The first R2D2-MH stakeholder event took place on MAy 6, 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia. The event was organised by project partners at the University of Tartu and Estonian co-creation members, moderated by Neeme Tõnisson (University of Tartu).

After a welcome speech by Signe Riisalo, Chairman of the Estonian Social Affairs Committee at the Estonian Parliament, the first panel participants gathered to exchange on “Stories from neurodiverse lives”. Member of ADHD Estonia / Eesti ATH Liit Johannes Vergi and R2D2-MH co-creation members Chantel Fouche, Julie Segers, Daniel Murray and Lydia Peets participated in the round table.

R2D2-MH Project scientists Thomas Bourgeron (Institut Pasteur), Beate St Pourcain (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics), Sven Bölte (Karolinska Institutet) and Kelli Lehto (University of Tartu) presented their work as part of R2D2-MH and globally about “What we know and still need to learn about neurodiversity”.

In a session dedicated to “Supporting neurodiversity in education and work life across life span”, invited speakers shared their real-life experience as healthcare professional (Mari Järvelaid) and human resources/management executives in the workplace (Terje Sosi from SwedBank, Vincent Grimaldi de Puget from the adult cocreation group).

The day ended with the afternoon round table that brought insights on how resilience can be supported at the workplace and during studies, with Nina Hovén (ADHDEurope), Tanel Peets and Kersten Körge (ADHD Estonia, cocreation members), Terje Sosi (SwedBank) and Telver Objärtel (University of Tartu).

We thank all panelists and participants for the exchanges and new insights on how Neurodiversity can be better supported throughout life and resilience promoted.

Photo: impressions of the first R2D2-MH stakeholder event in Tallinn, Estonia.

The annual meeting of the R2D2-MH project took place on May 4-5, 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia, with exchanges and collaboration on risk and resilience in neurodiversity, from science to practice, with a strong focus on co-creation & impact.

Overview of Day 1

– A keynote by Jason Lerch (University of Oxford, member of the Scientific Advisory Board) on the complexity of neurodevelopmental diagnoses
– Latest scientific results across all work packages
– Engaging discussions around posters with early career researchers

Consortium members and co-creation groups also started to discuss sustainability of the project results and what will happen after the project end.

Overview of Day 2

– A keynote by Samuele Cortese  (University of Southampton) on shared decision-making in ADHD
– Presentations from co-creation group members and ADHD Europe
– Interactive sessions exploring the future of the project and sustainability

One of the highlights was the breakout sessions organised by the adolescent co-creation members, addressing: communication in research, transitions and resilience, over- and under-stimulation, ADHD diagnosis from a female perspective, becoming an adult.

Photo: the R2D2-MH consortium at the annual meeting 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia.

R2D2-MH was present at INSAR 2026 annual meeting that took place on April 22-25 in Prague, Czech Republic. Both researchers and co-creation members participated in the talks and posters to share recent progress and achievement of the project.

Prior to the meeting, members of the R2D2-MH co-creation groups joined the co-creation master class organised as pre-event by sister project AIMS-2-TRIALS. An excellent opportunity for co-creation members of both projects to exchange, learn from each others and share best practices to improve participative research in the field of neurodiversity research.

Talks and poster presentations

“Is optimal outcome really optimal ? Insights from the autistic and neurodivergent community”, by Melissa Black, Sven Bolte (Karolinska Institutet) and members from the adult hashtag#cocreation group. This is part of a panel session on Autistic People’s Views on Autism Diagnosis and Intervention.

“Atypical interpersonal motor synchrony and interpersonal movement variability in autism: pose estimation analysis of free-play”, poster presented by the group of Marie Schaer (University of Geneva).

“Longitudinal functional neuroimaging” panel discussion, with participation of Lucas Geelen (Radboudumc).

Panel session on Resilience in autism and neurodiversity

Chaired by Sven Bölte (Karolinska Institutet), the session brings together contributions from members of the R2D2-MH project and co-creation groups:

• Julie Segers (University of Antwerp, adult co-creation group) and members of the adult and adolescent cocreation groups on co-creating co-creation with neurodivergent participant groups
• Varun Warrier (University of Cambridge) on age at diagnosis and links to mental health
• Melissa Black (La Trobe University) and collaborators on identifying factors supporting positive life outcomes using the WHO ICF framework
• Hanna Seelemeyer (Goethe University Frankfurt) on the neuroanatomy of resilience and vulnerability in autism

A great example of how participative research combined with a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach can move the field of mental health and neurodiversity forward.

Photo: R2D2-MH participants at INSAR 2026.

Several R2D2-MH consortium and cocreation members will attend the INSAR 2026 annual meeting that will take place on April 22-25 in Prague, Czech Republic. They will present project results in the form of talks and posters, and a panel session on resilience is scheduled, bringing together R2D2-MH researchers and cocreation memebrs as chair and panelists.

