WMS 2026 Agenda

Mitochondria remind us that medicine cannot stay static in a complex world. They invite a dynamic approach where energy, biology, and artificial intelligence converge to treat disease, prevent illness, and support healthy longevity.

Key Dates of 2026

Among the WMS Speakers 2026

KEYNOTE - From Mitochondrial Discovery to Approved Therapy: Lessons for the Future of MedicineHazel Szeto, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, USA

From Energy to Signaling: How Mitochondria Shape Brain AgingMeagan McManus, University of Arizona College of Medicine, USA

Mitochondrial transfer from glial cells to neurons confers protection against peripheral neuropathyRu-Rong Ji, Duke University School of Medicine, USA

Building on the Foundation of Four: Advancing Mitochondrial Targeted Geropeptide MedicineKevin Slawin, Eos SENOLYTIX, USA

Mitochondrial Quality Control in Oligodendrocyte Life and DeathRobert A. Hill, Dartmouth College, USA

Mitochondrial Diversity and Plasticity Across Cells and Tissues: From Functional Specialization to Disease VulnerabilityAnna Monzel, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, USA

Is Alzheimer’s Disease a Mitochondrial Resilience Disorder Before It Becomes a Proteinopathy?Benedict Albensi, Nova Southeastern University, USA

From Mitochondrial Pathology to Precision Diagnosis: Lessons from the Newcastle Mitochondrial Disease Program Robert Taylor, Newcastle University, UK

Who Controls NAD⁺? Mitochondria as Gatekeepers of Cellular Metabolism and Therapeutic ResponseMathias Ziegler, University of Bergen, Norway

Transplantation of encapsulated mitochondria alleviates dysfunction in mitochondrial disease modelsXingguo Liu, Guangzhou Medical University, China

Damage-Sensing in Mitochondrial Disorders: From Mitophagy to the Integrated Stress ResponseDerek Narendra, National Institutes of Health, USA

Mitochondria Function Evaluation: Workshop Highlights, Methods, Discrepancies, and RecommendationsNaig Gueguen, CHU Angers, France

Programmable Mitochondria: Rewiring Brain Bioenergetics to Restore Cognition.Étienne Hébert Chatelain, Université de Moncton, Canada

Cell-Type-Targeted Mitochondrial Transfer TherapyBotond Roska & Temurkhan Ayupov, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology IOB, Switzerland

The Mitochondria–Lysosome Axis: A New Dimension in Cellular Resilience and DiseaseJiajie Diao, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA

From Powerhouse to Prescription: Hazel H. Szeto Joins the WMS As KEYNOTE Speaker

From Powerhouse to Prescription: Dr. Hazel Szeto Joins the WMS Annual Meeting 2026 as KEYNOTE Speaker. We are proud to announce that Hazel H. Szeto has accepted our invitation to join the WMS Annual Meeting – Targeting Mitochondria 2026, taking place in Berlin on October 21–23, 2026. Dr. Szeto is internationally recognized for pioneering mitochondria-targeted therapeutics and for helping transform mitochondrial science into real medicine. Her work contributed to one of the first FDA-approved mitochondria-targeted therapies a historic milestone for the field.

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The Mitochondrial Measurement Challenge: WMS 2026 Workshop

Before we can target mitochondria, we must first understand how to accurately measure their function, dysfunction, adaptability, and resilience. This high-level workshop will lay the scientific foundation for the congress. This high-level workshop will lay the scientific foundation for the congress. As mitochondrial medicine enters a new era, the key question is no longer only what mitochondria are but how they behave, adapt, fail, and recover.

 Led by Naïg Gueguen, the session will explore:

• Functional assays and mitochondrial bioenergetics
• Live-cell imaging and mitochondrial dynamics
• Biomarkers and diagnostic methodologies

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Call for Abstracts & Innovations

Berlin will host the 17th World Congress of the World Mitochondria Society on October 21–23, 2026. This is more than a call for abstracts. It is a call for ideas, innovations, and translational strategies that move mitochondrial science forward.

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Who is Attending Targeting Mitochondria 2026

Aarhus University, Denmark
Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Archer Lab, Canada
Biomedical Research Center of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy
F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland
Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen, Germany
HUN REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungary
IDI IRCSS, Italy
INSERM UMR 1260, France
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Kocaeli University, Turkey
Lunella Biotech, Canada
Medical School, Greece
Miphic, Norway
Mitolab Lab, Kazakhstan
Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Germany
Rigshospitalet, Kennedy Centret, Denmark
Stapgen LLC, United States
St Jude Childrens Hospital, United States
Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Université de Montréal, Canada
University Albstadt-Sigmaringen, Germany
University College London, United Kingdom
University of Basel, Switzerland
University of Bath, Switzerland
University of Bath, United Kingdom
University of Bristol, United Kingdom
University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
University of Innsbruck, Austria
University of Manchester, United Kingdom
University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
University of Texas at Arlington, United States
Wellness Plan MD, Ltd, United States
XONE Precision Medicine, Canada
Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan

Updated till 25th May, 2026...

Concluding Remarks of WMS 2025

The 16th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria marked a defining moment for the mitochondrial community. Over three days in Berlin, the discussions made one thing clear: mitochondria are no longer a niche topic of cell biology, they have become a central pillar of modern medicine. In his concluding remarks, Marvin Edeas, Founder and Chairman of the World Mitochondria Society, emphasized that mitochondrial research has entered a new phase.

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