Second "InMEDias" Student Congress Dedicated to Neuroscience Held at CUC

On November 6 and 7, 2026, the School of Medicine of the Catholic University of Croatia hosted the 2nd "InMEDias" Student Congress titled "Neuroscience – From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Practice."

The two-day scientific and professional conference brought together numerous medical students, young researchers, university faculty, and prominent clinicians to bridge basic neuroscience research with the latest advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of complex neurological and psychiatric conditions.

The congress’s comprehensive program encompassed a series of invited lectures by renowned specialists, interdisciplinary panel discussions, poster presentations, and specialized workshops. The conference opened with welcoming remarks from the Rector, Prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD; the Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Dalibor Karlović, MD, PhD; and the President of the Organizing Committee, medical student Marin Tučić, followed by a student session on cerebrovascular diseases, epilepsy, neuroimmunology, and neurodevelopment.

The professional lectures commenced with a presentation on psychosomatics by Goran Ivkić, MD, followed by lectures from Assoc. Prof. Goran Sedmak, MD, PhD, on the role of the subthalamic nucleus in the treatment of Parkinson's disease; Asst. Prof. Marijana Bosnar Puretić, MD, PhD, on contemporary approaches to headache diagnosis and management; and Asst. Prof. Petra Bago Rožanković, MD, PhD, on a translational approach to advanced Parkinson's disease therapy. The scientific program on the second day continued with Asst. Prof. Martina Rinčić, MD, PhD, presenting on the links between the microbiome, brain development, and behavioral disorders, and Prof. Maja Jazvinšćak Jembrek, PhD, addressing cellular models in antidepressant efficacy research. The potential of neuromodulation and the application of deep brain stimulation were presented by Prof. Darko Chudy, MD, PhD, and Asst. Prof. Marina Raguž, MD, PhD.

The conference agenda also featured two thematic panel discussions. The first was devoted to comprehensive stroke patient management, featuring Asst. Prof. Marijana Bosnar Puretić, MD, PhD; Assoc. Prof. Marina Roje Bedeković, MD, PhD; Josip Sekovanić, MD; Zdravko Maček, PhD; speech and language pathologist Nika Vukelić; and a patient. The second panel examined the role of modern psychosurgery in treating refractory disorders, featuring the Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Dalibor Karlović, MD, PhD; Prof. Darko Chudy, MD, PhD; Asst. Prof. Marina Raguž, MD, PhD; and Asst. Prof. Marina Zagorec, MD, PhD. The practical component of the meeting offered participants workshops covering ultrasound in neurology, management algorithms for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), clinical approaches to nociplastic pain and vertigo, fundamentals of neurophysiotherapy, cognitive assessment, and the specific considerations of awake craniotomy for brain tumor resections.

Central to the congress were four student sessions comprising oral and poster presentations. Under faculty mentorship, students presented original research, systematic literature reviews, and rare clinical case reports across cerebrovascular diseases, epilepsy, neuroimmunology, genetics, neurosurgery, neuromodulation, and pediatric neuropsychiatry.