Venue

Axis Vermar Conference & Beach Hotel
Rua da Imprensa Regional, 4490-518 Póvoa de Varzim
Tel: + 351 252 298 900 | Site: http://www.axishoteis.com/ | E-mail: reservas@axisvermar.com

How to get there:
The easiest ways to reach the meeting venue are:

By car: GPS coordinates are: N 41° 23′ 27.4482″ | W -8° 46′ 23.5194″
By metro:
- You should take line B (average time: 30 minutes)
- From Póvoa de Varzim station to Axis Vermar Conference & Beach Hotel, you may go by taxi.

Program

Day 1 | 13th November 2025

09h30 - 10h00 Registration

10h00 - 10h15 Opening

10h15 - 11h15 PLENARY TALK | BK Channels at the Nexus of Calcium Signaling, Neuroplasticity, and Disease
Teresa Giráldez, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

11h15 - 11h45 Coffee break

11h45 - 13h00 Round Table - “10 years of i3S Home – Past and Future”
Mário Barbosa, Alexandre Quintanilha, Manuel Sobrinho-Simões, Claudio Sunkel
Moderator: Teresa Firmino (Science Editor, Público)

Roundtable in Portuguese with simultaneous translation into English

13h00 - 14h30 Lunch

14h20 - 14h30 Group Photo

14h30 - 15h30 PLENARY TALK | Inflammatory Metabolic Rewiring as a Defense Strategy
Miguel Soares, GIMM, Lisbon, Portugal

15h30 - 17h30 Social Activities

17h30 - 18h00 Coffee break

18h00 - 19h30 i3S Awards and i3S Sounds

20h00 - 22h00 Dinner

22h00 - 02h00 Party

Day 2 | 14th November 2025

09h30 - 10h45 Speed Talks

10h45 - 11h15 Coffee break

11h15 - 12h15 PLENARY TALK | Cerebral organoids: Modelling human brain development and disease in stem cell derived 3D culture
Jürgen Knoblich, IMBA, Vienna, Austria

12h15 - 13h15 Gender Equality: What Future?
Alexandre Quintanilha

Roundtable - Alexandre Quintanilha, Mónica Sousa, Miguel Neves, Mariana Simões
Moderator: Susana Magalhães

Roundtable in Portuguese with simultaneous translation into English

13h15 - 14h30 Lunch

14h30 - 16h30 i3S Plenary - Meet the teams powering our mission

16h30 - 17h00 Year in Review
Claudio Sunkel

Social Activities

13th November | 15h30-17h30

Activity 1 - Welcome to “Who’s Who at i3S?” | Auditorium
Think you know your colleagues? Time to prove it! In this fast-paced team game, you’ll race to match names to fun facts, quirky clues, and surprising stories — all from the amazing people who make i3S what it is.
From labs to offices, everyone’s part of the mystery. Work together, think fast, and get ready to laugh! The team that cracks the most identities earns eternal glory (and bragging rights) as the Ultimate i3S Sleuths!
Let the guessing begin — and may the best team win!

Organization: Postdoc representatives

Activity 2 - i3S without borders | Garden / Pool
Here you will leave the lab coat behind and change into a tracksuit or wetsuit! You will have to work as a team and compete with others in a fun game with various obstacles. The goal is to be fast and efficient, which only happens if there is cooperation! And, at the end there will be a prize for the best team of “Release the Researcher”.

Organization: PhD students

Activity 3 - Go with the Flow – Yoga | Póvoa de Varzim Room
Let yourself be carried away by the wave of this activity, be it the wave of relaxation where you seek unity between body and mind, or the wave of movement where you seek to combine training with fun. Put down your coat and paper and choose your wave!

Organization: PhD students

Activity 4 - i3S Padel Cup | Mais Ténis - Clube da Praia
Let Padel for every style — from those still asking “which side of the racket is the right one?” to those who play with GPS tracking the ball. Pick your level, step onto the court with the i3S pair that we will assign you, and show off your skills (or at least give it a shot!). Guaranteed fun, unexpected shots, and plenty of stories to tell afterwards.
This activity will take place at Mais Tenis - Clube da Praia, so you’ve got a 6-minute walk or a 3-minute jog from the hotel to warm up!
Friendly tip: If your relationship with padel is still just curiosity, it might be best to wait for the next opportunity!

Organization: PhD students

Activity 5 - i3S Tennis Cup | Mais Ténis - Clube da Praia
Whether your backhand is still in the experimental phase or your serve is already peer-reviewed and published, we’ve got a spot for you in our tennis tournament. Choose your tennis level - no pipette skills required – and we will group you into teams that will play each other. Register now, and let’s turn the court into a lab of friendly competition!
This activity will take place at Mais Tenis - Clube da Praia, so you’ve got a 6-minute walk or a 3-minute jog from the hotel to warm up!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the skies decide to experiment with rain, the tennis activity may be cancelled (still uncertain if we have access to indoor tennis courts). But don’t worry: in case of cancellation, you’ll be reassigned to the less sportive but equally exciting activity "Welcome to 'Who’s Who at i3S?'"—no sunscreen required!
Friendly tip: If your relationship with tennis is still just curiosity, it might be best to wait for the next opportunity!

Organization: PhD students

Activity 6 - Populations: Population Dynamics at Play | Eça de Queirós Room
Do you like board games? What if a room with 50 players simultaneously determines who reaches the end with the most diverse population? Join us on this adventure and have fun! This activity is based on a board game created by i3S that simulates the different mechanisms involved in the evolution of populations, with constant change, increases, and decreases in their genetic diversity, where extinction is possible. A playful and fun way to experience the dynamics of human populations throughout history, through a game developed in the project “Human Diversity in the Space of Magellan's Circumnavigation: Genetics, History, and Culture”.

Organization: Communication Unit & Career Development Unit

Activity 7 - Quick Chess | Estela Room
If the investigation requires time, here the rule is the opposite: quick decisions, immediate consequences. Perfect for those who appreciate strategy… and for those who think patience is overrated.
Open to everyone: from those who know Siciliana to those who just know that the horse doesn't walk in a straight line.

Organization: PhD students

Activity 8 - Wall-Escape: Save the Earth! | Gomes de Amorim Room
Join Wall-E on an adventure to save a post-apocalyptic Earth! Navigate through a series of fun challenges inspired by the beloved robot’s mission to clean up the planet. From solving futuristic puzzles to uncovering hidden clues, your team will need to work together to bring hope to Earth’s future. Think you have what it takes to help Wall-E restore life on the planet? Test your problem-solving skills, collaborate with your teammates, and escape in time! Ready to roll with Wall-E? Let’s find out!

Organization: Green Lab

Abstract Submission

The call for abstracts is open until 6th October.

Participants that will perform the speed talk should send their presentation in PDF or PPT by the 7^th of November. Further details will be provided later.

Abstract guidelines >>

Template download >>

Abstract submission >>