Mitochondria Signaling in Physiology and Disease (B1)
February 9-12, 2026
| Keystone Resort, Keystone, CO, United States
Navdeep S Chandel and Aleksandra Trifunovic
Scholarship Deadline: Oct. 15, 2025 | Abstract Deadline: Jan. 20, 2026 | Early Registration Deadline: Dec. 12, 2025
| 4:00–8:00 PM |
Registration |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 6:00–8:00 PM |
Welcome Mixer |
Longs Peak Foyer |
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–8:10 AM |
Welcome Remarks |
Grays Peak |
| 8:10–10:30 AM |
Mitochondria Signaling in Neuroscience |
Grays Peak |
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* Aleksandra Trifunovic, University of Cologne
Session Chair |
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Elena Ziviani, Università degli Studi di Padova (University of Padua)
Mitochondrial Quality Control in Parkinson’s Diseases and Molecular Mechanisms of Protection |
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Navdeep S Chandel, Northwestern University
Mitochondrial Function in Neurons |
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Panagiota Kolitsida, University of California Los Angeles, UCLA
Short Talk: Mfn2 Mutations Causing The Peripheral Neuropathy CMT2A Impair Mitochondrial Calcium Release And Mitophagy, With Potential Downstream Effects On Axonal Degeneration |
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Kivanc Birsoy, Rockefeller University
Mitochondrial Glutathione as a Signaling Molecule |
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| 9:10–9:40 AM |
Coffee Break |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 10:30–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
Quandary Peak |
| 10:30–5:00 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
|
| 1:00–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Quandary Peak |
| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 1: Signals Linking Mitochondria to Cell Function |
Grays Peak |
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* Janine Santos, NIEHS, National Institutes of Health
Session Chair |
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Dipayan Chaudhuri, University of Utah
EFHD1 Transduces Ca2+-dependent Mitochondrial Fission to Drive Hepatocyte Injury in Metabolic Liver Disease |
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Dustin Hancks, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Mitochondrial ETC Activity Licenses Temporal Progression of Immune States at the Proteome Level |
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Xin Jie Chen, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Mitochondrial Precursor Overaccumulation Stress as a Novel Mechanism of Proteostatic Signaling Affecting Tissue Mass Homeostasis |
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Shi Su, Brigham and Women's Hospital/ Harvard Medical School
ATP-Citrate Lyase in Hepatic Stellate Cells: Evidence for Signaling from Mitochondria to the Nucleus in Liver Fibrogenesis |
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David Tandio, University of Copenhagen
Adipocyte Ketogenesis Fuels Thermogenic Metabolism Via Cytosolic acetyl-CoA Generation |
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Lily Baek, Baylor College of Medicine
At the Crossroads of Metabolism and Inflammation, Mitochondrial DNA Transcription is a Novel Therapeutic Vulnerability of Triple Negative Breast Cancer |
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Larissa Govers, University of Zurich
The Metabolic Consequences of a Chronic Response to Hypoxia on Mitochondrial Metabolism in Photoreceptor Cells |
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Eloïse Marques, MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit
An Inherited mtDNA Mutation Remodels Inflammatory Cytokine Responses In Macrophages and In Vivo |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Mitochondria Control of Inflammation |
Grays Peak |
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* Elena Ziviani, Università degli Studi di Padova (University of Padua)
Session Chair |
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Phillip West, The Jackson Laboratory
Mitochondrial DNA as a Signal for Inflammation |
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María Mittelbrunn, Molecular Biology Center, CSIC
Mitochondria Regulate Inflammaging |
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Lena Pernas, University of California, Los Angeles and HHMI
Host Mitochondria-Pathogen Interactions |
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Rachel L Doser, Colorado State University
Short Talk: Mitochondria-derived Double-stranded RNA May Trigger Neuroinflammation in Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Quandary Peak |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 1 |
Quandary Peak |
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–11:00 AM |
Mitochondrial Dependent Stress Responses |
Grays Peak |
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* Dave Pagliarini, Washington University in St. Louis
Session Chair |
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Aleksandra Trifunovic, University of Cologne
Regulation of Mitochondrial Stress Responses |
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Michelle F Clasquin, Pfizer, Inc.
Mitochondrial Defects in Chronic Disease |
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Andrew G. Dillin, University of California, Berkeley
Mitochondrial Stress Responses in Aging |
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Jose Antonio Enríquez, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares / Centro de Investigaciones Biomedical e Red en Fagilidad y Envejecimieto saludable
OxPhos Heterogeneity to Cope with Mitochondrial Stress |
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Peter M Douglas, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Short Talk: Mitochondrial Lysine Restriction via Lysosomal Retention Modulates Respiration and Resilience |
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Maulik Patel, Van Andel Institute
Short Talk: Signaling Via a Mitochondrial Metabolite Regulates a novel tRNA Mediated Nuclear-To-Mitochondrial Anterograde Response |
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| 9:00–9:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 9:20–9:25 AM |
Award Recipient Acknowledgement |
Grays Peak |
| 11:00–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
Quandary Peak |
| 11:00–5:00 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 1:00–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Quandary Peak |
| 1:45–2:45 PM |
Career Roundtable |
Grays Peak |
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Jan Riemer, University of Cologne
Professor |
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Adam J Waite, Calico Life Sciences LLC
Principal Scientist |
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Alexandra Latini, CHOC CHildren's Hospital & Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Sr. Scientist and Full Professor |
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| 3:00–4:30 PM |
Panel: Challenges Targeting Mitochondria for Therapy |
Grays Peak |
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* Andrew G. Dillin, University of California, Berkeley
Panel Moderator |
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Liron Bar-Peled, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
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Mike P. Murphy, Medical Research Council
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Michelle F Clasquin, Pfizer, Inc.
