Geneva and Lausanne to Host Brain Awareness Week 2026 with Focus on Language and Neuroscience

Brain Awareness Week 2026, a series of public events dedicated to exploring the complexities of the brain, will be held from March 9th to 13th in Geneva and concurrently in Lausanne. The event, organized by the Geneva University Neurocenter and the Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, will feature lectures, discussions and interactive activities for the general public.

Geneva’s Focus: The Science of Language

In Geneva, the theme of Brain Awareness Week 2026 will center around language. Lectures will be held each evening at Uni Dufour (24 rue du Général-Dufour) and are free to attend without registration. Semaine du cerveau details the planned schedule:

• Monday, March 9th: Exploring the neural architecture underlying language.
• Wednesday, March 11th: Discussion on how the human brain processes language and multilingualism.
• Thursday, March 12th: Focus on language disorders and brain plasticity.
• Friday, March 13th: A comparison of language mechanisms in humans and artificial intelligence, culminating in an improvisation show pitting human performers against AI-generated text.

Lausanne’s Exploration of Brain Health

Lausanne will host events at CHUV, focusing on broader aspects of brain health. The program will include thematic conferences addressing:

• The effects of tick bites on the nervous system.
• The connection between pain and the brain.
• The relationship between sport and brain function.
• The link between diet, the gut, and the brain.

Discussions with specialists and patient/family associations will also be offered. A conference on emotions and the brain is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18th. Information stands will be set up daily from Monday to Friday at 5 p.m. In front of the César-Roux auditorium at CHUV, providing opportunities to interact with organizations dedicated to neurological disorders and mental health.

Brain Awareness Week: A Wider Initiative

The Brain Awareness Week is an international event organized annually in March by the Geneva University Neurocenter. The Neurocenter also organizes public events, including lab visits for schools, and develops educational activities in collaboration with the Bioscope, a public lab at the University of Geneva. More information on outreach programs is available on their website.

The 2024 edition of Brain Week, entitled “In my head”, featured lectures from March 11 to 15 at 7pm, exploring the line between normality and pathology in mental health. Details of the 2024 event can be found on the University of Geneva website.