7th International AHR Conference
Connections in the AHR: A Ticket to Multiple Destinations in Health, Disease, and Therapy
29 September - 2 October 2026 | Fundação Engenheiro António de Almeida, Porto, Portugal
The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) has emerged as a powerful integrator of signals across biology, linking environmental cues, metabolism, immunity, and gene regulation. From fundamental mechanisms to clinical applications, AHR research is opening new routes toward understanding health, disease, and therapeutic innovation.
Connections in the AHR: A Ticket to Multiple Destinations in Health, Disease, and Therapy brings together researchers, clinicians, and industry from diverse disciplines to explore how AHR-driven pathways shape biological systems and how these insights can be translated into novel interventions.
This meeting will highlight cutting-edge research across multiple interconnected areas, including:
- AHR signaling and roles in homeostasis and disease (e.g., cancer, infection, metabolic disorders, barrier functions, neurological diseases)
- Therapeutic targeting of the AHR and pathway modulation
- Emerging technologies and models to study AHR biology
- AHR structure/function relationship
This conference is designed for scientists, clinicians, and trainees interested in immunology, cancer, toxicology, metabolism, and therapeutic development. Whether your destination is discovery, translation, or application, this meeting offers a shared ticket to explore the expanding landscape of AHR research.
WHY ATTEND
- Gain a cross-disciplinary perspective on AHR function
- Connect mechanistic insights with disease relevance and therapy
- Engage with leading experts and early-career researchers
- Foster collaborations that bridge basic, translational, clinical, and pharmaceutical science
Venue
The meeting will be held at Fundação Engenheiro António de Almeida.
Rua Tenente Valadim, 231/325; 4100-479 Porto, Portugal
Organization
Pedro Moura Alves, i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto; IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto
Francisco Quintana, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation.
David Sherr, Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health
Emma Wincent, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute
Sofia Azeredo Pereira, iNOVA4HEALTH, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (NMS/FCM), Universidade Nova de Lisboa; Centro Clínico e Académico de Lisboa
Program
Preliminary Program
Day 1 | September 29th
15h00 - 16h00 | Registration
16h00 - 16h15 | Opening Session
16h15 - 17h15 | Keynote Session I - Mark Hahn, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, USA
17h15 - 19h00 | Reception (Snacks & Drinks)
Day 2 | September 30th
09h00 - 10h30 | Infection and Immunity
09h00 - 09h30 | Elodie Segura, Institute Curie, France
09h30 - 09h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
09h45 - 10h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
10h00 - 10h30 | Salome LeibundGut Landmann, University of Zurich, Switzerland / Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, UK
10h30 - 11h00 | Coffee Break
11h00 - 12h30 | Barrier Organs and Microbiome
11h00 - 11h30 | Andreas Wack, The Francis Crick Institute, UK
11h30 - 11h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
11h45 - 12h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
12h00 - 12h30 | Paola Di Meglio, King’s College London, UK
12h30 - 14h00 | Lunch
14h00 - 15h30 | Neurobiology
14h00 - 14h30 | Tamara Tal, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, Germany
14h30 - 14h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
14h45 - 15h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
15h00 - 15h30 | Francisco Quintana, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA , USA
15h30 - 17h00 | Poster Session (Drinks & Snacks)
17h00 - 18h00 | Keynote Speaker II – Charlotte Esser, Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Germany
Day 3 | October 1st
09h00 - 10h30 | Structure-Function Relationships and Technologies
09h00 - 09h30 | Antonio Macchiarulo, University of Perugia, Italy
09h30 - 09h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
09h45 - 10h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
10h00 - 10h30 | Dalei Wu, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, China
10h30 - 11h00 | Coffee Break
11h00 - 12h30 | Toxicology, Pharmacology and Diet
11h00 - 11h30 | Christopher Bradfield, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin, WI, USA
11h30 - 11h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
11h45 - 12h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
12h00 - 12h30 | Jorg Lehmann, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Germany
12h30 - 14h00 | Lunch
14h00 - 15h30 | Clinical Research and Therapeutic Interventions
14h00 - 14h30 | James Lee, The Francis Crick Institute, UK
14h30 - 14h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
