioScientifica.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In her lecture, Professor Anne White, has set herself the challenge of explaining the implications of both hypothalamic and pituitary processing of POMC. In the pituitary, POMC is processed to ACTH but in certain disease states, this processing is disrupted such that alterations in circulating levels of POMC and ACTH are used as biomarkers for differential diagnosis. In the hypothalamus, POMC derived peptides such as alpha-MSH are important in regulating food intake and energy balance. The correct cellular processing of POMC is critical as mutations in this pathway result in obesity. We have learnt a lot, but there are complexities in POMC networks which we don’t yet understand. Addressing these issues will be important in resolving neuroendocrine imbalances which drive obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Alison Douglas Lecture
Denise D. Belsham
Professor of Physiology and Medicine
University of Toronto, Canada
Professor Belsham has over 30 years of neuroendocrine research in obesity, circadian rhythms, and reproduction. She was awarded a Canada Research Chair and the President’s Teaching Award, the highest research and teaching accolades at the University of Toronto and has trained over 170 ECRs in her lab, many who have been women and minorities under-represented in STEM. She is currently the President of the International Neuroendocrine Federation and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Neuroendocrinology.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
The hypothalamus consists of a complex array of neuronal cell types that come together in a fascinating integrated tapestry to control all of our key physiological processes. This can be compared to how important it is to create a laboratory filled with young scientists from all aspects of our cultural and societal mosaic. Scientific success knows no boundaries if the ideas, motivation and innovation come together as seamless as the cellular basis of hypothalamic function.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Michael Harbuz Prize
Jo Lewis
Senior Research Associate
University of Cambridge, UK
The overall aim of my research is to investigate discrete aspects of the gut-brain axis at the genetic, anatomical, physiological and behavioural level, evaluating its therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity. My interest in neuroendocrinology developed as a PhD student with Dr Preeti Jethwa at the University of Nottingham, and subsequently as a postdoctoral research associate with Prof Fran Ebling, as we sort to gain greater understanding of the central and peripheral roles of FGF21. In 2018, I transferred to the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, working with Prof Frank Reimann and Prof Fiona Gribble, where I lead on multiple projects as a Senior Research Associate.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Dr Lewis will present his research on how glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide influences appetite and body weight through the area postrema in mice.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Julia Buckingham Award
Celine Camon
Postdoctoral Researcher
Albany Medical College, USA
I have just finished my PhD at the Centre for Neuroendocrinology in New Zealand, where I focused on the potential for brain active oestrogens to protect against metabolic dysfunction during ageing. I am extremely passionate about improving women's health, especially during menopause, and undertaking basic neuroendocrine research which can uncover future mechanisms to mitigate symptoms during this period. I will begin a postdoctoral position with Professor Kristen Zuloaga at Albany Medical College later this year where I will further investigate CNS specific oestrogen actions and shift my focus from metabolic health to cognitive decline and dementia in a clinically relevant mouse model of menopause.
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DHED is a prodrug of 17βE2, the principle circulating female oestrogen, which is enzymatically converted to oestradiol exclusively within the brain. My PhD focused on the potential for DHED to improve metabolic health in the context of menopause and ageing by targeting the hypothalamus and avoiding peripheral oestrogen exposure in mice. My results suggest that oestrogen actions within the brain, in addition to the body, are required to promote protective effects on metabolic health during ageing.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Endocrine Disruption by Environmental Factors
Denise D. Belsham
Professor of Physiology & Medicine
University of Toronto, Canada
Professor Belsham has over 30 years of neuroendocrine research in obesity, circadian rhythms, and reproduction. She was awarded a Canada Research Chair and the President’s Teaching Award, the highest research and teaching accolades at the University of Toronto and has trained over 170 ECRs in her lab, many who have been women and minorities under-represented in STEM. She is currently the President of the International Neuroendocrine Federation and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Neuroendocrinology.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Join Professor Belsham as she explores how Bisphenol A acts as an obesogen, impacting neuropeptide Y neurons and influencing metabolic health.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Alexander Tups
Associate Professor
University of Otago, New Zealand
Alexander Tups is an Associate Professor at the University of Otago. He obtained his a Ph.D. from the Rowett Research Institute and Philipps University, where he investigated seasonal body weight regulation. His research focuses on brain regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis, particularly the role of neuroinflammation in metabolic disorders—work that has been recognised with several international awards and led to the commercialization of a patented product for blood glucose support. He has also provided advice to the Dunedin City Council on circadian health, which helped inform the decision to implement warm-spectrum LED street lighting across the city.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Hypothalamic inflammation, triggered by excess consumption of long-chain saturated fatty acids, plays a pivotal role in disrupting glucose homeostasis. Targeting this mechanism sparked an exciting 15-year interdisciplinary journey — from plant growers, natural product chemists to neuroscientists and diabetologists — at the intersection of biomedical research and research commercialisation. The result is a patented, fully commercialised product that supports healthy glucose levels and is now available worldwide.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Peter Duncan
Lecturer
University of Edinburgh, UK
Peter Duncan is a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on anterior pituitary corticotroph cells and their role in the stress response. He has used electrophysiology and RNA-seq techniques to investigate how corticotroph physiology is altered following chronic stress and during recovery, in an attempt to identify targets for therapeutic intervention.
