Summer School 2026 [September 24 & 25]: Aging & Senescence: From Evolution to Disease

Summer School 2026 - Aging & Senescence: From Evolution to Disease

Join leading experts and emerging researchers for a two-day international event dedicated to the science of aging. Bringing together the latest insights from molecular biology, immunology, evolutionary genetics and the social sciences, the programme will explore the complex biology of aging and senescence - from cells to society.

The Summer School 2026 is organised by IMRB (UPEC) in collaboration with DU ALIVE and the Hub Health & Well-being of the AURORA European university alliance.

About the event:

Population ageing represents one of the greatest biomedical and societal challenges of our century. While life expectancy continues to increase worldwide, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, pulmonary fibrosis, metabolic disorders and cancer have become major causes of disability and mortality.

Among the mechanisms linking ageing to disease, cellular senescence has emerged as a central biological process. Once described as a tumour suppressor programme, senescence is now recognised as a dynamic, heterogeneous cellular state that shapes tissue repair, immune function, inflammation, regeneration and organismal ageing.

This Summer School brings will explore ageing from multiple perspectives - from molecular and cellular mechanisms to organ dysfunction, evolutionary theory and innovative therapeutic strategies.

Mandatory registration here

Programme:

Day 1: Understanding Cellular Senescence

SESSION I - Fundamental Mechanisms of Cellular Senescence
How stress responses become persistent cellular programmes that shape tissue function throughout life.

08:15 – 09:00
Registration and Welcome coffee

09:00 – 09:10
Oliver Bischof — Opening Remarks

09:10 – 09:55 - KEYNOTE — Valery Krizhanovsky — Senescent Cells at the Crossroads of Cancer and Aging

09:55 – 10:25
Ricardo Martínez Zamudio —  A Transitional Senescence State Leads to an Inflammatory Pre-Septic State in CD14+ Monocytes of Aging Humans

10:25 – 10:55
Kirsty Spalding — Cell-Cycle Reactivation and Senescence in Mature Human Adipocytes

10:55 – 11:25
Coffee Break

SESSION II - Senescence Across Organs and Disease
How senescent cells remodel organs and promote chronic pathology.

11:25 – 11:55
Reinier Boon — Cardiovascular Aging: The Role of Non-coding RNAs

11:55– 12:25
Pasquale Maffia — Premature Cardiovascular Aging in Africa: Linking Infection, Immune Activation, and Cellular Senescence

12:25 – 12:55
Miria Ricchetti — Cellular Senescence, Accelerated Ageing and Neurodegeneration in Cockayne Syndrome

13:00 – 14:30
Lunch & Poster Session I

SESSION III - Regeneration, Plasticity and Brain Ageing
Can ageing tissues recover regenerative capacity?

14:30 – 15:00
Fabienne Agasse — Metformin Boosts Subventricular Zone Stem Cell Properties and Restores Neurogenesis in Huntington's Disease

15:00 – 15:30
Lida Katsimpardi — Systemic Regulation of Brain Aging and Rejuvenation

15:30 – 16:00
Coffee break

SESSION IV - Young Investigator Forum
Selected speed talks showcasing emerging work by PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.

16:00 – 17:15
Six Selected Speed Talks

17:15 – 17:30 
French Society for the Biology of Aging SFBVie — Presentation of the Society

17:30 – 18:30
Four Additional Speed Talks

Day 2 — Reprogramming Ageing

SESSION V - Therapeutic Reprogramming of Ageing
Can we modify the biology of ageing to restore tissue resilience and improve healthspan?

09:00 – 09:45
KEYNOTE — Guido Kroemer — ACBP/DBI Neutralization for the Prevention, Mitigation and Reversal of Age-related Disease

09:45 – 10:15
Cleo Bishop — The Tick Tock of Senescence

10:10 – 10:45
NEOTIS — Senescence Antigen Discovery for the Immunotherapeutic Targeting of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

10:45 – 11:15
Marco Malavolta— Testing Geroscience Interventions in Geriatric Mice: From Frailty Trajectories to Lifespan Outcomes

11:15 – 11:45
Coffee break

SESSION VI - Evolution, Systems Biology and Healthy Longevity
Why do organisms age, and how can evolutionary thinking reshape ageing research?

11:45 – 12:15
Eric Bapteste — Open Issues and Grey Areas About the Evolution of Aging

12:15 – 12:45
Blanca Deusdad — Technology to Better Support Ageing and Care Needs: A Human-centred Approach to Human-Robot Interaction with PARO Robot in Spanish Nursing Homes

12:45 – 14:15
Lunch &  Poster Session II

14:15 – 15:30
Six Selected Speed Talks

15:30 – 16:00
Michael Rera — Closing Perspective Lecture: From Flies to Humans - Ageing is a Two-phase Process

16:00 – 16:45 — Grand Finale
From Evolution to Disease - and Back Again

16:45 – 17:00
Poster Awards • Young Investigator Awards • Closing Remarks

Mandatory registration here