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The African School of NeuroImmunology, AFSNI 2025
The African School of NeuroImmunology, AFSNI, one of the schools organized by ISNI through the Global Schools of Neuroimmunology, has started on April 12th 2025 in Rabat, Morrocco, hosted by the Mohammed V University. It will last until April 16th 2025. This is not the first AFSNI co-branded school. However this is the first time ISNI has been able to provide partial economical support this school. African international schools in neuroscience are mostly supported by the International Brain Research Organization, IBRO, of which ISNI is a partner. It is different organizing schools in Africa as compared to other continents. The most relevant difference is that schools need to provide complete support for students: travel, accommodation, food. Air tickets, especially, are extremely expensive for students from sub-Saharan Africa. As a practical consequence, most students are from the hosting country. Also this time we have 8 students from Morocco. But, thanks also to the money provided by ISNI, we also host 3 students from Ghana, 2 from Nigeria, 1 from Tunisia, 1 from Kenya, 1 from Cameroon. We had to select these 16 students from over hundred applications. For these students this is not only a unique opportunity for education, but an opportunity for networking, meet professors, learn about opportunities abroad, start new collaborations. Many alumni of our previous schools have changed their professional trajectories thanks to this opportunity, at the point that there will be an ISNI-Neuroimmunology symposium at the next Society of Neuroscience of Africa (SONA) in Marrakech, right at the end of this school, where the speakers have been all selected from former students of our schools. The whole credit for these activities goes to Prof. Willias Masocha, co-Director of AFSNI, originally from Zimbabwe and now teaching in Kuwait, and Prof. Nouria Lakhdar-Ghazal from Morocco, who both relentlessly work to make this happen. #WeAreNeuroimmunology all over the world, also in Africa.
Western University (London, Canada) invites world-leading researchers to apply for one of several prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) opportunities.
Launched in 2008, the CERC Program supports Canadian universities in their efforts to build upon Canada’s reputation as a global leader in research and innovation and to attract world-renowned researchers to Canada. The awards are among the most prestigious and generous available globally. The program stands at the centre of our national strategy to foster research excellence in Canada and improve the depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada’s international competitiveness, and to help train the next generation of highly skilled people. The awards provide an opportunity for international researchers, including Canadian expatriates wishing to relocate to Canada, to lead a prestigious research program at Western and to contribute to Canada’s excellence in research and innovation.
The CERC nomination is a two-stage process where applicants first apply to this job posting. Successful applicants then work with our institution to submit a nomination to the 2026 CERC competition. The university will support successful nominees throughout the development of their applications. Following a highly competitive selection process, the CERC program awards successful researchers and their teams either $8 million or $4 million over 8 years to establish ambitious research programs at the nominating university. There are two award values to recognize the varying costs of research within different research disciplines and to be inclusive of all areas of research
Research Alignment
Western anticipates nominating up to three candidates for CERC positions, based on award value. Applications from outstanding established scholars are welcomed in the following seven areas, with at most one nomination to be selected from a given area:
(1) Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions
(2) Neuroscience and Brain Health
(3) Multi-Hazard Resilient Infrastructure
(4) Smart Infrastructure Technologies
(5) Electrochemistry and Materials Degradation
(6) Earth and Space Exploration – Astromaterials
(7) Political Polarization.
Please see the full job description available at this website: https://www.uwo.ca/facultyrelations/careers/CERC-2026-Job-Ad-May-8.pdf
Clinical/Experimental Neuroscience and Psychiatry – PhD Program – Sapienza Rome
Type of educational offering: PhD Program
Academic Year: 2025/2026
Sapienza Scholarships:
External Scholarships: 4
Positions without scholarship: 4
Identification number: 16183
Curricula
a) Neurological, Neurodevelopmental, and Psychiatric Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence; b) Neurophysiology;c) Experimental Neurology; d) Neurorehabilitation; e) Sensorimotor Neuroscience; f) Auditory System Pathology; g) Psychiatry: Early Interventions in Psychoses and Mood Disorders
Educational Objectives
The PhD program is divided into 7 curricula focusing on the study of physiological and pathological aspects of the nervous system. The common goal across the curricula is to provide PhD candidates with the theoretical and experimental tools to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the functioning of motor and sensory systems, as well as their alterations in neurological, degenerative, psychiatric, oncological, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
PhD students undergo a three-year training program that includes initially supervised and later independent research activities, along with decreasing classroom instruction enriched by weekly seminars known as Neurowebinars.
These are the specific objectives for PhD students in the different curricula:
SENSORIMOTOR NEUROSCIENCE: Conduct research on the motor and sensory systems in both healthy subjects and patients with movement disorders, and investigate the clinical and neurophysiological aspects of epilepsy.
NEUROREHABILITATION: Acquire knowledge about central mechanisms involved in motor recovery in patients with neurological diseases undergoing rehabilitation treatment.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY: Perform research on neurodegenerative diseases starting from data analysis in animal models to understand the pathogenic processes underlying human diseases, also using experimental approaches in quantitative neuroimaging and molecular biology.
