Location: Hybrid, Online & Brussels, Belgium (Exact Venue TBC soon)
Date: Wednesday 5th November 2025
The European communities of science, healthcare, and health education are warmly invited to attend the Final Conference of PANACEA (“Special Needs by Placebo”: Programme to Advise, Normalise And Control its European Administration), taking place on 5th November 2025 in Brussels.
This important event marks the conclusion of the PANACEA Erasmus+ project, coordinated by the University of Bologna, which over the past three years has led a unique and much-needed effort to bring placebo and nocebo education into the core of medical and health sciences curricula across Europe.
The conference will bring together educators, researchers, clinicians, policy-makers, and students to reflect on the project’s outcomes, celebrate key achievements, and chart the way forward for integrating ethically sound, scientifically grounded knowledge of placebo and nocebo mechanisms into clinical education and practice.
Educators from across Europe are warmly invited to join the event virtually or in person, and contribute to this pan-European conversation on placebo and nocebo education.
About PANACEA
Placebo and nocebo effects are powerful factors influencing clinical outcomes, yet they remain underrepresented in traditional medical education. The PANACEA project was created to fill this gap.
With a consortium of leading universities and organisations from across Europe, the project has developed a robust and interdisciplinary educational programme focused on:
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Understanding the biological, psychological, and social mechanisms underlying placebo and nocebo effects
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Promoting ethical, evidence-based communication in clinical settings
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Providing interactive digital learning tools and clinical scenarios to help students and professionals apply this knowledge in practice
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Addressing the misuse, misunderstanding, and stigma surrounding placebo and nocebo phenomena in healthcare
From the Summer Schools on Placebo and Nocebo Education held in Madrid (UCM) and Faenza (UNIBO) to a suite of e-learning modules and clinical recommendations, PANACEA has pioneered a new model of professional development — bringing academic research, clinical practice, and digital innovation together in service of patient-centred care.
What to Expect at the Final Event
The hybrid PANACEA Final Conference on 5th November 2025 will feature:
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An interactive placebo and nocebo quiz to test your knowledge and challenge common myths
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A clear explanation of why current education on placebo and nocebo effects is insufficient – and what needs to change
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A showcase of practical tools developed by the PANACEA project, including educational materials, clinical recommendations, and a web app
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Q&A sessions that invite you to reflect on your own experience and discuss the barriers and opportunities in improving healthcare education
This event will not only highlight the successes of the project, but also invite broader collaboration as the PANACEA legacy is taken forward into curricula, clinical guidelines, and policy discussions across Europe.
If you are interested in receiving further updates on the event and project, please sign up here
