One-Day SIRG SoNeAt Pre-Conference
Preceding the International Attachment Conference 2026

TOPIC:
The Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SoNeAt):
Current Knowledge and Open Questions

Date: 06 July 2026
Location: KU Leuven (Belgium)

Abstract Submission & Attendance Request Form Deadline Extended to 25 April 2026

ℹ️ General Information ℹ️

Our Special Interest Research Group on The Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SIRG SoNeAt) is very happy to announce a dedicated one-day pre-conference directly preceding the International Attachment Conference (IAC2026).

Open to all registered IAC2026 attendees, our pre-conference will have the topic “The Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SoNeAt): Current Knowledge and Open Questions“. It aims to bring together all attachment researchers and applied users of attachment methods to discuss the latest developments in the investigation of the neurobiological basis of human attachment and to serve as a unique networking opportunity.

Our pre-conference will feature three keynote lectures, a roundtable discussion between the keynote speakers and pre-conference organisers on the topic of “Education & Translation of SoNeAt Knowledge”, as well as early career researcher presentations. Accordingly, we strongly encourage attendees to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations towards the pre-conference topic (i.e., at the interface of attachment theory and social neuroscience), although attendance will also be possible as a listener only. Pre-conference abstracts can overlap with those already submitted and accepted to IAC.

Please find the preliminary program as well as information on abstract submission and attendance requests below.

📆 Preliminary Program 📆

Our One-Day SIRG SoNeAt Pre-Conference will be held on 06 July 2026 at KU Leuven, the venue of the International Attachment Conference IAC2026, from 09:00 to 17:00.

The pre-conference will feature three keynote lectures, a roundtable discussion between the keynote speakers and pre-conference organisers on the topic of “Education & Translation of SoNeAt Knowledge”, as well as early career researcher oral and poster presentations. Selected oral presentations will last approximately 10-15 minutes and there will be one poster session.

Schedule (subject to change):

Keynote lecture information:

Jana Runze
Amsterdam UMC

From Parenting to Polygenic Scores: Gene-Environment Pathways in Attachment and Child Development

Omri Gillath
University of Kansas

Mapping the Attached Brain: What Neuroimaging Tells Us — and Doesn’t — About Attachment

Paula S. Oliveira
University of Minho

The impact of out-of-home care on brain development: using neuroscientific evidence to inform our understanding of children’s attachment difficulties

✍🏻 Abstract Submission and Attendance Requests ✍🏻

Attendance of the One-Day SIRG SoNeAt Pre-Conference will be possible for all registered IAC2026 attendees for an additional fee of approximately €75 (may be less, but should not be more, depending on the number of attendees). This fee will cover coffee / tea breaks while lunch will need to be organised individually.

There will be two attendance modes:
➡️ Listener only
➡️ Oral or poster presentation

The anticipated timeline will be as follows:
➡️ Abstract submission & attendance requests: 10 March to 25 April 2026
➡️ Abstract review by the SIRG SoNeAt Coordinating Board
➡️ Acceptance notices: 30 April 2026
➡️ Registration deadline: 31 May 2026

🚨 Please fill in the form below if you wish to attend our One-Day SIRG SoNeAt Pre-Conference to IAC2026 in Leuven on 06 July 2026. This will give us a first indication of the number of attendees and greatly help our planning. A separate final registration and payment form will be made available after abstract acceptance notices have been sent out on 30 April 2026. 🚨

We hope to see you in July 2026 in Leuven!