NEUROLOGICAL, NEURODEVELOPMENTAL, AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE: Develop and test hypotheses related to the pathophysiology of these disorders, define specific observational and therapeutic approaches aimed at validating early clinical outcome measures, and design experimental trials for new pharmacological treatments or innovative diagnostic procedures.
AUDITORY IMPLANTOLOGY AND NEUROSTIMULATION: Gain knowledge of electrophysiological, psychoacoustic, and audiological prosthetic aspects, to study issues related to auditory processing through these devices, their therapeutic effectiveness in restoring auditory function, and their impact on language development.
PSYCHIATRY: EARLY INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOSES AND MOOD DISORDERS: Address current needs in psychiatric disciplines by integrating existing knowledge and expertise in neuroscience, genetics, molecular and cellular biology, brain imaging, epidemiology, psychometrics, and pharmacology.
NEUROPHYSIOLOGY: Study the physiological mechanisms of synaptic function, communication between nervous system cells, and interactions between the nervous system, immune system, and gut microbiota, as well as their alterations in pathological conditions, including using animal models of brain disorders.
Exam – Oral Interview
Assessment – Evaluation of Qualifications
Faculty Recruitment – NEIDL Boston University
The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) at Boston University is recruiting multiple faculty members at all ranks.
Assistant Professor – University of Sasketchewan
Applications are invited for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology.
Department page: https://medicine.usask.ca/bmi/
Position PDF: https://www.isniweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cell_Metabolism_Ad.pdf
ImmunoBrain Presents Clinical Data for First Immune Checkpoint Therapy Approach in Alzheimer’s Disease at AD/PD™ 2026
- Favorable safety and tolerability profile
- Directionally favorable changes in disease-related biomarkers observed
- Phase 1b data support further clinical advancement
NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 — ImmunoBrain, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel immunotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today presented new data from the first clinical study in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, evaluating IBC-Ab002, an inhibitory immune checkpoint blockade therapeutic approach. The findings were presented by Professor Catherine J. Mummery, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., the study’s lead investigator, as part of a symposium at the Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases Conference (AD/PD™) 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Phase 1b clinical trial (IBC-01-01) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that enrolled 40 patients with early AD across sites in the U.K., the Netherlands, and Israel. The primary and secondary endpoints of the study were safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. Exploratory measures of CNS engagement included AD-related CSF biomarkers at 12 months. All immune-related adverse events were generally mild and manageable, with no serious adverse events related to the study drug and no cases of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). CSF biomarker analysis (Neurogranin, total-Tau, and pTau181) at a dose of 30 mg/kg of IBC-Ab002, compared to placebo, is concordant with potential synaptic and neuronal protection.
“There remains a significant unmet need for disease-modifying therapies that address the underlying biology of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Professor Mummery. “The results shared today provide early clinical evidence that short, intermittent exposure to immune checkpoint modulation potentially offers a novel therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease by activating the peripheral immune system to help restore the brain’s natural repair process. I look forward to seeing additional clinical data for this program.”
IBC-Ab002 is a proprietary anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody engineered for intermittent PD-1/PD-L1 pathway blockade to reinvigorate adaptive immunity and recruit reparative immune cells that can help reduce local brain neuroinflammation and support brain repair mechanisms.
“We are very encouraged by these results and believe they pave the way for ImmunoBrain’s next stage clinical study,” said ImmunoBrain Scientific Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Professor Michal Schwartz, Ph.D. “Specifically, the CSF biomarker changes we observed in Phase 1b are consistent with our proposed mechanism of action, based on years of research in my laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science.”
Next Steps
The company is currently designing the next phase of clinical development incorporating cognitive endpoints.
About IBC-Ab002
IBC-Ab002 is ImmunoBrain’s proprietary, fully human anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody. It is an Fc-modified antibody designed based on its mechanism of action in neurodegenerative diseases, where the therapeutic benefit is Cmax-dependent rather than driven by continuous exposure. Its short-lived profile, together with intermittent administration, is intended to minimize exposure during chronic dosing, thereby reducing autoimmune risk without compromising efficacy. The company recently completed its Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with Alzheimer's disease [NCT05551741], supported in part by grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Alzheimer's Association.
About ImmunoBrain
ImmunoBrain is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a differentiated approach to treat neurodegenerative diseases by activating the peripheral immune system to support brain protection and repair. The company's approach builds on more than 25 years of research led by Scientific Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Professor Michal Schwartz, Ph.D., and her team at the Weizmann Institute of Science, who discovered that the brain is tightly dependent on the viability of the immune system and that the immune system plays a critical role in protecting and repairing the brain.
Disclaimer
This press release is provided for informational purposes only. The statements herein describe ongoing clinical research activities and are intended to summarize information presented in a scientific forum. Any data or analyses referenced in this release are preliminary in nature and reflect the results of early–stage investigation that remains subject to further study, review, and interpretation. Information presented herein is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, nor to represent the safety or efficacy of any investigational product. Clinical outcomes may differ materially as additional data become available. Nothing in this release should be construed as a representation regarding the regulatory status, approval, or commercial availability of IBC–Ab002 or any other product. Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging, Award Number R01AG071810. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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