2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy: Elevating Natural Products

About This Grant

Project summary The 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) will be held July 26–29, 2026, at the Denver Tech Center Marriott in Denver, Colorado. This multidisciplinary conference will convene scientists from academia, government, and industry to advance the accelerated discovery, characterization, and translational application of natural products. Natural products are small organic molecules produced by living organisms that play critical roles in biological systems. They serve as molecular probes and lead compounds for drug development, particularly in oncology and infectious diseases, addressing the core missions of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). ASP2026 will feature symposia focused on leveraging natural products for cancer and infectious disease therapeutics, integrating omics technologies, synthetic biology, biocatalysis, and emerging computational tools including artificial intelligence, among others. The meeting will include six plenary symposia, two poster sessions, contributed oral presentations in well-attended afternoon symposia, and career development workshops, as well as daily networking opportunities. Confirmed and invited speakers include leaders in natural products research and related fields, with a strong emphasis on early career investigators. A dedicated Younger Members Symposium and networking event will foster mentorship and collaboration. Funding is requested to support registration and accommodation costs for students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career researchers presenting at the meeting, as well as invited speakers. Priority will be given to participants from wide-ranging US institutions and geographic regions. ASP annual meetings are unique for the following reasons: 1) attendee research, reflected in the scientific program, represents the depth and breadth of natural products and their preclinical and clinical application, 2) the ASP has a long-standing and strong sense of community as a home society for US-based natural products researchers, and 3) our society’s support of student, postdoctoral, and early career members through dedicated networking and professional development opportunities. ASP2026 directly supports NIH strategic goals by promoting the discovery and translation of natural product-based therapies for cancer and infectious diseases. The conference will catalyze innovation, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensure the continued vitality of the natural products research community.