“Filled with imagination, you surface, and you hide
Mastering survival, learning to be your own guide
Is it your destiny or your destination?
Is it the moment you manifest your acumen?
Today and forever
#100percentscientist100percenthuman” – Dr. Ali Jawaid

Have you ever wondered how the experiences of past generations can subtly shape who we are today? Transgenerational trauma isn’t just trauma—it’s about the ways resilience, lessons, and even strength are inherited, offering us the chance to understand, heal, and grow beyond the past.

We are delighted to have Dr. Ali Jawaid join this year’s edition, as his speech aims to unveil the gambits that lie behind the patterns that are passed down from one generation to another. His talk will illustrate how confronting the roots of inherited trauma and integrating them with personal and collective action can prevent us from perpetuating the cycle.

He completed his medical studies at Aga Khan University, Pakistan followed by a Neuropsychiatry fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA and an MD-PhD in Neuroscience from Switzerland in 2016. His interest in the intricacies of the human mind led him to become a physician-scientist with expertise in clinical and basic neuroscience. In his role as a Principal Research Investigator at the Lukasiewicz – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, he bridges the gap between fundamental research and real-world applications in neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, he leads the Laboratory for Translational Research in Exposures and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TREND Lab) at the Nencki Institute in Warsaw, Poland focusing on childhood trauma, memory, neurodegenerative disorders, and neuroepigenetics.

As a scholar of the FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence, he is among 30 elite neuroscientists in Europe, under the patronage of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies. Beyond science, Dr. Jawaid is a fiction author, poet, and virtual-reality enthusiast, embodying the perfect balance between analytical thinking and creativity.

Join Dr. Ali Jawaid in May and let’s challenge ourselves to see beyond our own story, taking the first step in changing the game—not just for us, but for those who come next.