European Social Club

Born in July 2021, the European Social Club (ESC) initiative aims to foster communication and collaboration between European laboratories interested in the neurobiology of social behaviors. Animals, including humans,  are inherently social beings, living in structured communities and engaging in cooperative, interactive behaviors. These complex and continuous social interactions are evolutionarily conserved and shape individual survival and societal well-being. Indeed, behind “social behaviors”, these processes also influence decision making, planning, language, spatial processing, stress, and learning. Dysregulation of social behaviors is associated with many psychopathologies and neurodevelopmental disorders, making the study of their neural underpinnings crucial. But are all these interactions qualitatively the same? Does ‘social interaction’ have the same meaning for different subjects in different contexts? Which core aspects of complex social interactions are really conserved between different species? What mechanisms underlie these complex behaviors?

Since its inception, the ESC has hosted one virtual meeting every three weeks , providing a platform where students can share new findings, innovative tools, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration across European labs. 

In addition to these monthly meetings, the ESC organizes biennial workshops to promote deeper scientific exchange and networking opportunities. The inaugural workshop took place in Erice, Italy, in 2023, and the second edition is scheduled for June 2025 in Coimbra, Portugal.