14h45 - 15h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
15h00 - 15h30 | Rui Lu, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, AL, USA
15h30 - 17h00 | Poster Session (Drinks & Snacks)
17h00 - 18h00 | Keynote Speaker III – Brigitta Stockinger, The Francis Crick Institute, UK
19h30 | Social Event - Dinner
Day 4 | October 2nd
10h00 - 11h00 | Signaling and Crosstalk
10h00 - 10h30 | Jason Matthews, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway/ University of Toronto, Canada
10h30 - 10h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
10h45 - 11h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
11h00 - 12h30 | Cancer
11h00 - 11h30 | Jan Vondracek, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
11h30 - 11h45 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
11h45 - 12h00 | Selected abstract (Speaker TBD)
12h00 - 12h30 | Christiane Opitz, German Cancer Research Center, Germany
12h30 - 12h45 | Closing Session
Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Brigitta Stockinger, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
Charlotte Esser, Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
Mark Hahn, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA
INVITED SPEAKERS
Andreas Wack, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
Antonio Macchiarulo, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Christiane Opitz, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
Christopher Bradfield, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, USA
Dalei Wu, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
Elodie Segura, Institute Curie, Paris, France
Francisco Quintana, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
James Lee, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
Jan Vondrácek, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
Jason Matthews, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway / University of Toronto, Canada
Jörg Lehmann, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
Paola Di Meglio, King’s College London, London, UK
Rui Lu, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, USA
Salomé LeibundGut-Landmann, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland / Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, UK
Tamara Tal, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
Abstract Submission
The call for abstracts is open, and the deadline for abstract submission is the July 17th 2026.
Abstract scientific review will be performed by members of the scientific committee, that are not authors in abstracts submitted to the meeting.
Candidates can select their preference for an oral or poster presentation. The abstract will be evaluated and selected either for oral presentation (12 minutes each followed by up to 3 minute-discussion) or poster presentation.
Abstracts must be submitted by completing the online submission form.
Registration
Registration fee covers:
- Welcome drinks reception (Porto d’Honra)
- Coffee breaks, lunches (September 30th, October 1st) and lunch box (October 2nd)
- Conference dinner and social event (October 1st)
- Digital version of the abstract book
- Certificate of attendance (digital version)
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Early bird registration: 31st July 2026 (payment deadline: 31st July 2026) |
Late registration:30th August 2026 (payment deadline: 30th August 2026) |
| Students & Postdocs* | 450€ | 550€ |
| Academic | 550€ | 650€ |
| Industry | 750€ | 850€ |
Non-European participants will have the possibility to pay the fee using PayPal. Participants who wish to use this payment option should contact the Events Management Unit using the e-mail events@i3s.up.pt, after completing the registration.
Accommodation
Reservations are the responsibility of each participant.
Accommodation suggestions located at a maximum of 20 minute walking distance to Fundação Engenheiro António de Almeida:
Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa *****
Rua do Tenente Valadim 146, 4100-476 Porto
Website: https://www.marriott.com/pt-br/hotels/oposi-sheraton-porto-hotel-and-spa/overview/
Average time: 2 min
Portus Cale Hotel ****
Avenida da Boavista 1060, 4100-113 Porto
Website: https://www.portuscalehotel.com/pt/
Average time: 8 min
Holiday Inn Express Porto-Boavista ***
Rua de 5 Outubro 578, 4100-173 Porto
Website: https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/porto/opoto/hoteldetail
Average time: 9 min
Hotel HF Tuela Porto ***
Rua Arquitecto Marques da Silva 200, 4150-483 Porto
Website: https://www.hfhotels.com/pt/hoteis/hf-tuela-porto-pt/
Average time: 18 min
HF Fénix Porto ****
Rua Gonçalo Sampaio, 282, 4150-365 Porto
Website: https://www.hfhotels.com/pt/hoteis/hf-fenix-porto-pt/
Average time: 18 min
Sponsors
Information
More information:
Events Management Unit | Rua Alfredo Allen 208 | 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Email: events@i3s.up.pt | Tel: +351 226 074 900
