When we decided to discuss the “welcoming internationals” theme, Mert Erginkaya was among the first names that came to mind. Mert has been a close friend for over six years, and I’ve always felt he represents the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) community at its best. This piece is his story and, in a way, a bit of mine, because I was lucky enough to be part of Mert’s CF journey.

It was Friday evening, November 7th, and the entrance hall of the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown didn’t look like itself. Where one would normally expect calm and quiet, the space pulsed with energy, the clinking of pots, the low hum of conversation, the scent of coriander, roasted pumpkin, and the promise of so much more.

We explore how imagination can heal – like playing Tetris after trauma to weaken intrusive images in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – and how it can misfire in the hallucinations of Parkinson’s disease or bereavement, when a “phantom spouse” may still be seen or felt, or in Functional Neurological Disorder, where expectations and emotions can produce real physical symptoms, even paralysis. Zeman shares the unforgettable case of “Toby” to show the power of suggestion at work.

Historically, scientists studying the brain, like neuroscientists and psychologists, worked separately from those studying the body, such as endocrinologists and physiologists. Research on how the nervous system interacts with the body has been growing, but “it kind of stops there, rarely making it past the neck to reach the brain again”, as Carlos Ribeiro puts it. Neuroscientists, meanwhile, often focus on higher brain functions without considering how body signals might influence them.

Fermented clues

Cheese and chocolate might not tempt a fruit fly’s palate, but to a hungry fly short on nutrients, their smell carries a hidden signal. When deprived of certain amino acids – the building blocks of protein – these tiny insects develop a surprisingly refined sense of smell that helps them track down not just food, but specific bacteria living in fermented foods.

With nearly 30 presenters, including four keynote speakers, and over 300 participants from across the globe, the symposium was structured into multiple sessions exploring different themes. Chaired by CF’s Memming Park, Principal Investigator of the Neural Dynamics Lab, together with Yale University’s Shreya Saxena and the University of Cambridge’s Guillaume Hennequin, the event focused on neurocybernetics – a field first defined in the 1940s that studies how brains use feedback and control to adapt, learn, and interact with their surroundings.
 

“I was a psychedelic teenager. Then, at 18, I had a bad trip with LSD, and became very paranoid”, explained Jules Evans to his audience at the event that took place at Champalimaud Foundation, at the beginning of the month, under the title “Psychedelic Therapy: From Evidence to Equity”. Today, Evans is the founder and Director of the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project, the leading resource for post-psychedelic difficulties and what helps people recover from them.

The distinction recognises in addition to Leonor Beleza’s outstanding contribution to strengthening the friendship between Portugal and France, her lifelong dedication to causes of shared importance including the promotion of democracy, the advancement of gender equality, the improvement of healthcare systems, and the support of medical and scientific research.

The ceremony took place at the French Embassy in Portugal, at the Palácio de Santos, in the presence of the highest-ranking dignitaries.

Fred Hollows was an extraordinary man, “one of the most interesting people to have come out of the area of ophthalmology for many years, because he was a real disruptor”, said Nicola Watkinson, chair of the Fred Hollows Foundation UK, during an interview she gave us when she was in Lisbon, in September, to receive the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award.

With profound sadness at the passing of Professor Jorge Cruz, we pay tribute to our colleague and our friend. He will be remembered not only as a surgeon but also for his enduring legacy as a teacher, mentor, and guide. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.