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Events
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Harvard Professor Vikram Khurana in Bucharest: New Perspectives on Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Precision Medicine
On 26 August 2026, a scientific meeting on precision neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease research was held at the Council Hall of the Faculty of Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. The event featured Professor Vikram Khurana of Harvard Medical School.
Organised by the Brain Research Foundation in collaboration with the Research and Development Institute for Genomics (ICDG) and “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the meeting brought together researchers, clinicians and members of the academic community to discuss promising directions for the future of medicine.
Professor Khurana holds the Tracy J. Batchelor Chair in Neurology at Mass General Brigham, is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. His research spans neuroscience, cell biology, genomics and precision medicine, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and the development of therapies tailored to each patient’s biological profile.
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In his presentation, “MyTrial for Neurodegeneration: Vignettes in Precision Neuroscience,” Professor Khurana addressed a major challenge in modern neurology: the diversity of neurodegenerative diseases and the need for therapeutic approaches that reflect individual patient characteristics.
A key topic was the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), generated from patients’ cells to create experimental models of neurological disease. These models can help researchers investigate disease mechanisms at the cellular level, identify potential therapeutic targets and assess responses to candidate treatments in an individualised biological context.
The discussion also covered precision-medicine biobanks, the integration of genomic information and biomarkers, and new approaches to research and clinical-trial design. Examples from Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School included research into neurodegenerative ataxias and synucleinopathies, conditions for which effective treatments remain a significant challenge.
Initiatives such as MyTrial illustrate how patient-derived cellular models can be combined with clinical and genomic data to explore personalised treatment strategies. This approach may help move the field beyond therapies designed for broad patient groups towards interventions better matched to the individual biological mechanisms of disease.
Beyond the scientific presentation, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges of translating fundamental discoveries into clinical practice and the role of interdisciplinary and international collaboration in accelerating scientific progress.
By bringing together the Brain Research Foundation, ICDG and “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy with an internationally recognised researcher, the event strengthened dialogue between Romania’s scientific community and leading biomedical research centres. It highlighted both the promise of cellular and genomic technologies and the importance of research focused on patients’ real needs, where scientific progress and clinical relevance go hand in hand.
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Advances in precision neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease research
Brain Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute for Research and Development in Genomics (ICDG) and the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest is organizing a meeting dedicated to advances in precision neuroscience and research into neurodegenerative diseases.
The event will feature Vikram Khurana, M.D., Ph.D., Tracy J. Batchelor Chair in Neurology at Mass General Brigham, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
The presentation will address one of the major challenges in current neurological research: patient heterogeneity in neurodegenerative diseases and the need for therapies tailored to individual patient profiles.
The meeting will explore how precision medicine biobanks, the generation of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, new research and clinical trial paradigms, and the integration of genomics and precision medicine into neurology can contribute to accelerating the development of targeted therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Concrete examples from precision neurology research conducted at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School will also be presented, with a focus on patients with neurodegenerative ataxias and synucleinopathies.
Event Details
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Date: August 26, 2026
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Time: 17:00 EEST
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Location: Council Room, Faculty of Medicine – “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy
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Address: 8 Bulevardul Eroii Sanitari, Bucharest, Romania
The event will also be available online through ICDG Bucharest.
Brain Research Foundation supports cutting-edge research in neuroscience and promotes collaboration among researchers, physicians, and academic institutions, with the goal of translating scientific discoveries into concrete solutions for patients with neurological disorders.
We invite you to join a discussion on the future of precision medicine in neurodegeneration and on how interdisciplinary research can open new avenues for diagnosis and treatment.