Neurosalience

Peter Bandettini interviews Edward Bullmore.Episode producers:Omer Faruk Gulban

For our final episode of the season, Neurosalience goes live from OHBM 2026 in Bordeaux! Recorded in front of a live audience on the final day of the conference, host Peter Bandettini is joined by Giulia Baracchini, Vince Calhoun, Satrajit Ghosh, and Mario Senden to explore one of neuroscience’s biggest challenges: how can we bring together the field’s rapidly expanding knowledge across different domains, methods, and scales?

The panel discusses the fragmentation of neuroscience, the overwhelming volume of new research, and the tools, models, and infrastructure needed to connect findings and make them more accessible and meaningful. From mapping the evolving landscape of neuroscience and preserving the richness of high-dimensional data to building intelligent, AI-supported scientific infrastructure, the conversation considers how researchers might better share knowledge, identify gaps, foster collaboration, and accelerate discovery.

Read Peter’s accompanying blog post for more background on the discussion and our guests:
https://www.ohbm-com.com/blog/neurosaliencelive-audience-podcast-at-ohbm-2026

We hope you enjoy this special live episode!

Episode producers:
Xuqian Michelle Li

We sit down with four of the people who made OHBM 2026 happen to get the inside scoop on what to expect! Joining us are Christian Beckman (Program Chair-Elect), Nicola Palomero-Gallagher (Program Chair), Rosanna Olsen (Education Chair), and Michel Thiebaut de Schotten (Local Organizing Committee Chair). With 2,500+ neuroscientists descending on Bordeaux, France from June 14–18, this year's meeting is shaping up to be a big one. We dig into the sessions, keynotes, awards, and why Bordeaux is such a perfect backdrop for the conference — plus great tips for getting the most out of your time there and the newly improved meeting app to help you plan your schedule. Whether you're heading to Bordeaux or just curious about what's in store, this one's a great listen!

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to OHBM 2026
05:21 - The Success of OHBM: Community and Content
10:05 - Methods and Applications in Neuroimaging
15:28 - Educational Courses: Structure and Selection
18:37 - Keynote Speakers and Program Design
23:56 - Symposia vs. Roundtable Discussions
30:50 - Brain Hacks: Collaborative Innovation
32:40 - Choosing the Right Venue for Conferences
37:17 - Exploring Bordeaux: A City of Wine and Culture
38:48 - Challenges in Conference Planning
46:35 - The Future of Poster Presentations
54:24 - Awards and Recognition in the Community
58:28 - Enhancing Conference Value and Engagement
01:02:02 - Social Aspects of the Conference

Resources:
https://www.humanbrainmapping.org/OHBM2026/

Episode producers:
Xuqian Michelle Li

“The Transmitter is trying to cover the whole waterfront…”

Kristin Ozelli is the Executive Editor of The Transmitter, a neuroscience publication supported by the Simons Foundation that launched in 2023. In this conversation, Peter and Kristin explore what makes The Transmitter tick. At its heart, the publication is driven by a conviction that neuroscience is most powerful when its many scales, modalities, and subfields are in conversation with each other, and that good science journalism can provide the intellectual scaffolding to make that happen. They discuss the editorial process behind the scenes, from morning story meetings and house style guides to multiple rounds of editing, and how scientist-written essays are helping fill the void left by the decline of science Twitter. The conversation also touches on The Transmitter's ambitious State of Neuroscience mapping project, the ongoing tension between a fragmenting field and the hunger for greater integration, and what it means to portray science as a genuinely human endeavor. They close with thoughts on AI in science writing, exciting new tools and resources coming to the site, and how publications like The Transmitter might help rebuild trust between scientists and a skeptical public.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to the Transmitter and Its Mission
05:49 - Kristin Ozelli’s Journey to Neuroscience Journalism
08:29 - The Transmitter's History and Evolution
11:03 - Finding the Sweet Spot in Neuroscience Communication
16:19 - Mapping Neuroscience: The State of Neuroscience Project
23:22 - Engaging the OHBM Community and Beyond
30:07 - The Evolution of Scientific Communication
33:45 - Public Perception of Science
40:22 - Future Directions for Transmitter
47:15 - The Role of AI in Journalism

Resources:
14:20 - The State of Neuroscience https://www.thetransmitter.org/state-of-neuroscience-report-2025/

Episode producers:
Karthik Sama, Xuqian Michelle Li

"Registered reports foster clarity upfront…"

Dr. Oscar Esteban is a professor at Lausanne University Hospital whose lab develops open neuroimaging infrastructure, best known for tools like fMRIPrep and MRIQC. Dr. Mallar Chakravarty is Director of the Brain Imaging Center at the Douglas Research Centre at McGill University and co-editor-in-chief of Aperture Neuro.

In this conversation, Peter, Mallar, and Oscar unpack what registered reports are and why they emerged as a response to the file drawer problem and publication bias toward positive results. Drawing on Oscar’s firsthand experience using registered reports in his own lab, the discussion explores how front-loading peer review can sharpen experimental design, protect researchers pursuing high-risk science, and give trainees meaningful early career credit. But the conversation doesn’t shy away from harder questions: Can any publication mechanism truly fix an incentive-driven culture? Where does the natural, iterative cycle of exploratory science fit in? And are registered reports the right tool for every type of science or just some of it?

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
06:12 - Understanding Registered Reports
10:48 - The Origin and Motivation Behind Registered Reports
15:03 - Concerns and Challenges of Registered Reports
21:08 - Exploratory vs. Confirmatory Research
30:50 - The Role of Registered Reports in Training Researchers
42:15 - The Role of Pre-registration in Scientific Rigor
53:59 - The Systemic Challenges in Scientific Publishing
01:06:29 - Concluding Thoughts on Registered Reports

Resources:
01:02:37 - About PCI Registered Reports - Peer Community In https://rr.peercommunityin.org/about

Episode producers:
Xuqian Michelle Li