2027 Keystone Symposia - Autophagy in Health and Disease: From Mechanisms to Therapeutics
Date: February 8th – 11th, 2027
Place: Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, AB (Canada)
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic pathway that plays pivotal roles in cellular stress response and homeostasis maintenance. Its dysregulation is implicated in the aging process and diverse pathological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s), cancer, metabolic syndromes (diabetes, obesity), and infectious diseases.
Substantial progress has been made in elucidating both the core autophagy machinery and systemic regulatory networks. Particularly noteworthy are the mechanistic insights gained into selective autophagy pathways — including mitophagy (mitochondrial degradation), ER-phagy (endoplasmic reticulum turnover), and aggrephagy (protein aggregate clearance) — which have illuminated the molecular basis of cargo recognition and sequestration. Recent research has significantly expanded our understanding of autophagy’s physiological repertoire. Furthermore, recent studies on non-canonical autophagy pathways have uncovered their participation in diverse biological processes ranging from plasma membrane repair to antimicrobial defense and viral infection cycles.
Therapeutic exploitation of autophagy has emerged as a promising frontier, with innovative approaches like autophagy-targeting chimeras (AUTACs) enabling precise degradation of disease-causing proteins and organelles. This conference aims to synthesize current knowledge of autophagy mechanisms, functional diversity, and regulatory networks, while exploring their implications for understanding disease pathogenesis and achieving clinical translation. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, we seek to bridge fundamental discoveries with therapeutic applications, ultimately advancing autophagy-based interventions for human health.
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SEFAGIA Meeting 2027
Date: February 3rd – 5th, 2027
Place: Alfara del Patriaca (Spain)
We are delighted to announce the upcoming SEFAGIAMeeting, taking place February 3–5 2027 in Valencia, Spain
This meeting will gather researchers in autophagy and related fields for several days of cutting-edge science, collaboration, and networking in an inspiring environment.
Confirmed invited international speakers:
▪️ Dr. Ana Maria Cuervo (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA)
▪️ Dr. Ivan Đikić (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany)
▪️ Dr. Nektarios Tavernarakis (University of Crete, Greece)
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2026 EMBO Workshop on Autophagy: foundations, functions and physiology
Date: September 6th – 11th, 2026
Place: Grenå (Denmark)
Autophagy plays a central role in maintaining cellular quality control and homeostasis by degrading dysfunctional or excess structures and organelles. It also regulates various cellular and organismal functions, including metabolism, immunity, and cell differentiation. While the mechanism by which autophagy-related (ATG) proteins mediate the formation of autophagosomes has been delineated, the molecular interactions between different functional groups of ATG proteins, lipids, and other intracellular compartments remain poorly elucidated. Additionally, although autophagy has traditionally been considered a bulk process, a series of groundbreaking discoveries has revealed that, in most cases, it operates in a highly selective manner to eliminate unwanted structures. This has led to the identification of selective autophagy receptors (SARs) and provided insights into how they interact with and coordinate the ATG machinery. While much remains to be uncovered, this knowledge now allows for the precise modulation and monitoring of different types of selective autophagy. Researchers can now investigate how each form is regulated and how it contributes to the homeostasis and function of specific tissues and organisms, as well as their adaptability to environmental and developmental cues. This EMBO Workshop will explore the latest advances in the mechanism of autophagy, with a particular emphasis on its selective forms.
Registration deadline: June 15th 2026
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EMBO Workshop - Neuronal autophagy: from circuit function to therapy
Date: May 17th – 21st, 2026
Place: Sant Feliu de Guixols (Spain)
Autophagy, the process that degrades and recycles damaged proteins and organelles, has emerged as a master regulator of neuronal function and brain health. Beyond its classical role in cellular waste clearance, autophagy governs synaptic proteostasis, neurotransmission, and circuit remodeling. Its dysfunction contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegeneration, and aging-related decline.
This EMBO Workshop “Neuronal Autophagy: from circuit function to therapy” brings together global leaders and early-career scientists to explore how autophagy integrates with neuronal signaling, metabolism, and disease mechanisms. This EMBO Workshop will cover topics ranging from molecular and cellular mechanisms of autophagy to translational and therapeutic approaches in brain disorders. Sessions include autophagy in neuronal proteostasis, mitochondrial quality control, synaptic remodeling, and neurodegeneration, complemented by keynote lectures, trainee talks, and career development events.
Building on the success of the 2022 EMBO Workshop on “Brain Autophagy in Health and Disease,” this 2026 edition will serve as a catalyst for advancing a rapidly growing field at the intersection of neuroscience and cell biology.
Registration deadline: February 15th 2026
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Gordon Research Conference 2026 - Understanding and Harnessing Autophagy in Health and Disease
Date: March 15th – 20th, 2026
Place: Ventura, California (United States)
The Autophagy in Stress, Development and Disease GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes an array of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Autophagy is a vital cellular process with key roles in maintaining health and contributing to diseases such as cancer, infection, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and aging. Recent advances have deepened our molecular understanding of autophagy, including cargo-selective mechanisms and the broader functions of autophagy proteins in lysosomal biology. As the field evolves, there is growing potential to explore how autophagy influences diverse disease states and to develop therapies that harness or inhibit this pathway. The 2026 Autophagy GRC will serve as a critical forum for uniting researchers studying core autophagy mechanisms with experts in cancer, aging, neurodegeneration, infectious disease, and development. This meeting will highlight emerging discoveries and foster collaboration across disciplines. We expect that insights shared at the conference will drive the development of new therapeutic approaches targeting autophagy-related diseases.
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