ESRS 2026 Meetings & Courses Fellowship by Eva van Heese

Attending the Nordic Sleep Conference 2026 in Copenhagen was a very positive experience for me, both scientifically and personally. The smaller size of the meeting made it easy to move between sessions, talk to speakers, and follow up on ideas that came up during the programme. I especially enjoyed several talks that connected closely to sleep, neurodegeneration, and brain clearance, such as Celia Kjærby’s clear explanation of how norepinephrine dynamics shape spindle timing in ageing, and the infraslow oscillation symposium, where new findings on coordinated neuromodulator rhythms were presented. These sessions gave me a fresh perspective on how micro-arousals, neuromodulatory cycles, and sleep pressure interact, and they challenged some of my earlier assumptions about the role of micro-arousals.

A highlight of the conference was co‑chairing the contributed symposium Neuroimaging Insights into Sleep Disorders and Brain Function with my colleague Stine Knudsen-Heier. We aimed to bring more visibility to neuroimaging within the sleep research community, and the response was very encouraging. The audience was engaged, and several people approached us afterwards to discuss methods, shared interests, and possible collaborations. Presenting my own work on multi-centre MRI studies in central hypersomnolence disorders led to conversations about expanding the NICHY consortium into the Nordic region, with potential new partners from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These discussions were especially helpful as I am starting to explore postdoctoral options, and the meeting gave me a clearer sense of which groups in the region align with my interests.

Outside the scientific programme, the conference had a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that made it easy to meet new people. Attending on my own pushed me to start more conversations, and I found myself regularly approaching speakers after their talks to ask questions or continue discussions. I also spoke with several researchers who had moved to the Nordic countries for their PhD or postdoc, and their experiences gave me useful insight into research culture, daily life, and what it’s like to settle into a new environment. I’m returning to Amsterdam with new ideas, new contacts, and a better understanding of the Nordic sleep research landscape. I look forward to sharing what I learned with my colleagues and staying in touch with the people I met during the conference.