What is the hackathon?
The 2026 Hackathon will bring together early-career researchers from across universities for a one-day event. This event is designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and connect emerging researchers with industry partners.
Who can take part?
We welcome Early-Career Researchers (ECRs) from any university, including:
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MRes and MSc by Research students
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PhD candidates
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Postdoctoral researchers
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Academics up to two years post‑PhD
What Should I expect?
The aim of the Hackathon is to produce a realistic and methodologically sound pilot study that could evolve into a funded project.
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At the end of the day, teams will pitch their pilot study to a panel of industry representatives and academic experts.
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Participants will be organised into interdisciplinary teams of at least two, ensuring a balanced mix of perspectives, experience, and strengths.
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Each team will design a pilot study that addresses a real‑world challenge in brain health.
Industry partners will open the day with brief presentations and mini‑workshops to guide ideas and directions, and mentors will stay throughout the day to support ongoing development.
Your study concept should be based in one of the below research streams.
Research Themes And Examples
Research Themes​
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Methods and Signal Processing
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Female Health
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Nutrition and Dietary Patterns
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Sleep
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Stress
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Exercise and Physical Activity
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To help you get started, we’ve outlined several example research questions. The questions illustrate the types of research areas suitable for the Hackathon. They may be used as provided or used as inspiration for developing your own project.
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Example A: Sleep Architecture and Autonomic Recovery
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How does sleep quality affect next-day physical and cognitive readiness?
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What Labfront captures: Sleep staging (light, deep, REM), sleep actigraphy, beat-to-beat interval (BBI) for HRV analysis, resting HR trends.
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Example studies:
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Does exercise timing in the evening delay REM onset?
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Does overnight HRV predict next-day reaction time or perceived energy?
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How does sleep efficiency across a week correlate with cumulative fatigue?
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Example B: Physical Activity and Real-World Performance
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What do real-world movement patterns look like outside the lab, and do they predict physical or cognitive performance outcomes?
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What Labfront captures: Continuous HR, steps, activity.
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Example studies:
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Does daily step-intensity variability correlate with afternoon cognitive focus in graduate students?
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How does sedentary time accumulation across the day affect afternoon energy levels?
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Example C: Mental Health and Brain Function
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How do daily physiological and psychological states fluctuate across days and weeks, and what lifestyle factors drive those changes?
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What Labfront captures: Continuous HR, BBI, stress scores, steps, time-stamped EMA surveys capturing cognitive performance, mood, focus, and mental fatigue.
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Example studies:
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Do stress scores predict self-reported cognitive performance the following morning?
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Does anxiety fluctuate with weekly physical activity patterns?
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Can wearable sensors detect early signs of burnout?
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Schedule
Time | Session |
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9:00 | Introduction |
9:15 | 4 x 15 Minute Talks |
10:15 | Coffee & Matchmaking |
10:45 | Brainstorming and Drafting Hypothesis |
12:00 | Lunch and Brainstorming With Mentors |
13:30 | Protocol & Pitch Development |
15:00 | Break |
15:30 | Pitches |
16:45 | Awards Ceremony |
Why You should take part
The Hackathon offers early‑career researchers the chance to take part in focused, collaborative research development within the field of brain health. By participating, you will gain:
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A pilot‑study concept that can be developed further or prepared for future funding opportunities
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New interdisciplinary connections with researchers from institutions across the UK
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An understanding of current industry priorities and areas where research can have practical impact
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Experience designing research with clear translational relevance
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An opportunity to contribute to emerging ideas and directions in brain‑health research
Prizes and recognition
Five winning teams will receive a comprehensive prize package designed to accelerate their research:
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3x Garmin Vivosmart 5 devices: Continuous HR, activity, BBI, SpOâ‚‚, sleep staging, and 3-axis accelerometry.
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Advanced Labfront Account: Full access to the Labfront platform for data capture, participant management, analysis, and visualization.
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Premium Analytics Support: Specialist consultations for HRV analysis and sleep actigraphy reports.
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Labfront Project Setup Consultation: Personalized session to go over project creation and deployment.
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Total Value: ~$5,000 USD / £3,700 GBP
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In addition to the above prize package, the winning teams will present their findings at the next conference and have their registration fees waived.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is Labfront?
A: Labfront is a research platform that streamlines data collection and analysis using wearable sensors.
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Q: What is a research hackathon?
A: A research hackathon is a time-bound event where small teams collaborate intensively to develop a study design, protocol, or proof-of-concept around a defined scientific challenge. Unlike a traditional conference, the format is hands-on and output-driven. At the ISENS Hackathon, that means producing a feasible study protocol using real wearable data infrastructure. Think of it as compressing the early planning stages of a research project into a single focused session, with expert support in the room and the tools to execute waiting on the other side.
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Q: Do participants need coding experience?
A: No. Labfront is a no-code platform.
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Q: What data will participants work with during the event?
A: Teams design their study protocol during the Hackathon. Winners implement the study post-event using the prize hardware and Labfront account.
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Q: What happens after winning?
A: Winners receive the Garmin devices and a dedicated Labfront onboarding session to activate their Advanced workspace.
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Q: What kind of support will be provided during the hackathon?

A: Labfront will provide technical support, data science expertise, and dedicated onboarding sessions.
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Q: What are the judging criteria?

A: The projects will be judged based on innovation, methodology, impact, and presentation.
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Q: What happens to the data collected during the hackathon?

A: Participants retain ownership of their data, and Labfront will not use the data for commercial purposes without explicit consent.
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Q: What resources will be provided?
A: Participants will have access to Labfront accounts, wearable devices, and technical support.
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Q: Can individuals participate, or teams only?
A: Individuals can register independently. We will match participants into interdisciplinary teams to support a range of perspectives and skills.
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