Storms and Strength at Neuroscience 2025
Storm clouds greeted 21,093 attendees at Neuroscience 2025 in San Diego. Attendees put their heads down and pushed on, adapting, often with an SfN umbrella, to the environment until the storm passed.
Inside the San Diego Convention Center, neuroscientists had storms of a different kind to contend with. Waves of canceled grants and training programs, freezes on hiring and recruiting — all imposed by an administration in the White House determined to pressure academia — had attendees hunched against the onslaught. But shoulders slowly lowered and smiles returned as SfN members reconnected over stories of hardship, creative problem solving, and exciting new neuroscience.
Besides, it’s hard not to smile when discussing a glass of fine California wine, which was the focus of the Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society Lecture that kicked off the annual meeting. Nicolas Quillé, a highly credentialed wine professional, shared his approach to wine tasting and how the process engages numerous senses and brain regions. On stage, Quillé tasted several glasses of wine with SfN President John Morrison, and neuroscientists Rachel Herz and Christophe Bernard. The Dialogues Lecture was one of 24 lectures livestreamed and accessible via the virtual component alongside more than 2,600 virtual posters for a month after Neuroscience 2025 concluded. Many of the annual meeting’s offerings, including lectures and awards, were made possible by its 38 sponsors, including three Gold sponsors (Amazon Web Services, Dana Foundation, Johnson&Johnson), two Silver sponsors, and five Bronze sponsors.
The energy extended to the bustling Exhibit Hall, which remained dense with attendees and exhibitors, even with the smaller than usual footprint of several federal funding agencies due to the very recent government shutdown. SfN is grateful for the many exhibitors who shared their products and services in San Diego. Just steps away, the Poster Floor maintained its rhythm of morning and afternoon posters — the heart of the annual meeting. Back for its second year, late-breaking abstracts surged in popularity with 1,145 submissions. The opportunity to submit a late-breaking abstract in September, rather than during the regular abstract window in June, gave many labs time to clarify their funding situation in a year with significant funding uncertainty.
At the SfN booth, attendees were drawn to new SfN crewneck sweatshirts and brain-themed stickers. 3D‑printed animal brains created by BrainFacts were also an attention grabber. These models also made an appearance at the third annual BrainFacts LIVE, an SfN outreach event at a local venue where members of the public engage with neuroscientists and test their knowledge in brain trivia.
Outreach activities complemented a strong advocacy presence throughout the meeting. The Early Career Poster Session, Animals in Research Panel, and Advocacy Forum all highlighted various efforts by SfN and its members to advocate for the needs of the neuroscience community. An example of success came just as the meeting kicked off: An NPR story, broadcast on national radio, interviewed three SfN members to share the challenges facing neuroscientists due to the policy gyrations coming out of Washington, D.C. Additional news coverage throughout the week focused on taxpayer-funded neuroscience discoveries like advances in understanding the side effects of GLP-1 drugs, and how mouse “midwives” help pregnant mice give birth.
As the last sessions wrapped up and attendees headed home under clearer skies, the message imparted by Neuroscience 2025 was unmistakable — storms may rise, but the neuroscience community endures, adapts, and continues to push neuroscience forward together.