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In his lecture, Dr Duncan will explore how chronic stress drives long-term changes in corticotroph gene expression and excitability.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Richard Clayton
Postdoctoral Fellow
The Francis Crick Institute, UK
Richard did his PhD at the University of Manchester and was an ARAP scholar at the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore, where he researched regulation of the skin by the neuroendocrine and nervous systems. Richard is now a postdoctoral fellow in the stem cell biology and developmental genetics lab at the Francis Crick Institute in London where he works on the role of glial cells in controlling the neuroendocrine hypothalamus.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In his lecture, Dr Clayton will explore radiation-induced hypopituitarism and the neuroendocrine roles of NG2-glia.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Rhythms and Hormonal Interactions
Jonathan Johnston
Professor of Chronobiology and Integrative Physiology
University of Surrey, UK
I am Professor of Chronobiology and Integrative Physiology at the University of Surrey, UK. The BSN was the first scientific society that I joined, and I served on its steering committee between 2006-2020. I have also served on committees of other societies, and as a panel member on grant funding bodies, including the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
My current research falls in the BSN areas of biological rhythms and nutritional/metabolic physiology. This work is primarily performed in controlled human laboratory studies. However, I spent my postgraduate and postdoctoral years studying hypothalamus-pituitary regulation in vitro and using animal models such as hamsters, sheep, and mice.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Beatrice Maria Filippi
Associate Professor
University of Leeds, UK
Dr Filippi is an Associate Professor and group leader in
Neuroendocrinology. Her research investigates how insulin signalling in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) of the brain regulates glucose metabolism, feeding behaviour, and energy expenditure in healthy, obese, and diabetic rodent models. Using in vivo techniques like brain-targeted injections and glucose clamps, combined with histological and molecular analyses, she explores central
insulin action and resistance. Her goal is to identify brain circuits and molecular pathways that maintain metabolic homeostasis and contribute to obesity and diabetes.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Discover how the brain helps regulate blood sugar in this talk on a newly uncovered insulin-sensitive pathway in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). We have found that insulin acts on astrocytes in the NTS to trigger the release of endozepines—molecules that suppress liver glucose production by modulating GABAA receptor activity. This breakthrough reveals a critical brain–liver communication axis and opens new avenues for understanding and potentially treating metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Chris Coyle
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Edinburgh, UK
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In his lecture, Dr Coyle will discuss chemogenetic manipulation of circadian entrainment through vasopressinergic retinal ganglion cells projecting to the SCN, using an experimental jetlag model.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Szilvia Vas
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Cambridge, UK
Dr Szilvia Vas is a postdoctoral research associate in the laboratory of Professor Allan Herbison at the University of Cambridge, where her research examines the function of kisspeptin neurons, a hypothalamic neuronal population that plays a key role in the regulation of reproduction.
During her PhD and early postdoc years, she investigated sleep neurobiology, with a particular focus on the role of hypothalamic neuropeptides and how sleep patterns and brain rhythms are altered in neurodegenerative diseases.
