Donderians gathered for a day defined by energy, exchange and inspiration during the Donders Day 2026. The event once again demonstrated the breadth and depth of research at the Donders Institute. Across theme sessions, poster sessions, research blast, keynotes and awards, knowledge exchange and collaboration took centre stage.
The thematic sessions offered focused presentations around key research areas, encouraging both depth and cross-disciplinary dialogue. The Research Blast sessions delivered rapid-fire insights into scientific work, while the poster session created space for detailed conversations, new collaborations and fresh perspectives. Together, these formats showcased the diversity of approaches and the collective strength of Donders Institute. A number of prizes were also awarded:
A highlight of the day was the presentation of the Donders Cube, recognising outstanding scientific achievement within the community. The Donders Cube was awarded to Léa Michel in recognition of her exceptional contributions to sustainability and community-driven change within the institute. Together with Ana Carolina Temporão, who is no longer affiliated with the Donders Institute she has acted as a driving force behind the MNS Green Team. They established initiatives to monitor and reduce the carbon footprint of research, including travel tracking and the integration of carbon monitoring tools on the HPC system. Their work has raised awareness while offering practical solutions for more responsible research practices. Léa emphasised that these achievements are the result of a collective effort of all the Green Team members and the MNS department that supports their work.
The first-ever Donders Open Research Output (DORO) Award recognised outstanding contributions to open science. With this prize, the institute highlights research output that is openly shared, FAIR, and genuinely useful to the wider community, from software to data to tools that help others move their work forward.
This year's inaugural award was presented to Margely Cornelissen and Julian Kosciessa for maintaining open research software for transcranial ultrasound stimulation. The personalised simulation software PRESTUS and open-source hardware interfaces enable rigorous planning, implementation, and reporting of non-invasive ultrasound research. The software, which was co-developed at an earlier stage by former Donders staff members Andrey Chetverikov and Stein Fekkes, has been praised for its high-quality, FAIR-compliant code, robust documentation and practical impact, and offers an open-source alternative to commercial tools. “This openness has even inspired industrial partners to share their own tools,” the committee notes.
The poster session was all about presenting research and interaction, with early-career and established researchers alike presenting their work. The standard was high, making the selection of winners no easy task. The awarded posters stood out for their clarity, scientific quality and ability to engage a broad audience. This year’s winners were: