The 17th SINAPSE Annual Scientific Meeting was held on the 9th of June 2025, hosted by the University of Aberdeen at King’s College. The full agenda, abstracts, and keynote speaker biographies are available in the 2025 Abstract Booklet.

Dr. Gordon Waiter opened the conference by welcoming attendees to Aberdeen, followed by an update on SINAPSE activities over the past year. Our first keynote lecture was delivered by Professor Robert Turner, Emeritus Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, on “The Myelin Bootstrap: New Applications of MRI.”

Dr Waiter opening SINAPSE ASM 2025. © University of Aberdeen

Prof Turner delivering the first keynote lecture.© University of Aberdeen

The morning session concluded with lightning talk pitches from our talented poster presenters.

© University of Aberdeen

© University of Aberdeen

Following the first coffee break, attendees chose between two parallel sessions:– Parallel 1: Image Analysis, chaired by Dr Gordon Waiter (University of Aberdeen); Parallel 2: Clinical Applications, chaired by Prof Adam Waldman (University of Edinburgh).

Parallel 1: Image Analysis featured four talks:

  • Chris Mcneil – “The use of statistical shape modelling to identify a morphological marker of hippocampal atrophy from a single MRI scan.”
  • Hamza Hussaini – “Modified CBAM: Sub-Block Pooling for Improved Channel and Spatial Attention.”
  • Adamu Ali-gombe – “Stroke Diagnosis from Field-Cycling Imaging using Machine Learning.”
  • Keelin Ridge – “A Systematic Review of Cerebrovascular Reactivity Delay Assessment in Gas-Challenge Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging.”

Parallel 2: Clinical Applications featured three talks:

  • Anca-Larisa Sandu – “Effective treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease proven on brain imaging.”
  • Angelina Kancheva – “Investigating Cardiovascular Risk as a Moderator of the Relationship between Blood Plasma Dementia Biomarkers and Cognitive Impairment – A Cross-sectional Analysis of Data from the Bio-Hermes Study.”
  • Maria Valdés Hernández – “A large brain imaging dataset for dementia research: a Scottish Medical Imaging (SMI) cohort.”

During lunch, attendees had the opportunity to explore posters and visit exhibition stands hosted by Life Molecular, Philips and Siemens Healthineers 
Poster and Exhibition during lunch. © University of Aberdeen

The afternoon resumed with a Plenary Session, chaired by Professor Michelle Williams (University of Edinburgh) and Dr. Will McGeown (University of Strathclyde), featuring six presentations:

  • Angus Jacobs – “Evaluating the potential of cis- and trans-4-[18F]fluoro-L-proline positron emission tomography as biomarkers of active collagen biosynthesis in cardiometabolic diseases.”
  • Nicholas Senn – “Investigating the feasibility of centre-out 3D radial MRI at low-field (0.1T) for self-navigated reconstruction of spontaneous breathing lung.”
  • Elmergue Germano – “Calcified plaque imaging and detection in ex-vivo porcine heart arteries using a scalable, lead-free intravascular ultrasound array.”
  • Michelle Sader – “Ethical Complexities and Concerns Surrounding Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Open-Access Scientific Framework in Autism Research.”
  • Madeleine Rhodes – “Fast Field-Cycling as a Tool for Investigating Fibrin Clot Microstructure”
  • Hamzeh Norouzi – “Leveraging Open-Source M/EEGs to Identify Oscillatory Changes in Parkinson’s Disease”

A well-deserved coffee break followed the Plenary Session. The second keynote lecture was delivered by Professor Kate Tchanturia, Professor of Psychology at King’s College London, on “Shared Neurocognitive Patterns in Autism and Eating Disorders: Connecting the Dots.”

Prof Tchanturia delivering the second keynote lecture. © University of Aberdeen

Following the keynote, Dr. Gordon Waiter thanked all speakers and presented them with a Pewter Celtic Quaich engraved with the University of Aberdeen logo.

Prof Turner receiving his gift. © University of Aberdeen

Prof Tchanturia receiving her gift. © University of Aberdeen

Before closing this year’s ASM, Dr. Waiter announced the prize winners for best presentations across five categories:

  • Best poster: Michelle Sader (University of Aberdeen)
  • Best lightning talk: Eva McEwan (MR Coiltech)
  • Best talk, Clinical applications: Angelina Kancheva (University of Glasgow)
  • Best talk, Image Analysis: Keelin Ridge (University of Edinburgh)
  • Best talk, Plenary: Nicholas Senn (University of Aberdeen)

Michelle Sader receiving the prize for best poster. © University of Aberdeen.

Eva McEwan receiving the prize for best lightning talk. © University of Aberdeen.

Angelina Kancheva receiving the prize for best talk – Clinical Applications. © University of Aberdeen.

Keelin Ridge receiving the prize for best talk – Image Analysis. © University of Aberdeen.

Nicholas Senn receiving the prize for best talk – Plenary. © University of Aberdeen.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Jade McGowan, Katherine Coleske, and the entire CPD team at Aberdeen for helping the event run so smoothly.