Geneva ©Switzerland Tourism – Jan Greek As EAN Executive Director Anja Sander notes, Geneva was selected through an extensive RFP process that considers “mainly economic, but also social factors plus such related to infrastructure”, all of which help provide the basis for a sustainable congress. Beyond these practical elements, she adds, Geneva stands out as “a global hub for health, policy, and international collaboration”. For the association, that creates a particularly relevant setting in which scientific exchange can connect with broader societal and policy discussions around brain health.
A Destination Grounded in Science & Clinical Expertise
Geneva has the expertise and institutions to host a congress of this scale with real credibility. The city has built a strong reputation in life sciences and medical research, supported by an ecosystem that brings together academic excellence, clinical practice and innovation.
A central pillar of that ecosystem is Campus Biotech, a major neuroscience, neurotechnology and life sciences hub in the heart of Switzerland’s Health Valley. Designed to foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors, it brings researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs and industry into one environment. That type of collaboration is important because the conversation taking place during the event is reinforced by an existing network of expertise. That ambition has been reinforced by the launch of neuro@campusbiotech, a new initiative designed to bring together neuroscience, neuroengineering and artificial intelligence and help position Geneva as a global hub for brain health.
That is equally true of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and its Neurology Department. The city offers the kind of multidisciplinary setting that reflects the reality of modern brain health, where diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and research are increasingly interlinked. In Anja Sander’s words, “Geneva offers more than strong logistics; it provides a setting where the congress can connect medicine, public health and international dialogue in a meaningful way.”
Geneva as a European Capital of Brain Health
What distinguishes the Geneva edition most clearly is the effort to connect a specialist meeting with the wider public. The city has been named European Capital of Brain Health 2026, a designation that gives the congress a strong civic dimension. For two weeks, from 20 June to 4 July, messages promoting brain health are expected to appear across the city, including on public transport, at the airport, at the railway station, on posters and through visibility on the Mont-Blanc bridge.
The campaign is designed to make brain health part of everyday urban life rather than a subject confined to conference sessions. It promotes practical habits that support brain and mental health, including sufficient sleep, regular physical activity, a nutritious diet and an active social life.
For EAN, it is a natural extension of the Brain Health Mission, launched in 2023, which aims to raise awareness and drive action across Europe and beyond. The initiative demonstrates how international organisations and local partners can work together to create meaningful, lasting impact.
This approach aligns well with Switzerland’s own positioning in the field. The Swiss Brain Health Plan 2023–2033 provides a national framework for raising awareness, encouraging prevention and improving coordination around brain health. That gives the Geneva programme more depth. The city is not using the congress to create a temporary communications theme but to build on existing medical and policy momentum. As Sander puts it, the designation reflects “a shared commitment to advancing brain health at the community level” and supports “tangible actions that bring brain health closer to citizens”.
Legacy That Extends Beyond the Congress Dates
The strongest evidence of a successful conference often lies in what continues after the closing session. Geneva’s programme around the EAN Congress 2026 offers several examples of that thinking.
One of the most visible is Public Brain Health Day, which opens the conversation to patients, carers, healthcare professionals, representatives of non-profit organisations, educators, parents and anyone with an interest in brain health. Public lectures led by local professors will address topics such as headaches, epilepsy and sleep, making expert knowledge accessible to a broader audience. During the Congress days, an event organised by the Swiss Neurological Society will focus on prevention and present the Swiss Brain Health Plan to the public. The EAN Public Brain Health Day will take place on 29 June during the congress.
For EAN, the value of the initiative lies in its ability to create, in Anja Sander’s words, “a space where science meets society”. She also underlines that brain health is “relevant to everyone” and can be actively supported at every stage of life. By translating scientific knowledge into practical and accessible tools, Public Brain Health Day is intended to help people make informed decisions, strengthen links between healthcare professionals and the wider community, and help communities recognise the many opportunities that exist for maintaining brain health.
Then there is the Brain Health School Challenge, perhaps the clearest expression of legacy in action. Launching nationally in September and culminating with an award ceremony in November during Swiss Neuroweek, the initiative invites young people across three age categories to develop ideas, strategies or campaigns that encourage their peers to prioritise neurological and mental health. The ambition is to make it an annual initiative. As Anja Sander explains, this is also part of a wider legacy model: the challenge first started during the Austrian Neurology Congress in 2024 and is now taking place in more than six countries, illustrating how activities launched around a congress can be replicated by host cities and organisations elsewhere.
For EAN “legacy is created through the collective and sustained impact of multiple efforts” and not one single initiative. She adds that meaningful legacy depends on collaboration and on creating activities that can later be taken up by host cities, host organisations and other entities. In that respect, Geneva is intended not only to strengthen its own role in promoting brain health and well-being within society, but also to act as an example for other cities working towards the title of Capital of Brain Health®.
To learn more about how Geneva is using EAN 2026 to advance brain health far beyond the congress floor, visit pro.geneve.com/en/meetings-conferences
More info on Switzerland as a convention destination: myriam.winnepenninckx@switzerland.com / www.MySwitzerland.com/meetings