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EMBO Workshop

Dendrites and beyond: properties, function and contributions to network processing

19 – 22 May 2026 | Heraklion, Greece

  • Registration Deadline
  • 15 March 2026
  • Abstract Submission Deadline
  • 1 February 2026
  • Chosen Participants Will Be Notified By
  • 28 February 2026
  • Payment Deadline
  • 1 April 2026

Apply now!

Use #EMBOdendrites

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About the Workshop

Understanding how the brain generates perception and behavior remains a major challenge in neuroscience. Neurons communicate through synaptic inputs located on dendrites, complex, highly branched structures that shape sensory processing, memory formation, and behavior. Advances in imaging, electrophysiology, and computational modeling now allow researchers to explore dendritic function across multiple scales, from single-synapse plasticity to dendritic computations driving behavior. This EMBO Workshop brings together leading scientists from molecular, biophysical, anatomical, computational, and functional neuroscience, as well as neuro-inspired AI, to advance our understanding of dendrites in cognition and disease. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to uncover fundamental principles governing dendritic computations and their broader implications, including how they may be incorporated into new AI architectures for more efficient or brain-like computation. Set on the stunning island of Crete, this EMBO Workshop is designed to encourage scientific exchange beyond traditional presentations, creating an engaging and interactive environment. Dedicated sessions will support young researchers, such as (1) work-life balance, (2) mentorship across career stages, and (3) career paths within and beyond academia. Through open discussions and collaborative experiences, this meeting will inspire new insights into the role of dendrites in brain function and dysfunction, paving the way for important future discoveries in neuroscience.


About EMBO Courses and Workshops

EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender).

Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.

 
 

Programme

 

Registration

  • Registration Deadline
  • 15 March 2026
  • Abstract Submission Deadline
  • 1 February 2026
  • Chosen Participants Will Be Notified By
  • 28 February 2026
  • Payment Deadline
  • 1 April 2026

 

  • STUDENT/POSTDOCS EUR 350
  • ACADEMIC EUR 500
  • INDUSTRY EUR 800

Registration includes:

  • Conference materials
  • Welcome reception
  • 8 Coffee breaks
  • 4 Lunches

Excluding accommodation

Contact Information

Participants will be asked to provide essential contact details, organizational affiliations, dietary preferences, accessibility requirements, a photo (if needed), and any additional custom information relevant to the event.

Registration Details

Attendees can select their appropriate registration type (and fee category (e.g., early bird or late). This section also outlines what is included.

Accommodation

Participants have the option to book their stay directly at the Galaxy Hotel Iraklio, which also serves as the venue for the Workshop.

Social Events

Any available social events can be added to the registration at any time.

Summary

Before proceeding to the payment page, a Summary is available of all bookings made, followed by the Terms and Conditions.

Payment

Payment will be made directly through the activated online registration page which is linked to the bank’s secure server.

https://artion.eventsair.com/embo-2026/registration-form

Payments & Taxes

  • All registration fees are quoted in Euro (€) and include 24% VAT
  • Invoices with an address in the European Union should be provided with a VAT Number. The invoice address and VAT number are provided during the registration process
  • Early bird rates are valid if paid until the early bird deadline
  • After the early bird deadline expires, unpaid registrations are switched automatically to the valid registration fee of the day

Payment options
Credit card:Visa, Master, Maestro, AMEX cards are accepted.
PayPal, Stripe & Google Payment
Bank transfer: Bank charges must be paid by the participants in addition to the registration fees.
*Please make sure to indicate the Congress name, “EMBO Dendrites 2026”, full participant name/s and affiliation/s in the details section of the bank transfer.

DATA PROTECTION:
We inform you that the personal data you provide to us are collected with your consent; the personal data collected through the registration form are for the purpose of processing your registration form at the EMBO Dendrites 2026. They will be processed in accordance with Greek legislation and Regulation No 2016/679, General Regulation on the Protection of Personal Data.

