#Neuroendo Celebrate 2026 | Speaker Biographies
To look up a speaker biography, click on their name below (listed in alphabetical order by surname):
Carlos Diéguez Gonzalez
Mike Lehman
Gareth Leng
More details to follow soon...
Carlos Diéguez Gonzalez
Professor of Physiology
University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
When: 12:45, Thursday 3 September 2026, Alison Douglas Lecture (view programme)
Talk:
The regulation of most homeostatic processes is closely associated with the hypothalamus and depends on adequate energy availability. Investigating the roles of different cell types—including neurons and glial cells—together with the heterogeneity of their many subtypes and the involvement of cellular energy sensors, has significantly improved our understanding of how the hypothalamus regulates whole-body homeostasis.
Bio: Professor Carlos Diéguez Gonzalez's research career has centered on the hypothalamic regulation of anterior pituitary hormone secretion and energy balance. This work has been instrumental in uncovering:
1. The mechanisms by which metabolic signals, such as leptin and ghrelin, modulate pituitary hormone secretion; 2. The reciprocal influence of pituitary hormonal axes on energy homeostasis. 3. The complex hypothalamic pathways that integrate and coordinate these physiological processes.
Mike Lehman
Regents Endowed Professor and Chair
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, USA
When: 09:00, Thursday 3 September 2026, ECR JNE Workshop (view programme)
Talk: Pulling Back the Curtain on Science Publishing
What really happens after you hit “submit” to journals like the Journal of Neuroendocrinology? This workshop pulls back the curtain on peer review—who decides, how decisions are made, and how journals uphold rigor, fairness, and research integrity—while also highlighting why society journals like JNE remain essential to the scientific publishing ecosystem.
Bio: Dr Michael Lehman is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on the neural control of reproduction and circadian rhythms. Over nearly four decades, his work has led to fundamental discoveries in neuroendocrinology, most notably the identification and characterization of KNDy (kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin) neurons and their central role in regulating reproductive function in animals and humans. His research has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health since his first R01 award in 1986 and has contributed to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for a range of reproductive disorders. He has authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in leading journals such as Science, Nature, and PNAS, and has been named among the top 2% of the world’s most-cited scientists (Stanford/Elsevier).
In addition to leading a highly productive research program, Dr Lehman has been deeply committed to training and mentorship, guiding numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have gone on to successful careers in academia, medicine, and industry. He has also held major academic leadership roles across several institutions, including serving as Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Western Ontario and Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He previously served as Co-Director of the Reproductive Sciences Program at the University of Michigan and as the founding Director of the Brain Health Research Institute at Kent State University, where he led efforts to build interdisciplinary research programs and expand institutional research capacity.
Dr Lehman is an active leader in the broader scientific community. He currently serves as President of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, President-Elect of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), and Editor-in-Chief of the Fundamental and Mechanistic strand of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology. In January 2026, he joined New Mexico Tech as Regents Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology, where he is leading initiatives to expand research, strengthen graduate training, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations across the sciences and engineering.
Gareth Leng
Professor Emeritus
University of Edinburgh, UK
When: 14:00, Wednesday 2 September 2026, Plenary Lecture (view programme)
Talk: The Long Game
Science is a long game. The impact that you make depends on the community you make yourself a part of. It is they who will listen to you (or not) - they who will cite you, help you, pick up your ideas and lend you theirs - or not. There will be laughter and there will be frustration. I will try and share with you, how, over 50 years, for me, the laughter has mostly won.
Bio: In 1980, Gareth Leng published a paper in The Journal of Physiology on the osmosensitivity of magnocellular neurones. He published another, on the same topic, in the same journal, in 2025. In the meantime he did some other stuff, including writing: The Heart of the Brain and The Matter of Facts
