Neuroimmune Sciences Research Initiative
Exploring the intersection of the nervous and immune systems, with forty students, across ten weeks, ending in a publication the cohort writes together.
About the program
An immersive ten-week international biomedical program introducing forty students to one of the fastest-growing areas of modern medicine.
Through expert-led instruction, scientific literature, clinical case studies, interactive activities and discussion, students explore how the nervous and immune systems communicate, how that relationship changes in disease, and how researchers are working to understand it.
Beyond the science, students build skills in reading research, analyzing evidence, scientific discussion and communication, bringing the work together through a collaborative publication.
- Partnership
- With MediQuills
- Dates
- July to September 2026
- Format
- Virtual, international
- Cohort
- 40 students
- Capstone
- Collaborative publication
- Certificate
- Awarded on completion
What we are exploring
Ten weeks that start at the blood-brain barrier and end with a paper the cohort writes together.
- 01
Brain and immunity
How the nervous and immune systems communicate: the blood-brain barrier, microglia, immune surveillance, and neuroimmune homeostasis.
- 02
Neuroinflammation
How a healthy immune response becomes dysregulated, and what chronic inflammation means for the nervous system.
- 03
Neurological disease
Connecting those mechanisms to multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
- 04
Autoimmunity and emerging research
Autoimmune neurological disorders, emerging therapies, current research, and the careers shaping the field.
- 05
Research and publication
Scientific literature analysis, collaborative writing, and development of the cohort’s final publication.
Not ten weeks of lectures
Students learn through live discussion, games, clinical examples, research literature, collaborative activities, and conversations about how these concepts show up in real neurological disease. As the weeks progress the science gets harder, until the cohort has what it needs to write together.
The program so far
From the blood-brain barrier to neurodegenerative disease.
The cohort began by examining how the brain and immune system communicate, including microglia and the blood-brain barrier. Students then explored innate and adaptive immunity, immune surveillance and neuroprotection, before moving into neuroinflammation and its relationship with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Throughout, students have been discussing scientific research, working through activities and clinical examples, and learning to connect biological mechanism to disease rather than memorising terminology.
- 13 July 2026 The brain-immune connection Blood-brain barrier and microglia. How the brain and immune system communicate, and the protective role of the barrier and the brain’s resident immune cells.
- 20 July 2026 The immune system in neurological health How the immune system supports normal brain function, and the balance between a healthy immune response and dysregulation.
- 27 July 2026 Neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disease Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease: how chronic inflammation drives progression, and the therapeutic strategies under study.
- Next Autoimmunity, emerging therapies, publication Autoimmune neurological disorders, current literature, collaborative writing sessions, and the final research symposium.
Forty students, one international cohort
Students with a shared interest in neuroscience, medicine and biomedical research learn alongside one another for the full ten weeks. The virtual format lets students from different backgrounds and communities exchange ideas, discuss research together, and approach the same scientific questions from different directions.
Session photography for this cohort is still being gathered, and only participants who have given permission to be featured will be pictured. The photo shown here is from a different, in-person FutureVitals workshop.
Cohort
40 students
Length
10 weeks
Reach
International
Outcome
Collaborative publication
Building understanding through discussion.
I’ve always been interested in neuroscience, but this program helped me understand how closely it’s connected to the immune system. The workshops are really interactive, and I like that we spend time discussing real research instead of just listening to lectures.
Laveen KarthikeyanOne of my favorite parts has been learning how scientists actually approach neurological diseases. The discussions have made me think about Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in a completely different way.
Zoha PattanFrom learning the science to communicating it.
The program does not end with the final lesson. Students use the knowledge and research skills built across the cohort to work toward a collaborative publication, giving them experience with scientific analysis, writing, and communicating biomedical ideas.
Collaborative publication · In development
Currently underway
July to September 2026
The 2026 cohort is continuing through advanced neurological disease, emerging research, and publication development.