Synopsis

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The meeting will emphasize unpublished data, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and early-career researcher integration to accelerate advances in mitochondrial control of cell fate and regenerative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

Liron Bar-Peled (Harvard University)
IDENTIFICATION OF DRUGGABLE AND REDOX VULNERABILITIES IN CANCER
Ed Chouchani (Harvard Medical School / Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
LACTATE, MITOCHONDRIA, AND CELL FATE DECISIONS
Nika Danial (Harvard University)
LIPID DEPENDENT REGULATION OF CELL FATE DECISIONS AND CELLULAR PLASTICITY IN GLIOMA
José Antonio Enríquez (CNIC)
FATE BY FLUX: THE OXPHOS MOSAIC BEHIND CELL PLASTICITY
Vivian Gama (Vanderbilt University)
THE COORDINATION OF MITOCHONDRIAL AND PEROXISOMAL FISSION ESTABLISHES CELL FATE DURING NEUROGENESIS
Yusuke Hirabayashi (University of Tokyo)
ROLES OF THE ER–MITOCHONDRIA TETHER PDZD8 IN REGULATING ADULT-BORN NEURONS
Marlen Knobloch (University of Lausanne)
METABOLIC REGULATION OF NEURAL STEM CELLS
Michal Minczuk (University of Cambridge)
MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME ENGINEERING
Maria Mittelbrunn (Spanish National Research Council)
BUTYRATE EXTENDS HEALTH AND LIFESPAN IN MICE WITH MITOCHONDRIAL DEFICIENCY
Joao Passos (Mayo Clinic)
MITOCHONDRIA AND CELLULAR SENESCENCE: INSIGHTS FOR HEALTHY AGING
Valentina Perissi (Boston University)
INTEGRATIVE MITOCHONDRIA–NUCLEAR SIGNALING IN STRESS ADAPTATION AND METABOLIC PLASTICITY
Luca Scorrano (University of Padua)
KEEPING MITOCHONDRIA IN SHAPE: A MATTER OF LIFE, DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
Orian Shirihai (University of California, Los Angeles)
MITOCHONDRIA-LIPID DROPLET CROSS-TALK
Scott Soleimanpour (University of Michigan)
ANTEROGRADE AND RETROGRADE REGULATION OF CELL FATE IN DIABETES
Pierre Vanderhaeghen (VIB KU Leuven)
LINKING MITOCHONDRIA, DEVELOPMENTAL TIMING, AND HUMAN BRAIN EVOLUTION
Carlo Viscomi (University of Padua)
EPIGENETIC AGING IN OXPHOS DYSFUNCTION

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.