Positioned at the intersection of neuroendocrinology and sleep science, her recent work aims to dissect the potential crosstalk between the regulation of reproduction and sleep-wake-cycle in the hypothalamus.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In her lecture, Dr Vas will share new insights from her latest research on how brainstem noradrenergic neurons influence kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, which may reveal a pathway through which stress can impact pulsatile reproductive hormone secretion.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Beyond Traditional Models in Neuroendocrine Research
Simone Meddle
Personal Chair of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology
University of Edinburgh, UK
Professor Simone Meddle is Head of The Division of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences has a Personal Chair in Behavioural Neuroendocrinology and is the Mary Dick Chair of Physiology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine. Simone became a Lecturer in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005 and was promoted to Senior lecturer in 2008 and Reader in 2011. Simone is a Group Leader at the Roslin Institute and was the Lead of the BBSRC Institute Strategic program Improving Animal Production and Welfare (2017- 2022). She leads a research group funded by the BBSRC, NSF, NC3R's, The Leverhulme Trust and The Royal Society that investigates how environmental and social cues can trigger functionally important behaviours such as response to light, stress, food intake, reproduction, photoperiodism and aggression by examining the neuroendocrine system and behaviour. She is also investigating the neurobiology of positive welfare (environmental enrichment) and behaviour. Simone served on BBSRC committee A member as a Chair and as a core member. Simone teaches extensively on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Chris Faulkes
Reader in Evolutionary Ecology
Queen Mary University of London, UK
Chris began his academic career at the Zoological Society of London and is currently based at Queen Mary University of London. He has worked for over 35 years on the evolution of social and reproductive behaviour in cooperatively-breeding mammals, with particular emphasis on the naked mole-rat. His research takes a broad approach encompassing genomics, epigenetics, neuroendocrinology and behaviour to understand mammalian social evolution, ageing and adaptations to living underground.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In his lecture Chris will introduce the African mole-rats as a non-traditional model in neuroendocrine research, describing in particular the lifestyle of the naked mole-rat. Naked mole-rats are a unique and long-lived “social-insect like” mammal with extreme adaptations to living underground in the arid regions of East Africa. In colonies that may contain up to 300 individuals, only a single female, the queen, breeds. “Adult” non-breeders of both sexes act as colony helpers and are held in a more or less permanent (but reversible) pre-pubertal state as a result of social cues from the queen suppressing the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Chris will review our current understanding of this unique system, and the possible role of prolactin in mediating cooperation and reproductive suppression.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Eder Zavala
Assistant Professor
University of Birmingham, UK
Eder is an applied mathematician investigating the dynamic regulation of stress hormones and their interaction with metabolism, fertility, sleep and inflammation. His goal is to develop a mathematical understanding of endocrine regulation that includes rhythmic hormone secretion, responses to perturbations, and long-term physio-pathological changes. This can translate into healthcare technologies for the diagnosis and management of endocrine conditions. To do this, he works alongside clinicians, computer scientists and other mathematicians to develop quantitative analyses of circadian hormone profiles and data collected from wearable devices. His mathematical models and algorithms facilitate the identification of computational biomarkers that signal abnormal hormone dynamics more efficiently than current single time point analyses, supporting personalised diagnosis and clinical interventions.
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In his lecture, Dr Zavala will explore the mathematical analysis of endocrine rhythms and time series data from wearable devices.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Tabinda Islam
PhD candidate
Queen Mary University of London, UK
I am Tabinda, currently pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at Queen Mary University of London and serving as a Senior Lecturer (on study leave) in Pharmaceutical Sciences at North South University in Bangladesh. My doctoral research investigates neuropeptide signalling systems in invertebrates. As an international student in the UK, I am eager to connect with fellow researchers in neuroendocrinology and related disciplines. By exchanging ideas and methodologies, I hope to broaden my expertise and contribute to collaborative research initiatives that advance our understanding of complex neural mechanisms. Beyond my research activities, I have experience in academia, including module design, lecture delivery, and student mentorship. I am passionate about teaching and committed to fostering inclusive learning environments. In the UK higher education sector, I look forward to exploring opportunities to develop my teaching and research skills that inspire the next generation of scientists. I am very keen to engage with the UK academic community to share my insights for both my professional and personal growth.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In her lecture, Ms Islam will present new perspectives on the evolution of kisspeptin signalling, highlighting the opposing actions of kisspeptin-type neuropeptides derived from different precursors in an echinoderm.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Neuroendocrine Links to Dementia
Mirela Delibegovic
Regius Chair of Physiology and Director of Aberdeen Cardiovascular & Diabetes Centre
University of Aberdeen, UK
Professor Delibegovic’s research for the past 25+ years has focused on the causes and consequences of development of diabetes and the complications associated with diabetes. Her laboratory is particularly interested in co-morbidities such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy, diabetic foot ulcers and more recently, Alzheimer’s disease.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In this lecture, Prof Delibegovic will talk about her lab’s work using dietary interventions to improve metabolic health and cognitive outcomes. She will specifically talk about methionine restriction and its role in lipid and glucose homeostasis, as well as the experiments in aged models of frontotemporal dementia and effects on cognitive and motor coordination phenotypes.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Bethan David
PhD candidate
Swansea University, UK
Bethan is a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Swansea University. Her current research focuses on Neuroimmunology and Plasma based Biomarkers. She also holds a BSc in Medical Genetics from Swansea University.
