Understanding and Harnessing Autophagy in Health and Disease

Autophagy is a vital cellular process with key roles in maintaining health and contributing to diseases such as cancer, infection, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and aging. Recent advances have deepened our molecular understanding of autophagy, including cargo-selective mechanisms and the broader functions of autophagy proteins in lysosomal biology. As the field evolves, there is growing potential to explore how autophagy influences diverse disease states and to develop therapies that harness or inhibit this pathway. The 2026 Autophagy GRC will serve as a critical forum for uniting researchers studying core autophagy mechanisms with experts in cancer, aging, neurodegeneration, infectious disease, and development. This meeting will highlight emerging discoveries and foster collaboration across disciplines. We expect that insights shared at the conference will drive the development of new therapeutic approaches targeting autophagy-related diseases.