This conference will explore how mitochondria govern key transitions in cell fate—from quiescence to activation, differentiation, plasticity, and senescence. Recent advances show that mitochondrial dynamics, ultrastructure, and metabolite signaling are tightly linked to decisions that define tissue homeostasis, regeneration, immune responses, and aging. These insights have far-reaching implications for understanding stem cell biology, cancer development, and degenerative disease. The meeting aims to bring together a multidisciplinary audience of stem cell biologists, mitochondrial researchers, immunologists, cancer biologists, neuroscientists and aging experts to explore mitochondria as master regulators of cell identity. Key sessions will cover mitochondrial influence on stemness and differentiation, the role of mitochondrial signaling in cell fate, mechanisms of mitophagy and inner mitochondrial membrane remodeling during fate transitions, and how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to cell senescence and disease.

The meeting will emphasize unpublished data, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and early-career researcher integration to accelerate advances in mitochondrial control of cell fate and regenerative biology. As organizers, we are excited to create a focused platform for this rapidly evolving topic and connect diverse scientific communities that study mitochondria through the lens of cell fate and maintenance of cellular and tissue homeostasis.

Confirmed Invited Speakers

Ed Chouchani (Harvard Medical School / Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
Clifford Folmes (Mayo Clinic)
Nika Danial (Harvard University)
LIPID DEPENDENT REGULATION OF CELL FATE DECISIONS AND CELLULAR PLASTICITY IN GLIOMA
Aleksandra Filipovska (University of Western Australia)
Vivian Gama (Vanderbilt University)
Yusuke Hirabayashi (University of Tokyo)
Marlen Knobloch (University of Lausanne)
METABOLIC REGULATION OF NEURAL STEM CELLS
Nils-Goran Larsson (Karolinska Institutet)
THE ROLE OF mtDNA IN LUNG CANCER
Samantha Lewis (University of California, Berkeley)
MECHANISM OF MITOCHONDRIAL SELF-RENEWAL IN AXONS
Michal Minczuk (University of Cambridge)
Maria Mittelbrunn (Spanish National Research Council)
Joao Passos (Mayo Clinic)
Valentina Perissi (Boston University)
Luca Scorrano (University of Padua)
Orian Shirihai (University of California, Los Angeles)
Eric Shoubridge (McGill University)
Scott Soleimanpour (University of Michigan)
ANTEROGRADE AND RETROGRADE REGULATION OF CELL FATE IN DIABETES
Sandra Trifunovic (University of Cologne)
Pierre Vanderhaeghen (KU Leuven)
LINKING MITOCHONDRIA, DEVELOPMENTAL TIMING, AND HUMAN BRAIN EVOLUTION
Carlo Viscomi (University of Padua)

Key Sessions

• Mitochondrial Regulation of Cell Fate Transitions. From quiescence to differentiation, this session focuses on how mitochondria govern cell fate decisions through dynamic shifts in metabolism, structure, and signaling.
• Mitochondria as Signaling Platforms in Development and Disease. This session will focus on how mitochondria communicate through metabolites, ROS, and inflammatory cues to influence the epigenome, immune activity, and lineage plasticity.
• Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Senescence, and Tissue Decline. Chronic mitochondrial stress and its role in driving senescence, stem cell exhaustion, aging and degenerative diseases across tissues.
• Transcriptional and Translational Control of Mitochondrial Programs. Mechanisms regulating mitochondrial gene expression and coordination with nuclear programs during development, stress, and regeneration.
• Mitochondrial Regulation of Immune and Cancer Cell Plasticity. Mitochondrial control of cellular plasticity in immune cells, stem-like cancer populations, and inflammatory tissue remodeling.

Target Audience

This meeting targets researchers across stem cell biology, mitochondrial biology, neuroscience, cancer, immunology, and aging who are interested in how mitochondrial function governs cell fate and tissue homeostasis.

Educational Need

Despite growing recognition of mitochondria as key arbiters of cell fate transitions, the field currently lacks a dedicated platform focused on how mitochondrial structure, signaling, and quality control shape these critical cellular decisions. Mitochondria not only generate energy in the form of ATP but serve as dynamic signaling hubs and functional orchestrators that dictate cellular behavior through redox signals, metabolite output, and structural adaptations. There is a pressing need for a dedicated platform that connects mitochondrial biology with stem cell dynamics, cellular senescence, and fate plasticity. This educational gap is especially relevant to translational efforts spanning regeneration, cancer metabolism, immunomodulation, and neurological disorders, including neurodegeneration and neural repair. This conference will address this need by providing a curated venue for cross-disciplinary learning, fostering collaborations, and driving the field forward.

Although the programme has not yet been released, we are able to confirm that the conference should begin no earlier than 14:00 with opening comments on Sunday 10 May 2026. The conference will conclude no later than 12:30 on Wednesday 13 May 2026.