2026 Thalamocortical Interactions Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar - Project Summary Building upon the success of past meetings, the 2026 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Thalamocortical Interactions will bring together leading neuroscientists, from early career to established investigators, to discuss the latest breakthroughs in understanding the functions of the nervous system influenced by the thalamus. The scientific sessions will highlight cutting-edge discoveries on thalamus-brain interactions in normal and disease conditions. Session topics will include the role of the thalamus in brain plasticity and stroke recovery, movement, decision-making, development, and visual and tactile sensory processing, as well as topics new to this GRC, such as thalamic contributions to pain and itch processing, conscious states, addiction, and motivation. A major goal of this international conference is to foster interactions among scientists at all career stages, from graduate student and postdoctoral fellows to early career and senior investigators and spanning wide-ranging areas of expertise and interests to brainstorm new hypotheses related to thalamic function and to stimulate new collaborations. Leading researchers in the field will present their most current, unpublished work with extensive discussion planned for each session. Discussion will be further fostered during time set aside for more informal interactions. To promote the next generation of neuroscientists, short talks will be selected from abstracts submitted by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In addition, junior faculty represent a third of confirmed invited speakers. Finally, this GRC will be preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), organized by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, which will feature talks and posters by trainees. The GRS will serve as a forum for trainees to present their work and to broaden their peer network and will complement the GRC in bringing together scientists from around the world to discuss and identify new directions in thalamus-brain interactions. The 2026 conference promises to continue the highly regarded tradition and reputation established by the decade-long history of the Thalamocortical Interactions GRC series, bringing top neuroscientists from around the world to communicate innovative science, develop new hypotheses of thalamus function, establish new collaborations among participants, and nurture the next generation of young neuroscientists.
