SIPS conference.
The biannual SIPS Conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world to exchange ideas, share findings, and build collaborations in service of improving science and practice. Hosted every two years by a different country, the conference reflects the international scope of the SIPS community and provides a unique opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives. Each edition offers a vibrant program of talks, workshops, and discussions designed to foster innovation, inclusivity, and meaningful impact.
2025
5th International SIPS Conference
In June 2025, the 5th International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) was held at the Auditorium Maximum of Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. The event brought together approximately 200 participants from a wide range of disciplines—including neuroscience, psychology, medicine, physiotherapy, sports science, and ethics—underscoring the interdisciplinary spirit that lies at the heart of placebo research and the Society’s mission to foster meaningful cross-field collaboration.
The theme of this year’s conference, “From the Mechanisms of Placebo Effects to Treatment: Translating Basic Science into Clinical Practice,” set the tone for a scientifically rich and methodologically robust program. Over the course of the event, participants engaged with 4 keynote lectures, 12 plenary talks, 8 symposia featuring 24 presentations, 16 flash talks, 7 science slam presentations, and 109 posters, including 8 poster highlights. The scientific content explored both foundational and applied aspects of placebo and nocebo effects, with particular focus on how expectations, learning, and contextual factors shape treatment outcomes.
At the conclusion of the conference, the SIPS awards were announced. The Early Career Awards were presented to Stefanie Meeuwis (Tilburg University / Leiden University) and Aleksandrina Skvortsova (Leiden University), in recognition of their promising contributions to the field. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Professor Paul Enck (Tübingen University), honoring his decades-long impact on placebo research.
Taken together, the Kraków meeting marked an important milestone in the maturation of placebo studies as a scientific field.
2023
4th International SIPS Conference
May 10–13, the 4th International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) took place in Duisburg, Germany. Prof. dr. Andrea Evers, the current President of SIPS, opened the conference with a warm welcome. She spoke about the society's missions, goals, and recent activities and expressed her curiosity about the inspiring sessions, innovative Datablitz sessions, and interesting workshops in the days that followed.
At the Science Slam, young researchers explained their science as creatively and entertainingly as possible for a broad audience, moderated by Dr. Helena Hartmann. One of the IPS researchers, Aleksandrina Skvortsova, presented her work in one of the first Datablitz sessions on animal models in placebo research. In her inspiring presentation, she discussed the role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in nocebo hyperalgesia in mice. Stefanie Meeuwis also shared her expertise in a Datablitz session on whether people notice and use placebo effects in daily life. Two SFB researchers from the University Hospital Essen: Elif Buse Caliskan from the Bingel Laboratory and Stefanie Hölsken from the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunology won at the Science Slam!
In a plenary session on doctor-patient interaction and communication, chaired by Andrea Evers, Liesbeth van Vliet discussed how words can have an impact in clinical consultations. Liesbeth Van Vliet vividly explained how communication in clinical practice can induce both placebo and nocebo effects. In addition to these and many other inspiring sessions and workshops, there were also poster presentations.
During the keynote lectures, the award winners were also announced. These included the Early Career Awards and Lifetime Achievement Awards. The Early Career Award was won by Kaya Peerdeman and Cosima Locher. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award went to Irving Kirsch and Fabrizio Benedetti.
The 4th SIPS International Conference was once again a success. We look forward to a successful year in placebo research and are already eagerly anticipating the next edition.
2021
3rd International SIPS Conference
The 3rd International Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies Conference was hosted by University of Maryland, Baltimore. It brought together researchers from around the world to explore how placebo mechanisms can improve treatments for pain and addiction. Held fully online, the event featured leading scientists discussing how expectations, the clinician–patient relationship, and mind–body processes shape healing. Highlights included a lifetime achievement award for Ted Kaptchuk and plenary talks on topics ranging from open-label placebos to the emotional drivers of addiction. Overall, the conference showcased how psychological and neurobiological insights can be integrated into better, more compassionate healthcare.
2019
2nd International SIPS Conference
The 2nd official Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) conference on placebo studies was held 7 – 9 July 2019 in Leiden, the Netherlands. The conference was organized by the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University and chaired by prof. dr. Andrea Evers. The focus was on medical, psychosocial, philosophical, and neurobiological research on placebo and nocebo effects, and also addressed ethical dilemmas and treatment options.
Both junior and senior researchers were given the chance to present their work either orally or as a poster. A number of travel grants and prizes were given to junior researchers. Keynote speakers included Jet Bussemaker, Luana Colloca, Tor Wager, and Irving Kirsch.
In addition to the conference, the members of the SIPS committee and invited speakers participated in a Delphi study on the topic of communicating the knowledge about placebo and nocebo effects to patients in clinical practice, and training healthcare providers in communicating about these effects. A pre-conference clinical expert meeting was held to discuss the Delphi results. The results were published in an article What Should Clinicians Tell Patients about Placebo and Nocebo Effects? Practical Considerations Based on Expert Consensus
2017
1st International SIPS Conference
The 1st official conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) was held 2 – 4 April 2017 in Leiden, the Netherlands. The conference was organized by the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University and chaired by prof. dr. Andrea Evers. The conference offered researchers and clinicians that are interested in placebo effects the opportunity to meet each other, learn about the latest research findings, and present their work.
Keynote speakers included Ted Kaptchuk, Christian Büchel, John Kelley, Katja Wiech, and Fabrizio Benedetti. Both junior and senior researchers presented their work either orally or as a poster.
In addition to the conference, members of the SIPS committee and invited speakers participated in an expert meeting and discussed possibilities to use placebo effects in the clinical practice. The meeting resulted in a publication Implications of Placebo and Nocebo Effects for Clinical Practice: Expert Consensus (2018, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics).