For those travelling to Mexico for our Spring meetings, please see our statement to address any concerns ahead of your travel. The team remains attentive to any queries you may have.

4th Epithelial Mesenchymal Interactions in Lung Development & Fibrosis Conference

#Fusionlung26

Date

07 Mar - 10 Mar 2026

Location

Playa Mujeres, Mexico

  • Stijn P. De Langhe

    Mayo Clinic

  • Purushothama Rao Tata

    Duke University

  • Ana Pardo-Saganta

    Institute for Lung Health, Justus Liebig University

  • Barry Stripp

    Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Early Bird - Expired  •  Talk Submission - Expired  •  Poster Submission - Expired  •  Registration & Payment Deadline - Expired

Synopsis

Registration prices are tied to a specific hotel room category and secured only once your balance is paid in full. As hotel availability decreases, registration prices may increase if reassignment to another room category is required. We encourage prompt registration and full payment to secure your place at the current price. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.

Lung development is governed by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. These pathways are recapitulated during injury and repair. This conference will focus on understanding key processes underlying lung development, injury and repair and their dysregulation in the context of aging, environmental exposures in different species, with the hope of better understanding disease development and to discover novel therapeutic approaches.
 
We will highlight emerging concepts in airway and parenchymal epithelial and mesenchymal cell biology such as stem cell and progenitor heterogeneity, and adaptive and maladaptive regenerative mechanisms. The newly minted sessions will also encompass technological advances in single cell and spatial multiomic profiling approaches for dissecting, cellular neighbourhoods, cell-cell communication that contribute to epithelial and mesenchymal cell proliferation, plasticity, cell fate decisions in development, repair, and fibrosis. The focused themes will also discuss our current understanding of how genetic, epigenetics, and metabolic changes rewires cell fates to influence lung development, repair, and diseases; and characterize epithelial-mesenchymal interrelationships that maintain lung homeostasis and orchestrate repair and regeneration. The entire program has been designed to achieve a better understanding of the key clinical research issues and how they relate to basic mechanistic investigation.

Key Sessions

  • Keynote and emerging topics
  • Novel models and technologies to study pulmonary fibrosis
  • Mechanisms of repair in lung disease
  • Pathways regulating lung development and dysregulated/activated in lung fibrosis
  • Aging, fibrosis and degenerative lung diseases
  • Environmental impact on lung diseases
  • Mechanotransduction In lung development and fibrosis
  • Aging and lung fibrosis

Confirmed Invited Speakers

Maria Basil (University of Pennsylvania)
A POSTNATAL HUMAN LUNG DEVELOPMENTAL ATLAS REVEALS GENETIC ORIGINS OF ADULT CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE
Saverio Bellusci (Justus Liebig University Giessen)
CHASING MESENCHYMAL NICHE PLASTICITY DURING LUNG INJURY AND REPAIR
Patricia Brazee (Harvard University)
ENDOTHELIAL S1PR1 SUPPRESSES PATHOGENIC ENDOTHELIN 1/ EDNRB SIGNALING
Navdeep S. Chandel (Northwestern University)
MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION IN NORMAL LUNG AND LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA 
Astrid Gillich (Calico Life Sciences)
RESTORING ALVEOLAR PROGENITOR CELL FUNCTION IN THE AGING LUNG
Brigitte Gomperts (UCLA) 
MODELING CELL-CELL INTERACTIONS TO ADVANCE DRUG DISCOVERY IN IPF
Janine Gote-Schniering (University of Bern)
BRIDGING SCALES: MULTISCALE IMAGING-OMICS TO DISSECT THE FIBROTIC LUNG NICHE
Gisli Jenkins (Imperial College London)
A SCAR IS BORN: THE EVOLUTION OF THREE DISTINCT ALVEOLAR NICHES
Renata Jurkowska (Cardiff University)
EPIGENETIC REGULATION OF HUMAN LUNG REPAIR
Darrell Kotton (Boston University)
PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS TO MODEL FIBROTIC LUNG EPITHELIAL-MESENCHYMAL INTERACTIONS
Claudia Loebel (University of Pennsylvania)
LOCAL PHOTO-CROSSLINKING OF NATIVE LUNG TISSUE MATRIX REGULATES ALVEOLAR EPITHELIAL CELL MECHANOSENSING AND FUNCTION
Frank McCormack (University of Cincinnati)
OSTEOCLAST-LIKE CELLS IN PULMONARY AND PLEURAL FIBROSIS
Paul Noble (UCLA) 
TARGETING ALVEOLAR TYPE 2 CELL HOMEOSTASIS TO REVERSE PULMONARY FIBROSIS AND ENHANCE LUNG RESILIENCE
Tien Peng (University of California San Francisco)
FIBROBLAST ORCHESTRATION OF INFLAMMAGING-ASSOCIATED GZMK+ T CELLS 
Jason Rock (Genentech)
MOLECULAR REGULATION OF LINEAGE PLASTICITY IN LUNG INJURY AND FIBROSIS
Rajkumar Savai (Justus Liebig University Giessen)
SPATIAL OMICS CARTOGRAPHY: MAPPING LUNG DISEASES IN SPACE
Micha Sam Brickman Raredon (Yale School of Medicine)
TISSUE SYSTEMS BIOLOGY & LUNG REGENERATION: A TRANSLATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
Jie Sun (University of Virginia)
INFLAMMATION MEMORY AFTER PRIOR VIRAL PNEUMONIA PRIMES ACCELERATED LUNG CANCER DEVELOPMENT
Matthew James Thomas (Boehringer Ingelheim)
DISSECTING THE CTGF-MMP7 AXIS IN A FIBROTIC AIRWAY NICHE: IMPLICATIONS FOR EPITHELIAL-MESENCHYMAL CROSSTALK AND THERAPEUTIC TARGETING IN IPF
Bob Varelas (Boston University)
DISTINCT ENDOTHELIAL CELL PLASTICITY DRIVES FIBROTIC REMODELING IN THE LUNG
Lisandra Vila Ellis (Northwestern University)
SPECIFICATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PULMONARY CAPILLARY ENDOTHELIAL IDENTITY
Eszter Vladar (University of Colorado)
IS AIRWAY EPITHELIAL REMODELING REVERSIBLE IN CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE?
Carola Voss (Hannover Medical School)
MACROPHAGE DYNAMICS AS GATEKEEPERS OF EPITHELIAL–MESENCHYMAL COMMUNICATION IN ENVIRONMENTALLY TRIGGERED FIBROTIC LUNG INJURY
Rachel Zemans (Unversity of Michigan)
ORIGIN, REGULATION, AND CONSERVATION OF ABERRANT BASALOID CELLS IN PULMONARY FIBROSIS
Jarod Zepp (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
DIVERGENT MYOFIBROBLASTS SCULPT THE LUNG ALVEOLUS
Bin Zhou (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
TRACING EPITHELIAL CELL FATE BY DUAL RECOMBINASES

Target Audience 

  • Lung developmental biologist
  • Stem cell researchers
  • Fibrosis researchers
  • Pulmonary fibrosis researchers

Educational Need

It is known that lung developmental pathways are reactivated in pulmonary fibrosis, yet few if any meetings bring lung developmental biologists and researchers studying lung fibrosis together. This meeting will provide a unique opportunity to bring these two fields together.

 

 

Confirmed Speakers

Chairs
Stijn P. De Langhe

Stijn P. De Langhe

Mayo Clinic

Purushothama Rao Tata

Purushothama Rao Tata

Duke University

Ana Pardo-Saganta

Ana Pardo-Saganta

Institute for Lung Health, Justus Liebig University

Barry Stripp

Barry Stripp

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Plenary Speakers
Navdeep S. Chandel

