Conference Description
The Consciousness, Anesthesia and Evolutionary Biology GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes an array of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Consciousness lacks a satisfactory scientific explanation. We take the perspective that the experimental interrogation of the biology of altered states of consciousness across evolutionarily distant species offers a powerful and tractable path towards insight. To further this perspective, this GRC will focus on biological mechanisms underlying sleep, anesthesia, hibernation, and dissociative states across scales from molecular and circuit neuroscience to animal and human behavior. We will bring together neuroscientists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and evolutionary biologists to discuss emerging, unpublished research on altered states of consciousness across evolution. Emphasis will be placed on linking basic mechanisms to human health, including improved prognostication and treatment of disorders of consciousness, the therapeutic potential of anesthetic- and psychedelic-induced states, and strategies to enhance cognitive recovery following general anesthesia. This meeting will prioritize unpublished work, extended discussion following each presentation, and sustained informal interaction among scientists at all career stages. Afternoon poster sessions will encourage broad participation, with strong emphasis on trainee engagement. The 2027 conference will include a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) dedicated to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career investigators, providing a supportive venue for presentation, mentorship, and community building. At a moment when experimental precision is rapidly advancing, this GRC and GRS will provide a uniquely integrative forum to define shared mechanistic frameworks for understanding altered states of consciousness across species and clinical contexts.
The conference chair is currently developing their preliminary program, which will include 9 sessions and the names of the invited speakers and discussion leaders for each of these sessions. The preliminary program will be available by April 22, 2026. Please check back for updates.