By registering, I consent to receive news from the organizers, related to the EMBO Dendrites 2026 and news from the Congress Industry Sponsors, related to the EMBO Dendrites 2026.

Once the Registration Form is completed and submitted, delegates will receive a confirmation email containing a pro forma invoice summarizing their bookings and payments. The email also includes a personalized link, allowing them to revisit the form and make any necessary changes at any time.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Any cancellation of participation must be notified by e-mail to embo2026@artion.com.gr

  • For cancellations received by 19/04/2026 – the full amount is refundable, reduced by the administrative fee of 10%
  • For cancellations received after 19/04/2026 – No refund is possible

All refunds are processed after the Workshop and within of a period of six weeks.

Refundable amounts may bear bank fees.

Requests for reimbursements must be sent only by email to embo2026@artion.com.gr.

Refunds to credit card payments may only be credited back to the original credit card used upon payment; refunding to an alternate card is not possible.

In case of event cancelation for reasons of force majeure, paid registration fees are fully refunded.

If the EMBO Dendrites 2026 is rescheduled to a new date, for whatever reason, a full refund of the registration fee will be provided to those who have already paid the fee but cannot attend the Congress at its newly scheduled time.

However, transfer of your registration to another person is acceptable. Any modification should be communicated to the Workshop Secretariat embo2026@artion.com.gr.

No-show Policy

Refunds will not be granted for no-shows (delegates who do not attend the Workshop with no prior notice of cancellation). Delegates assume full responsibility for notification to and verification of receipt by the EMBO Dendrites 2026 hosts.

Selection criteria

Participants will be selected based on the submission of scientific abstracts. Abstracts will be reviewed by the program committee and evaluated according to their relevance to the topic of the workshop, their merit, and the significance of their scientific findings. Efforts will be made to ensure that at least 40% of participants are female/underrepresented researchers.

With respect to young researchers, the workshop will have sessions (8-10 talks of 15 minutes each) where young researchers (postdocs or students) will be selected to present their work. The selection will be based on the scoring (relevance, merit and significance) of submitted abstracts. The top 8-10 abstracts will be selected, taking into account the percentage of female authors. Our goal is that at least 4-5 of the young speakers are female/underrepresented.

Abstract guidelines

Abstracts should describe the latest work on molecular, biophysical, anatomical, computational and/or functional aspects of dendrites to further our understanding of how these beautiful structures contribute to different brain functions and their abnormalities. Abstracts should be no longer than 600 words plus references. There are no formatting requirements. Please use the online submission system and copy-paste your text in the specified locations.

Poster specifications

Poster board dimensions are 1.00m x 1.00m with actual display area of 80cm width x 94cm height

Travel grants and registration fee waivers

Travel grants and registration fee waivers are available for participants.

Selection of awardees is handled directly by the organizers. EMBO travel grants and registration fee waivers are allocated on the basis of the quality of the submitted abstract.

Applicants do not need to apply separately for these but should indicate on the registration form if they wish to be considered

Additional travel grants are available for EMBC Associate Member States Chile, India, Singapore and Taiwan.

Child care grants

EMBO Courses and Workshops offers grants to offset additional childcare costs incurred by participants or speakers when participating at any EMBO Courses and Workshop funded meeting. Eligible costs include fees for a caregiver or child-care facility, travel costs for a caregiver, or travel costs for taking the child to the meeting etc. Please indicate on the registration form whether you would like to be considered for the grant. Please also describe how you intend to use the childcare grant and specify the sum that you will need.

Accessibility grants

EMBO offers accessibility grants to support participants at EMBO Courses & Workshops with any access needs. These grants cover up to 500 Euros for any additional costs e.g. to adapt the conference environment, or to be accompanied by someone to assist them where necessary.

Participants with access needs may apply for a grant via the registration system of the related EMBO event, or by emailing the organizers of the related EMBO event directly.


Code of conduct

Anti-harassment and non-discrimination policy

At EMBO, we believe that harassment and discriminatory behaviour are unacceptable in any setting.

Media and communications policy

Recording or communication of the presented data needs to be agreed upon by all concerned.

EMBO's code of conduct is applicable for all participants of this EMBO meeting and can be found here.

 

Contact

Mrs. Zoi Pazaiti, Project Manager

z.pazaiti@artion.com.gr
+30 6985179050 &

Mrs. Despina Amarantidou, Project Leader

d.amarantidou@artion.com.gr
+30 6977970404

Marsa Velissariou

marvelissariou@gmail.com

 

 

Venue

Galaxy Hotel Heraklio | Dimokratias Avenue 75 | 71306 | Heraklion | Crete | GR

T. +30 281 0238812

F. +30 281 0211211

E. galaxy@economouhotels.com,
reservations@economouhotels.com

Accommodation

The EMBO 2026 Dendrites Workshop will be hosted in Galaxy Hotel Iraklio 5*.

Located in a quiet area just outside of the centre of Heraklion, the hotel is housed in an immaculately renovated building of timeless design in an accessible area with parking. With a solid experience in hosting events, the hotel’s experienced staff caters to all requests with dedication, professionalism and vision, offering guests a plethora of exemplary services.

The hotel’s constantly renovated meeting and conference amenities provide the perfect solution for scientific meetings, business functions of any variety or size. All rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and are designed to create a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere conducive to concentration and comfortable attendance by the participants.

Address: 75, Dimokratias Avenue, Heraklion 713 06, Crete, Greece

A limited number of rooms has been reserved which can be booked only via the Registration Form provided by ARTION PCO.

The discounted rate for the conference participants and we encourage you to book your hotel reservation as soon as possible since May is considered as high season and the rooms will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Room rates

Single Room BB € 155,00

Double Room ΒB € 175,00

Environmental Fee € 15,00 / night / room

Invited speakers, organizers and participants are encouraged to book a room at the Galaxy Hotel. Considering the budget limitations of students/postdocs we will also provide a list of nearby hotels that offer single/double/triple rooms at lower/fixed prices for participants to facilitate the process. Commuting to the venue should be done on foot, as the distance to several nearby city hotels is small.

Transport

ARRIVING AT HERAKLION

By plane: Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport is located in the central north of Crete, 4.5 km from Heraklion town. This is a busy international airport directly connected to Athens International Airport with many domestic flights run daily. There are also other direct scheduled airline connections from major European cities as well as many charter flights from most European countries. You can travel to Heraklion, Crete, from anywhere in the world via Athens, the capital of Greece.

By ferry: The duration of the ferry trip from Piraeus Port of Athens to Heraklion is about 9 hr on average. Information on tickets here: https://www.piraeus.org/

HOW TO GET TO THE CONGRESS VENUE – GALAXY HOTEL IRAKLIO

The Galaxy Hotel Iraklio is within walking distance (15 minutes) from the city centre, shopping stores, and historical landmarks. The Heraklion International Airport is situated 5 kilometers away.

Βy bus: Buses arrive every 10 minutes and are headed from the airport to Heraklion KTEL terminal in the city of Heraklion. Bus service operates from 06:00 a.m. to 23:00 p.m. The Hotel is in 30 meters distance from the bus stop “Leoforos Dimocratias 79”. Information on bus lines and stops available here: public transportation

Taxi Service: The taxi stand is outside the arrivals’ hall. The ride to the city center takes approximately 10-15 minutes and costs 22-25€. Car rental desks are inside the airport terminal. Luxury – VIP taxis are also available. A double fare is applicable between midnight and 05:00 am.

MOVING AROUND IN HERAKLION

Heraklion is the largest city on the island of Crete and is also its capital. It is close to Knossos, the former Minoan city, on the island's north coast along the Sea of Crete. Heraklion is also located east of Rethymno and west of Lasithi Prefecture and makes up the middle region of Crete.