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In her lecture, Ms David will present on circulating ghrelin profiles in neurodegenerative disease and dementia, sharing insights from the GDEM3 clinical trial.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Early Career Researcher Spotlight
Lauren Jones
Research Fellow
University College London, UK
Lauren is a postdoctoral researcher at UCL working within the field of Metabolic Neuroscience. Lauren’s current work is focused on functionally mapping gut-brain neurocircuitry in health and obesity.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In her lecture, Dr Jones will discuss the role of cell-type unbiased characterisation of brainstem neuronal populations recruited by semaglutide.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Jari Berkhout
PhD Candidate
Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Jari Berkhout is a PhD candidate at Leiden University Medical Center, working in the groups of Prof. Onno Meijer and Dr Ahmed Mahfouz. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Amsterdam and his Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Utrecht University before beginning his doctoral research.
His PhD work investigates the cellular diversity and function of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a key brain region involved in regulating the autonomic nervous system. This research is conducted in collaboration with Dries Kalsbeek and Chun-Xia Yi at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize neuronal subtypes within the PVN.
His doctoral work has resulted in a single-cell RNA-seq atlas of the mouse PVN, recently published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology (2024). Building on this atlas, his recent prepublication focuses on the developmental characterization of Avp and Oxt expressing magnocellular neurons within the PVN, aiming to elucidate their distinct roles in autonomic regulation. He is actively involved in developing and applying bioinformatic pipelines to analyze single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data and understand the molecular mechanisms governing neuronal function.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
In his presentation, Mr Berkhout will discuss how FOXP1 differentially regulates the development of vasopressin and oxytocin magnocellular neurons in mice.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Sooraj Nair
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Edinburgh, UK
:I am interested in understanding the role of ion channels in regulating the neuroendocrine stress response, with a particular focus on corticotroph excitability and hormone secretion. My research aims to identify and characterize ion channels that modulate adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release, particularly those regulated by key secretagogues-corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), as well as by glucocorticoid feedback. This includes examining how these channels contribute to corticotroph function during stress and throughout the recovery phase.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Dr Nair will present findings on preserved AVP-induced spiking in male murine corticotrophs during chronic stress and recovery.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Vito S. Hernández
Assistant Professor
National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
After receiving his Ph.D. at UNAM and completing a Fulbright Fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH, USA), Dr. Vito Hernández established an independent lab at UNAM’s Department of Physiology. His group explores peptidergic modulation of brain circuits sing immunohistochemistry, RNAscope, in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology, and behavioral assays. Dr. Hernández has authored 30 peer‑reviewed papers, serves as an Early Career Editor for the Journal of Neuroendocrinology, and is councilor of the International Regulatory Peptide Society (IRPS). His work aims to reveal how neuropeptides shape sensory processing, arousal, and cognition beyond classical reproductive roles.
Get a glimpse of themes covered in this lecture
Dr Hernández will discuss Kisspeptin signaling beyond reproduction, focusing on its chemoanatomical characterization and functional roles.
Teodora Georgescu
Research Fellow
University of Otago, New Zealand
I completed my PhD at the University of Aberdeen in 2018, investigating how specific neurons contribute to obesity. I then joined the University of Otago as a postdoctoral researcher to study how hormones regulate maternal adaptations. Now a research fellow, I focus on how pregnancy hormones influence autonomic functions, including thermoregulation, fever, breathing, and cardiovascular control. I’m particularly interested in how the brain drives these drastic physiological changes to support maternal and foetal health. Understanding these mechanisms is both fascinating and essential for improving our knowledge of pregnancy adaptations.
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Dr Georgescu will discuss establishing a model to investigate respiratory changes during pregnancy using radiotelemetry.
Please follow the links below to learn more about our invited speaker.
Alasdair Leeson-Payne
Research Fellow
University of Aberdeen, UK
Alasdair Leeson-Payne is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen. His research focuses on understanding how the brain controls and regulates appetite and energy balance to identify novel neuronal targets to treat obesity and metabolic disease.
His work includes investigating how various brain areas respond to neuroendocrine signalling molecules to regulate energy expenditure. He also examines how altering and disrupting receptor signalling, and neuronal circuitry in key signalling pathways of the brain, can alter the regulation of energy balance. The aim of this work is to identify novel targets to treat obesity, type-2 diabetes, and metabolic disease.
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Dr Leeson-Payne will share new findings on how Gpr75 loss of function offers protection against obesity and excess lipid accumulation
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