Topics

The motto of the joint congress EACD & IAACD „Developing Networks – Networks for Development“ is complemented by the following topics.

  • Different perspectives on genetics and neurometabolism
  • Interdisciplinary assessment and intervention
  • The complexity of comorbidity: intellectual and behavioral disorders, epilepsy and food-intake disorders
  • The role of behavior and feeding/nutrition in early childhood
  • Long-term strategies and outcomes (sustainability)
  • Implications for the child, his/her family and society
  • Novel therapeutic strategies for neurodisabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders

Sign up for our Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any news about the conference and supporting programme.

icon_ribbon 1

Stay up to date

Dive into EACD/IAACD 2025 in Heidelberg

Watch the trailer and get in the mood for a great conference and an exciting location.

Imagevideo EACD IAACD 2025

Committees

Planning committee

avatar

Andrea Plaza González

Assistant / Marketing and Communication


avatar

Annette Mund and Henriette Högl

PhD, Children´s Network Germany


avatar

Christian Schaaf

Vice-President EACD/IAACD 2025


avatar

Heike Himmelsbach

Assistant / Marketing and Communication


avatar

Marco Götze

MD, Paediatric Orthopedic Surgeon


avatar

Marco Konings

Management und communication, EACD


avatar

Michaela Kienle

Assistant / Marketing and Communication


avatar

Moritz Mall

PhD, Biologist, Neuroscientist


avatar

Rainer Blank

President EACD/IAACD 2025


avatar

Roslyn N. Boyd

Vice-President EACD/IAACD 2025


avatar

Sabine Vinçon

MScOT, Occupational Therapist


avatar

Steffen Syrbe

MD, Neuropaediatrician, Epileptologist


Scientific committee

Chairs

germany

Sebastian Schröder (Chair, local)

MD, Professor, Child Neurologist

Germany


germany

Gudrun Rappold (Co-Chair, local)

PhD, Professor, Molecular Genetics

Germany


Representative IAACD

australia

Roslyn N. Boyd (Co-Chair, IAACD)

PhD, Professor, Physiotherapist

Australia


Representative EACD

switzerland

Christopher Newman (EACD Scientific Chair)

MD, Child Neurologist

Switzerland


Kenya

Amina Abubakar

PhD, Psychologist, Public Health

Kenya


france

Ana Presado

MD, Professor, Orthopedic Surgeon

France


usa

Andrew Gordon

PhD, Professor, Psychologist

United States of America


uganda

Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige

MD, Child Neurologist

Uganda


india

Asis Kumar Ghosh

MD, Paediatrician

India


netherlands

Bert Steenbergen

PhD, Professor, Human Movement Scientist

Netherlands


south_africa

Claudine Storbeck

PhD, Deaf Education and Training, early intervention

South Africa


usa

Diane Damiano

PhD, Professor, Physiotherapist, Movement Scientist

United States of America


uk

Dido Green

PhD, Professor, Occupational Therapist

United Kingdom


brazil

Egmar Longo

PhD, Physiotherapist

Brazil


sweden

Elisabet Rodby Bousquet

PhD, Physiotherapist

Sweden


sweden

Eric Domeloff

PhD, Professor, Psychologist

Sweden


brazil

Guilherme Polanczyk

MD, Professor, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Brazil


bangladesh

Gulam Khandaker

PhD, Paediatrician, Public Health

Bangladesh


norway

Guro Andersen

PhD, Professor, Pediatrician

Norway


china

Gourong Wei

PhD, Professor, Physiotherapist

China


china

Hu Hao Cougar

MD, Professor, Basic Scientist

China


canada

Jacob Vorstman

MD, Child Psychiatrist

Canada


netherlands

Jan-Willem Gorter

MD, PhD, Professor, Physiatrist

Netherlands


canada

Jill Zwicker

PhD, Occupational Therapist

Canada


poland

Katarzyna Swieczkowska

MA, Special Education, parent representative

Poland


australia

Kristie Bell

PhD, Dietician

Australia


uk

Lindsay Pennington

PhD, Senior Lecturer Speech and Language Therapist

United Kingdom


mexico

Maria Ibarra-Rodriguez

MD, Professor, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Mexico


usa

M. Wade Shrader

MD, Professor, Orthopedic Surgeon

United States of America


south_korea

Min Young Kim

MD, Scientist

South Korea


uk

Richard Hastings

PhD, Educational Psychologist

United Kingdom


france

Sylvain Brochard

MD, PhD, Professor, Rehabilitation and Physical medicine

France


india

Tapas Som Kumar

MD, Neonatologist

India


switzerland

Thomas Dreher

MD, Professor, Orthopedic Surgeon

Switzerland


germany

Tobias Banaschewski

MD, Professor, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Germany


germany

Volker Mall

MD, Professor, Social Pediatrician

Germany


china

Xiaojie Li

MD, PhD, Basic Scientist

China


japan

Yukihiro Kitai

MD, Basic Scientist

Japan


Supporting Programme

Welcome to Heidelberg!