Places to eat and drink in Heraklion are found all around the prefecture, both in tourist resorts and in secluded villages. Heraklion Town is surely the place with most restaurants, cafes, bars, and clubs in the region. Many clubs are also found in the tourist places of Malia, Stalis, and Hersonissos, while the other tourist regions are more relaxing. Agia Pelagia, Matala, Lentas and other tourist places of Heraklion have more family atmosphere.

About the Area

GENERAL INFORMATION

Weather: Heraklion enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. During the summer months, especially from June to September, the weather is consistently sunny with temperatures often ranging between 30°C and 35°C. Rainfall is rare in summer. In contrast, winters are mild, with average daytime temperatures around 15°C, and most of the region’s rainfall occurs between November and March. Thanks to its coastal location, Heraklion often benefits from refreshing sea breezes, which help to moderate the summer heat.

Shopping: With Heraklion being the largest urban area on the island of Crete the city offers the most comprehensive range of options for hitting the shops. If you want to get into the city, have and have a browse for gifts or clothes or just be social and have a spot for lunch along the way the very center of the city is where to go. Unless you go early parking will become a challenge as more of the center has now been pedestrianized.

Banks are open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 14:00. All banks are closed on weekends and on public holidays. There are banks, ATMs and exchange offices throughout the city.

Power supply: In Greece the power plugs and sockets are of type C which also works with plug E and plug F and F which also works with plug C and plug E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

MUSEUMS

Heraklion, the largest town in Crete, is home to outstanding museums and ancient sites that reflect the island’s rich history dating back to antiquity. Among them, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum stands out as one of Greece’s most important cultural institutions, housing rare treasures of the Minoan civilization. Other notable museums include the Historical Museum of Crete, the Natural History Museum, and the Cretaquarium, located in the nearby area of Gournes.

LOCAL PRODUCTS

Heraklion is known for its high-quality, nutritionally rich products. The region offers a wealth of exceptional goods that reflect the richness of the Cretan land.

Olives and Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil stands out for its superb quality and rich flavor. Packed with antioxidants, it’s widely recognized for promoting longevity and overall well-being. Visitors can explore this tradition firsthand by touring one of the many olive mills across the region, where knowledgeable locals share the fascinating history and secrets behind Cretan olive oil.

Cretan Raki – Tsikoudia: Raki also known as tsikoudia in Crete, is often referred to as “the national drink of Crete” and holds a special place in the island’s culture. Deeply woven into the fabric of Cretan identity, tsikoudia is a symbol of hospitality, tradition, and togetherness. It is shared during celebrations, family gatherings, and moments of connection. For this reason, Cretan raki is one of the most cherished local gifts, a gesture of warmth, friendship, and generosity.

Meat & Cheese: The natural, nutrient-rich diet of the local sheep and goats contributes to the exceptional quality and flavor of Heraklion’s meat and dairy products. Traditional specialties such as apaki (smoked pork) and a variety of excellent sausages also stand out. Heraklion is well known for its cheeses made from goat and sheep milk, with notable varieties including anthotiro, kefalotyri, graviera, and the aromatic mizithra.

USEFUL LINKS

Visit Heraklion
Visit Greece | Heraklion
Municipality of Heraklion
Incredible Crete

EMERGENCY PHONES

112: Emergency phone

199: Fire service

166: Ambulance

100: Police

Sustainability at the meeting

The EMBO Courses & Workshops Programme assesses meetings based on the proposal and implementation of sustainability measures. Meetings can earn points across a range of measures, with each measure assigned a point value from one to five. These points classify the meeting into one of three sustainability levels, reflecting the organizers' commitment to enhancing the sustainability of their event. More information on the EMBO Courses & Workshops Sustainability Badge can be found here.

Catering will include vegetarian dishesishes, locally sourced ingredients, and bottled water or single-use wares will be avoided.

Participants are requested to offset the CO2 footprint from the flights by paying the extra charge offered by most airlines.

Abstract books and programs will be shared in electronic form only.

EMBO Journal