“Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor of his own brain.” This celebrated maxim by Santiago Ramón y Cajal rings with particular resonance in Badajoz, a city that from 14 April to 3 May 2026 hosts an ambitious programme of scientific outreach centred on neuroscience. The initiative, jointly organised by FUNDECYT-PCTEX and the Cajal Institute of the CSIC, aims to ignite scientific curiosity, foster critical thinking and honour the legacy of the father of modern neuroscience.
An Exceptional Exhibition of Facsimiles
At the heart of the programme is an exhibition at the Hospital Centro Vivo in Badajoz, open to the public free of charge throughout the entire period. The show brings together 24 reproductions of Cajal’s scientific drawings, biographical material tracing his intellectual journey, a facsimile of his 1906 Nobel Prize diploma in Physiology or Medicine, and a replica of the commemorative medal.
Cajal’s drawings are far more than scientific illustrations: they are masterworks that founded an entirely new way of seeing the nervous system. Produced with ink and pencil at the turn of the twentieth century, these facsimiles convey the anatomical precision and formal beauty that made the Aragonese scientist a singular figure in the history of science. His archive, declared Memory of the World by UNESCO since 2017, is held at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid.
The CEREBRUM Discurshow: Science with Humour and Drama
The centrepiece of the programme arrives on 29 April at the Teatro López de Ayala with the CEREBRUM Discurshow, a science communication spectacle that breaks with conventional lecture formats. The event pairs neuroscientist Casto Rivadulla, professor of Physiology, with actor Vicente Mohedano, in an interactive journey through the mysteries of the human brain combining rigour, humour and theatrical drama.
Attendance is entirely free of charge, though prior registration through the FUNDECYT-PCTEX website is required to guarantee a seat.
A Programme with National Reach
The Badajoz programme forms part of a national series of events organised around the FENS Forum 2026, Europe’s largest neuroscience congress, taking place in Barcelona from 6 to 10 July. With this initiative, Extremadura strengthens its presence on the country’s map of neuroscientific outreach.
The project is co-funded by the European Union through the FEDER Extremadura 2021-2027 Programme and supported by the Diputación de Badajoz.
Practical Information
- Cajal Exhibition: 14 April – 3 May · Hospital Centro Vivo, Badajoz · Free admission
- CEREBRUM Discurshow: 29 April · Teatro López de Ayala · Free with prior registration at fundecyt-pctex.es
- Organised by: FUNDECYT-PCTEX and the Cajal Institute (CSIC)
Sources
- FUNDECYT-PCTEX — Official press release
- Cajal Institute CSIC
- UNESCO Memory of the World — Santiago Ramón y Cajal Archive (2017)
