The recently concluded 21st EBPS Biennial Meeting, held in Almería, Spain, brought together researchers from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas to share advances in neuroscience, psychiatry, and pharmacology. I had the opportunity to speak in a featured symposium titled “Global Perspectives on Neuropsychiatric Research: Stress, Cognition and Innovative Therapeutics,” organized by Princess Felix. The symposium featured contributions from Prof. Vidita Vaidya (India), Dr. Gwladys Ngoupaye (Cameroon), Dr. Inna Gaisler-Salomon (Israel), and myself (Nigeria), addressing stress-related neuropsychiatric mechanisms from molecular, translational, and pharmacological perspectives. My presentation highlighted preclinical evidence for the modulation of stress-related behavioural and neurochemical outcomes using plant-derived compounds, while situating these findings within region-specific research constraints.
The session was followed by a lively panel discussion focusing on scientific progress, regional challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. A key theme that emerged was the visibility of behavioural pharmacology research from underrepresented regions, particularly Africa. Across the continent, behavioural pharmacology research is active but unevenly distributed. Most published work originates from a limited number of countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, and Morocco, often driven by small research groups within biomedical science departments. Common approaches include validated rodent models of stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, and cognitive dysfunction, combined with behavioural testing, neurochemical assays, and histological analyses. However, limited access to advanced neuroimaging facilities, high-throughput pharmacological screening platforms, and sustained funding constrain large-scale translational studies and multinational collaborations. These structural limitations, rather than a lack of scientific capacity, largely explain the underrepresentation of African behavioural pharmacology research at international pharmacology meetings.
Another important focus of the discussion was the need to link laboratory research with public engagement, particularly in resource-limited settings. Using the Nigerian context as an example, we emphasized the importance of mental health education alongside laboratory-based research. Nigeria formally replaced its colonial-era Lunacy Act of 1958 with the Mental Health Act, signed into law on 5 January 2023. This legislation marked a shift toward a rights-based and public-health-oriented approach to mental health. While implementation challenges and workforce shortages remain, the Act provides a framework through which behavioural pharmacology research can better inform care delivery, mental health education, and stigma reduction.
An additional takeaway from EBPS 2025 was the role of representation in shaping research agendas through diverse perspectives. Following discussions at the meeting, I was invited to contribute to the EBPS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee, with a focus on strengthening representation of African and other under-resourced research communities in global neuroscience. Greater inclusion of African behavioural pharmacology research will strengthen the field as a whole, broadening experimental perspectives, grounding translational questions in diverse lived realities, and fostering collaborations that are scientifically rigorous and globally relevant. I hope this reflection contributes to continued dialogue and collaboration within EBPS and beyond.
Thank you.
Oritoke M. Okeowo, Ph.D.