It isn’t just the famous Heidelberg Castle that casts its spell on guests from around the world: the entire city radiates a sublime air while being clearly at the pulse of its time. With a historical Old Town that is never fully discovered, many small alleys, each of which tells its own story, and a location that Goethe called “ideal“,

Heidelberg has its fixed position in the hearts of innumerable visitors.
Heidelberg, however, is at the same time a modern city of science and deemed a stronghold of Life Sciences – the University, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the German Cancer Research Centre and the Heidelberg Max-Planck-Institutes are some of the best research institutes in the world, making Heidelberg an internationally renowned science location.

The cultural repertoire of Heidelberg is just as colorful and diverse as its visitors from around the world are, offering dance, theatre, music and many events of the diverse culture scene that leave hardly anything to be desired. It’s not surprising that barely anyone who has ever been here will forget Heidelberg again.

© Heidelberg Marketing

The future of meetings in a brandnew location.

Amidst Heidelberg´s passive house quarter Bahnstadt, nearby the main station and a 4-star hotel in the direct neighborhood, the Heidelberg Congress Center will be opened by the end of 2023.

As many congress centers and event locations in general have to be changed over into modern infrastructures in order to adjust to hybrid conferences right now, Heidelberg Congress Center is already built for new meeting experiences: State of the art-broadcasting technique, digital communication specialists beside a contemporary space concept and interior design lead to an enhanced more collaborative and common network.

© Heidelberg Congress

Schwetzingen – the city of asparagus and festivals

In Schwetzingen, not only the joy of life and the art of gardening come together, but also musical and culinary delights. The centrepiece is the summer residence with its magnificent palace garden, one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe. Only a few steps away from the palace, the city centre presents itself and the palace square with its Mediterranean flair and numerous cafés invites you to linger. During the festival season, the local restaurants offer delicacies based on the famous Schwetzingen asparagus. Combined with a bicycle tour, the “asparagus nature trail”, located directly at the asparagus fields, also provides interesting information about the famous royal vegetable.

© Tobias Schwerdt, Stadt Schwetzingen

Maulbronn: a modern provincial town where history, legend and tradition meet

“Modern, yet steeped in history” – “Bustling, yet unruffled” – “A colourful explosion of seasonal offers”: this is how Maulbronn can be described. With a good 6.600 residents plus 300.000 tourists annually, the Monastic Heritage Town is small in size – but enormously enjoyable. All that Maulbronn has to offer is based in and around its UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site – the Maulbronn Monastery. The museums, the cultural venues and activities, the lakes and streams and the present day markets and fairs wouldn’t be what they are in quality and range without their monastic town legacy. You are warmly invited to discover for yourself the range of possibilities that Maulbronn has to offer. Nestled in the Stromberg-Heuchelberg nature preserve, the countryside surrounding the Monastic City district is characterized by oak and deciduous woods, vineyards, orchards, streams and lakes. Landscaped to a great extent by Cistercian monks centuries ago, this cultural haven is simultaneously a place for surprising discoveries and peaceful retreats, for tourists and locals alike! Numerous seasonal festivals and markets shape the image of the town and simply underline the “Maulbronner lust for life”.

Maulbronn von oben © Kraichgau-Stromberg Tourismus e.V.-Christian Ernst
Weinberg & Tiefer See © Stadt Maulbronn

UNESCO Maulbronn Monastery

Maulbronn Monastery (Kloster Maulbronn) is one of Europe‘s most well-preserved Medieval monastery complexes. It combines a multitude of architectural styles, ranging from Romanesque to late Gothic all in one place – it creates quite a unique atmosphere.

The unique unity of the Maulbronn Monastery complex and the surrounding cultural landscape convey a fascinatingly authentic insight into a medieval monastery. This small area contains some of the most beautiful examples of early Gothic style.

© Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg