Conference Programme
The Conference Brochure is available to view online or download by clicking on the button below.
Please note that paper copies will not be available at the conference.
Code of conduct
CODE OF CONDUCT takes effect while at the Advanced in Motor Learning II conference. The organisers encourage open and honest intellectual debate within a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere at the meeting and on social media channels. To help maintain an open and respectful community of scientists, we do not tolerate illegal or inappropriate behaviour, including violations of applicable laws of the country in which the meeting is taking place. We condemn inappropriate or suggestive acts or comments that demean or harass another person by reason of gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical appearance, ethnicity/race, religion (or lack thereof), or that are generally unwelcome or offensive to other members of the community. Sexual language and imagery, unless related to specific scientific discussions, is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, and other online and social media. As the meeting is attended by a wide spectrum of delegates, please be aware of the power dynamic between PIs, post doctoral fellows and students and how that dynamic may affect interactions amongst delegates.
Thursday 11th December 2025: Neural Plasticity & Interference
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:30 | Registration and Refreshments |
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Welcome - Katja Kornysheva (University of Birmingham, UK) |
| Session 1: Neural Plasticity | |
| 09:45 – 10:45 | Keynote 1: Tamar Makin (University of Cambridge, UK) Sensorimotor skill learning outside the body |
| 10:45 – 11:45 |
Individual Talks: Ken Valyear (Bangor University, UK) Altered digit maps in human primary somatosensory cortex following hand nerve repair Sara Hussain (University of Iowa, USA) Peaks or troughs? Untangling mu phase-dependent mechanisms of motor sequence learning Catharina Zich (University of Oxford, UK) Movement-related beta activity and plasticity in motor learning and stroke recovery Session Chair: Katja Kornysheva (University of Birmingham, UK) |
| 11:45 – 12:15 | Refreshment Break and Networking |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Panel Discussion: Harnessing Neural Plasticity for Rehabilitation and Performance |
| 12:45 – 13:30 | Lunch - Served in the hotel restaurant (main building) |
| Session 2: Interference | |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Keynote 2: Friedhelm Hummel (EPFL, CH) Stimulating the Mind: Non-Invasive Neuromodulation to enhance Motor and Cognitive Functions |
| 14:30 – 15:30 |
Individual Talks: Joseph Galea (University of Birmingham, UK) Reward-Driven Motor Improvements are Resistant to Interference from Brain Stimulation, Drugs, Ageing and Disease Maarten Immink (Flinders University, AUS) Meditation, motor learning, and aging: From context preservation to contextual integration Willem Verwey & Russell Chan (Twente University, NL) The Three-Level System (TLS) architecture predicts fractal data patterns & Fractal dynamics in the variability of centre of mass during dance learning provide insight to hierachical control processing Session Chair: Arnaud Boutin (Université Paris-Saclay, FR) |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Panel Discussion: Interference – Challenges and Frontiers |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | Poster Session with refreshments |
| 19:00 – 21:30 | Conference Dinner - The Vaults, The Exchange (Birmingham) |
Friday 12th December 2025: Disorders & Consolidation
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Refreshments and Networking |
| Session 3: Disorders | |
| 09:00 – 10:00 |
Keynote 3: Anna Sadnicka (University College London, UK)
Precision Disrupted: Rethinking the Neural Basis of Task-Specific Dystonia |
| 10:00 – 11:00 |
Individual Talks: Maria Herrojo Ruiz (Goldsmiths University of London, UK) Learning biases in performance anxiety Matthew Weightman (University of Oxford, UK) Sleep-dependent motor learning and functional recovery after stroke Marit Ruitenberg (Leiden University, NL) Movement and cognition in neurodegenerative disorders: A dynamic duo Session Chair: Maarten Immink (Flinders University, AUS) |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Refreshment Break |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Panel Discussion: Challenges and Advances in Treating Motor Learning Disorders |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch - Served in the hotel restaurant (main building) |
| Session 4: Consolidation | |
| 13:00 – 14:00 |
Keynote 4: Genevieve Albouy (University of Utah, US)
Role of the Hippocampus in Wake- and Sleep-Related Motor Memory Consolidation |
| 14:00 – 15:00 |
Individual Talks: Arnaud Boutin (Université Paris-Saclay, FR) Sleep rhythms underlying motor memory consolidation Simon Steib (University of Heidelberg, GER) Exercise-induced changes in sleep microstructure: A mechanism for enhanced motor memory consolidation? Pierre Vassiliadis (EPFL, CH and University College London, UK) Real-time reinforcement of a motor skill Session Chair: Willem Verwey (Twente University, NL) |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Panel Discussion: Rethinking Consolidation in Long-Term Motor Learning |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | Poster Session with refreshments |
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Poster Prizes and Closing Ceremony Session Chairs: Russell Chan (Twente University, NL) & Maarten Immink (Flinders University, AUS) |