We will communicate more soon!

On February 28, 2026, R2D2-MH project coordinator Thomas Bourgeron (Institut Pasteur) and cocreation group member Stéf. BONNOT-BRIEY. participated in a radio broadcast dedicated to Autism, aired on French radio.

Together with the other participants and audience, they discussed the project and its objectives, cocreation and participative research, past and present scientific knowledge in the field, and reflected on lived experience of autistic people and inclusion in the society.

Highly recommended for French speakers!

In February 2026, members of the R2D2-MH consortium participated in the interdisciplinary Theory of Computing and Healthcare Workshop at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, in Berkeley, California. This week-long event brought together leading researchers in theoretical computer science, healthcare, data science, and public health to explore how foundational computational approaches can address complex real-world challenges in health and wellbeing.

Highlights from R2D2-MH Speakers

Eitan Bachmat (Ben-Gurion University) was one of the chairs.

Yair Sadaka (Ben-Gurion University), gave a talk titled “Can Big Data Help Children Thrive? National Implementation of Research-Based Tools”, where he discussed applications of large-scale data methodologies to support children’s thriving and wellbeing. His talk emphasized the power of participative, data-informed approaches in research and practice for mental health and developmental diversity.

Thomas Bourgeron (Institut Pasteur) gave a talk titled “The Genetic Architecture of Autism: From Medicine to Neurodiversity”, sharing insights into how R2D2-MH’s participatory research is helping understand why individuals with similar genetic variants can have different developmental outcomes. This talk highlighted the project’s commitment to understanding risk and resilience in neurodevelopmental diversity.

To close the session, a panel discussion explored interdisciplinary approaches to neurodiversity, autism, and child development, integrating computational science with biological research and lived experience perspectives.

R2D2-MH researchers from the University of Warwick have recently released publications bringing new understanding of the concept of resilience, in particular in people born preterm.

Eager to share the key takeaways with a wider audience, the authors Prof. Dieter Wolke and Dr. Yanlin Zhou have prepared short videos explaining the work that has been done, the methodology, the key results and impact for the field of Mental Health and Neurodiversity.

The R2D2-MH consortium is proud of the successful completion of its Second Reporting Period, marking an important step forward in the project’s mission to advance understanding of resilience and next-generation solutions for mental health and neurodivergence. This phase has been characterized by significant scientific progress, strengthened co-creation and collaboration among partners, and the consolidation of results that pave the way for upcoming activities.

Following the end of the Period, the consortium worked on the Periodic Report for RP2 to the European Commission, including a technical and a financial report. The progress have been discussed with the EU Project Officer and experts evaluators in a review meeting that took place on December 2, 2025. Reviewers shared positive feedback and constrictive comments to help the consortium implement the project at best in the remaining 24 months. Overall, the review confirmed that R2D2-MH is on the right track and well positioned to deliver its expected impacts in the upcoming phases.

The consortium remains committed to pushing the boundaries of research and innovation and to contributing to improved mental health outcomes across Europe through cutting-edge, data-informed solutions.

Do you want to stay informed about the life of R2D2-MH? Subscribe to our biannual newsletter today.

Twice per year, in July and December, we share with you recent progress, results, past and upcoming events and main achievements of the R2D2-MH project. Our next edition is almost finalized and will be sent soon!

You can subscribe via the form below.

On June 10, 2025, the FAMILY project, in collaboration with the Re MEND and R2D2 MH projects, hosted an online stakeholder event titled “A Dialogue on Stigma: Research, Reality and Response.” The event aimed to explore mental-health stigma through the lenses of academic research, lived experience, and practical responses. Designed primarily for researchers but open to all, the dialogue brought together a diverse audience and created a space for meaningful exchange.

The session combined presentations from researchers working on stigma-related topics with testimonies from individuals directly affected by stigma in mental-health contexts. This dual approach helped bridge the gap between empirical evidence and personal realities, highlighting how stigma manifests in both research findings and everyday life. The event also discussed actionable strategies to address stigma, including communication approaches, policy-level change, and community-based responses.

R2D2‑MH contributed to the event with a session led by several co-creation group members Julie Segers, Cecilia Ingard and Chantel Fouche. The session focused on inclusive research practices and the importance of shifting from viewing neurodivergent individuals as passive research subjects to recognizing them as active collaborators. They introduced the R2D2-MH language guide for neurodiversity research, designed to help researchers reflect critically on the terminology used when communicating about neurodiversity, and promote communication that is both scientifically sound and respectful of neurodivergent people.

The presentations were followed by interactive group discussions that explored how language choices can reinforce or challenge stigma. The discussions concluded on the importance of co-developing terminology with people with lived experience. The involvement of R2D2-MH co-creation groups demonstrated R2D2-MH’s commitment to participatory research and to fostering respectful, empowering dialogue between researchers and neurodivergent communities (co-creation approach).