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Anu Suomalainen Wartiovaara, University of Helsinki
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Mitochondrial Respiration Dependent Signals |
Grays Peak |
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* María Mittelbrunn, Molecular Biology Center, CSIC
Session Chair |
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Prashant Mishra, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Multi-organ disease caused by human TOMM7 mutations |
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Dave Pagliarini, Washington University in St. Louis
Regulation of Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain |
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Reuben J. Shaw, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Decoding How AMPK Restores Mitochondrial Homeostasis |
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Lin Yuan, UCSF
Short Talk: Mitochondrial Activity Tunes Nociceptor Resilience to Excitotoxicity |
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Richard G. Kibbey, Yale University
Short Talk: Phosphoenolpyruvate Is The High Energy Switch Transforming Mitochondria From Furnaces Into Factories To Treat Obesity |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Quandary Peak |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 2 |
Quandary Peak |
Thursday, February 12, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–8:50 AM |
Keynote Address |
Grays Peak |
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* Aleksandra Trifunovic, University of Cologne
Session Chair |
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Anu Suomalainen Wartiovaara, University of Helsinki
Lessons Learned from Patients with Mitochondria Mutations for Physiology and Diseases |
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| 8:50–11:15 AM |
Mitochondria Metabolite Signaling |
Grays Peak |
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* Lena Pernas, University of California, Los Angeles and HHMI
Session Chair |
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Janine Santos, NIEHS, National Institutes of Health
Mitochondrial Metabolites Regulate Epigenetics |
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Jay H Chung, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health
In Search of the “Holy Grail” of Anti-Aging |
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Marcia C. Haigis, Harvard Medical School
Mitochondria and Aging |
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Derek Zachman, Duke University Medical Center
Short Talk: Pathway Coessentiality Mapping Reveals Complex II is Required for de novo Purine Biosynthesis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia |
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Yafeng Li, UT Southwestern
Short Talk: Loss of TCA Cycle Turning Promotes Stem Cell Function |
|
| 9:20–9:40 AM |
Coffee Break |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 11:15–5:00 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
|
| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 2: Tools to Probe Mitochondrial Biology |
Grays Peak |
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* Phillip West, The Jackson Laboratory
Session Chair |
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Haopeng Xiao, Stanford University
Covariation Mass Spectrometry Uncovers a Protein That Controls Cysteine Catabolism |
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Mario Escobar, Rice University
CRISPR/Cas-based Activation of PPARGC1A Boosts Endogenous Mitochondria and Enhances Cardiac Function and Recovery after Myocardial Infarction |
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Iria Trasobares Magdalena, University College London
Novel Regulator of PINK1/Parkin-Dependent Mitophagy Identified Using Artificial Intelligence and siRNA Screens in the Context of Parkinson’s Disease |
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Abigail V Giles, National Institutes of Health
Rapid Repolarization of the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential following Ischemia-Reperfusion in the Isolated Mouse Heart |
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Pol Castellano Escuder, Heureka Labs
Systematic Functional Annotation of Orphan Mitochondrial Genes Reveals Novel Coordinators of OXPHOS and Stress Response Signaling |
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Riley Wedan, Van Andel Institute
Uncovering the Dynamics of NDUFAB1 Acylation in Mammals |
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Ben Reddan, UCD
Activity Based Sensing of CO2 using CarboSenR2 Sensor To Monitor Mitochondrial Metabolism |
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Emily DeBitetto, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Investigating Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Regulation During Human Cortical Neurogenesi |
|
| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Longs Peak Foyer |
| 5:00–6:45 PM |
Mitochondrial ROS Signaling |
Grays Peak |
| |
* Navdeep S Chandel, Northwestern University
Session Chair |
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Jan Riemer, University of Cologne
Mitochondrial Redox Dependent Protein Folding |
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Liron Bar-Peled, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Decoding Mitochondrial Dependent Cysteine Oxidation |
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Mike P. Murphy, Medical Research Council
Targeting Mitochondrial ROS in Health and Disease |
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Won Dong Lee, Yonsei University
Short Talk: Mitochondrial ROS Link Nutrient Excess to Systemic Insulin Resistance |
|
| 6:45–7:00 PM |
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers) |
Grays Peak |
| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–9:00 PM |
Entertainment |
Quandary Peak |
| 8:00–9:00 PM |
Cash Bar |
Quandary Peak |
Friday, February 13, 2026
