2026 Epithelial Stem Cells and Niches Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY Adult epithelia regenerate during adult life due to the constant activity of stem cell pools. Stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis and repair injury by close communication with their tissue environment, known as "niche.” Niches are complex, structured arrays of different cell types that guide tissue stem cell dynamics. The ultimate goal of understanding epithelial stem cell regulation is to repair or replace cells or organs damaged by injury, disease, and aging. The strategies vary from generating cell types and tissues in a dish for transplantation purposes to directly stimulating the damaged organ in the living organism. This field has been exponentially growing for the past decade. Tissues such as human skin and cornea have already been grown in 3D cultures and used in clinics to fight otherwise incurable medical conditions. The GRC on Epithelial Stem Cells and Niches will focus on comparative principles of adult epithelial stem cell dynamics and niche signaling across tissues. This conference will include work on the molecular control of stem cell function from the epidermis and its appendages, intestine, lung, mammary gland, cornea, prostate, and emerging work from other epithelial tissues. Research from all model organisms will be represented, fostering a comprehensive discussion on epithelial stem cell biology. Following its inaugural meeting in 2016, this GRC has held successful meetings in 2018, 2022, and 2024. In the 2026 meeting we will continue to bring in both new and veteran speakers to allow a variety of participants to contribute to this exciting event over the coming years. In particular, for the 2026 meeting, we have built a scientific program that emphasizes key cutting-edge areas in epithelial biology, including interorgan communication, microbe-immune-epithelial interactions, stemness and plasticity, and epithelial aging. These themes reflect the fields shift toward understanding organs as interconnected systems and addressing the challenges of tissue dysfunction in aging and disease. In addition, we will support the attendance of graduate students, postdocs, and early career scientists as they make their way into this exciting field of study by hosting a GRS in the two days prior to this GRC. A critical feature of the GRC’s scientific mission is to engage the next generation of scientists. We are continuing our two-day Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows that will precede this GRC. The GRS will allow students and fellows to share and discuss unpublished data and technical breakthroughs, favoring collaborative efforts and sparking provocative hypotheses to be discussed on the floor of the main conference. Furthermore, the participants will have the opportunity to establish tight professional relationships from which they will benefit throughout their careers. GRS participants will be expected to stay for the GRC, further contributing to the educational value of this conference.