Navdeep S. Chandel

Northwestern University

Invited Speakers
Maria Basil

Maria Basil

University of Pennsylvania

Saverio Bellusci

Saverio Bellusci

Justus Liebig University Giessen

Patricia Brazee

Patricia Brazee

Harvad University

Astrid Gillich

Astrid Gillich

Calico Life Sciences

Brigitte Gomperts

Brigitte Gomperts

UCLA

Janine Gote-Schniering

Janine Gote-Schniering

University of Bern

Gisli Jenkins

Gisli Jenkins

Imperial College London

Renata Jurkowska

Renata Jurkowska

Cardiff University

Darrell Kotton

Darrell Kotton

Boston University

Claudia Loebel

Claudia Loebel

University of Pennsylvania

Frank McCormack

Frank McCormack

University of Cincinnati

Paul Noble

Paul Noble

UCLA

Tien Peng

Tien Peng

University of California San Francisco

Micha Sam Brickman Raredon

Micha Sam Brickman Raredon

Yale School of Medicine

Jason Rock

Jason Rock

Genentech

Rajkumar Savai

Rajkumar Savai

Justus Liebig University Giessen

Jie Sun

Jie Sun

University of Virginia

Matthew James Thomas

Matthew James Thomas

Boehringer Ingelheim

Bob Varelas

Bob Varelas

Boston University

Lisandra Vila Ellis

Lisandra Vila Ellis

Northwestern University

Eszter Vladar

Eszter Vladar

University of Colorado

Carola Voss

Carola Voss

Hannover Medical School

Rachel Zemans

Rachel Zemans

University of Michigan

Jarod Zepp

Jarod Zepp

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Bin Zhou

Bin Zhou

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Programme

Page /

Grants

Unfortunately, all current ECR grants have been awarded. However, we hope to release additional grants later following fundraising efforts. If you are interested in future opportunities, feel free to sign up for updates about the conference to be kept informed should further grants be released. Or, you are welcome to send in an application in advance, to be considered in the first instance should additional grants be released.

Supported by

Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Endorsing Partners
Media Partners

Interested in sponsoring this conference?

Contact us

Venue & Location

SLS Playa Mujeres

SLS Playa Mujeres is a luxury all-inclusive resort located in the beautiful Playa Mujeres area near Cancun, Mexico. The newly built hotel has a contemporary design and an upscale/chic atmosphere. The hotel features stylish and spacious accommodation, offering modern amenities and private balconies. Guests can enjoy a range of gourmet dining options, activities and facilities within the all-inclusive package including; 4 swimming pools, a secluded private beach, 18 bars/restaurants, 24 hour room service, kids and teens club, outdoor adventure course and splash zone, fitness centre, group fitness classes and non-motorized water sports.

General Information

Venue Rating

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Address

Supermanzana 3 Manzana 1, 77400 Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Nearest Airport

Cancun International Airport

Hotel Facilities

18 restaurants/bars
4 swimming pools
Private beach
Water park
Non-motorized watersports
Daily resort activities
Kids/teens club
Nightly entertainment
24 hour room service
Fitness center

Location

Mexico is a delightful combination of natural beauty, islands, ecological reserves and white sandy beaches. However, besides sun, sand and sea, this destination also offers an infinite variety of underwater activities to choose from: the diving, snorkelling and fishing here are outstanding and you will find an undersea world packed with tropical fish that live on the second largest barrier reef in the world. Sports enthusiasts might choose one of the many eco-tourism activities, such as cycling or hiking through the tropical forest or kayaking through mangroves, or something a little more adventuresome, like zip lining through the treetops.

Apart from the more well-known ancient Mayan archealogical sites such as Tulum, Cobá and Chichén Itzá you may like to visit the Aktun Chen caverns, voted one of the Top 10 underwater walks by National Geographic described as a truly magical experience.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Endorsing Partners

Media Partners

If you're interested in sponsoring this conference please contact us.

Conference Manager

Alice Tebbit

Need some help? Chat to the Fusion team today

As a family run business, our dedication runs deep. We’re committed to each other and, even more so, to every attendee’s experience, delivering a level of care and passion that’s truly unmatched.

Call us

+44 (0) 1638 555057

Looking for forthcoming conferences?