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
 

The meeting will be held at Fundação Engenheiro António de Almeida.
Rua Tenente Valadim, 231/325; 4100-479 Porto, Portugal

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 will be released soon.

The call for abstracts is open, and the deadline for abstract submission is the June 15th 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.

Abstracts guidelines / layout »

Abstract submission form »

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)

 
Registration form »

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.

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

More information:
Events Management Unit | Rua Alfredo Allen 208 | 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Email: events@i3s.up.pt | Tel: +351 226 074 900