EMBO conference; 'Autophagy in Health and Disease'.

Autophagy is a catabolic pathway that occurs at a basal level in most tissues, but can also be induced in response to a multitude of physiological and pathological situations. Recent studies have highlighted the capacity of this pathway to specifically el iminate unwanted structures as aberrant protein aggregates, damaged organelles and invading pathogens and thereby protect against various diseases, as neurodegeneration and cancer. The aim of this international EMBO conference series 'Autophagy in Health and Disease' is to bring together experts from these emerging fields to promote exchange across disciplines. The proposed meeting, which will be held in Norway in May 2013, will focus on the molecular mechanisms of autophagy, with a particular emphasis o n the regulation of autophagy and biogenesis of autophagosomes, as well the role of selective types of autophagy in health and disease. The meeting will be internationally advertised to attract top scientists at the group leader, post-doc and PhD level, a nd we expect approximately 200 participants to provide an interactive forum for discussions in this rapidly expanding field. A major aim of the conference series is to promote autophagy research in Europe and this will be facilitated through selection of young European scientists to give oral presentations, as well as through different discussion fora to encourage EU network formation, methodological and scientific exhange. The organization of a prestigious EMBO conference in Norway will contribute to con solidate Norway's central position in autophagy research, pioneered by Per O. Seglen (the Norwegian Radium Hospital), and more recently by the laboratories of three of the organizers of this conference, Anne Simonsen (IMB, UiO), Terje Johansen (IMB, UiT) and Harald Stenmark (CCB, UiO). Most importantly, this conference will provide a unique opportunity for internationalization of Norwegian autophagy research through networking with top-level international partners.