Bionow’s 2026 Neuroscience conference highlights progress in translating research into recovery

The Bionow Neuroscience Conference returned to Sheffield for 2026, this time at the historic Town Hall. Around 100 delegates, speakers and exhibitors came together to share insights, forge new connections and examine the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of neuroscience research, development and commercialisation. 

The dynamic agenda focused on a few key themes, namely understanding and managing pain; patient perspectives; developing technologies and advances in clinical trials alongside a state of the nation panel discussion, keynote presentations, networking and the conference poster competition. 

Two keynote speakers, NHS Humber Health Partnership Consultant Neurosurgeon, Shuaibu Dambatta, and Martijn Muller, Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Manchester Metropolitan University, shared their expertise on the day. 

The first presentation, ‘Neurosurgery – Advances and Future Development in Spinal Surgery’ by Shuaibu Dambatta, gave an accessible overview of how spinal surgery has developed from early pioneering operations into a fast-moving field shaped by endoscopy, navigation, neuromodulation, robotics, simulation and augmented reality. It set these advances against the bigger picture: spinal conditions are a major and growing health challenge, with lower back pain affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide and placing serious pressure on individuals, health services and the wider economy.  

The keynote referenced Sheffield in the context of the Neuroscience conference itself, regional collaboration, and academic expertise in spinal cord stimulation and diabetic neuropathy, including the work of Professor Solomon Tesfaye at the University of Sheffield. The overall message was that progress in spinal care will come not only from new surgical tools, but from strong partnerships between clinicians, researchers, industry and health-system leaders, spanning technology, AI, robotics, biologics, workforce planning and sustainability.

Martijn Muller’s presentation, ‘Innovation in Parkinson’s Disease: From Science to Patient Impact’, explained that Parkinson’s disease was becoming more common worldwide, while treatments that could slow or stop the disease were still urgently needed. It showed that Parkinson’s affected people in many ways, because changes in the brain could involve dopamine and other chemical systems, not just one single cause or pathway. 

The keynote also focused on how research could make a real difference for people living with Parkinson’s. It highlighted the value of better brain scans, digital tools and collaboration with patients to make clinical trials more accurate and measure changes that matter in everyday life. Examples included using dopamine imaging to improve trial design, FDA guidance on measuring daily-life function and digital walking measures already used in Duchenne muscular dystrophy as a useful example for future Parkinson’s research. Overall, the talk underlined that meaningful progress in Parkinson’s research would depend on turning scientific insight into practical tools that improve patients’ lives. 

We were also pleased to announce that the winner of the poster competition, with 17 entrants, was the University of Sheffield with The University of Sheffield with their abstract on the effects of the neuropeptides substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on dermal fibroblasts and to develop a neuropeptide-functionalised biomaterial. 

The award was accepted on behalf of Peter Goulding by Anthea Ma, who also received second prize for the poster ‘Neural-stromal crosstalk in the tumour microenvironment’. Third place went to Durham University with their abstract, ‘Photobiomodulation: evidence as a senotherapeutic and clinical symptom reduction in ALS’, which was received by Julio Zarazua Jimenez. 

Advances in pain research featured strongly throughout the conference. Speakers highlighted the significant impact that chronic and neuropathic pain continues to have on patients and healthcare systems, while demonstrating how new research is improving understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive pain. Presentations explored emerging approaches to identifying new therapeutic targets alongside the importance of supporting patients through better pain management, education and self-management strategies. 

The conference also showcased technologies and approaches designed to accelerate the translation of neuroscience research into patient benefit. Topics included more representative laboratory models, advanced biomarker and analytical tools, and patient-centred approaches to clinical development. A recurring message was that successful innovation will depend not only on scientific excellence, but also on collaboration across academia, healthcare, industry, charities and patient communities. Together, these approaches are helping to create a clearer path from discovery research to improved diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients. 

Putting patients at the forefront of research once again arose as a major theme during the thought-provoking Advances in Clinical Trials discussion, which also touched upon differences in regulatory approaches for devices vs drugs, and the wider ecosystem around clinical trials. 

Bionow’s CEO, Geoff Davison, commented: “It was great to see so many people come together for this year’s Bionow Neuroscience conference. The day showcased the breadth of activity happening across the sector, from pioneering research and new technologies to investment and commercial growth. There was a real appetite for sharing ideas, making connections and exploring opportunities, which is exactly what makes events like this so valuable. The future of neuroscience is incredibly exciting, and it’s encouraging to see the community continuing to build momentum.” 

The 2026 Neuroscience conference was sponsored by the University of Sheffield.