Meiotic Mechanisms: Evolutionary Embellishment of a Conserved Process

Meiosis is the specialized cell division cycle that gives rise to haploid gametes for sexual reproduction. Despite the importance of meiosis for the propagation of species and the conservation of many key events, meiotic mechanisms are often distinctively embellished by evolution across systems. Exploring both these distinct differences, as well as the commonalities in meiotic strategies employed across eukaryotes, is crucial to our understanding of how meiosis is regulated to ensure the production of euploid gametes. This knowledge is clearly relevant for our own species, where meiotic defects account for high rates of infertility, miscarriages and birth defects, but also for the development of strategies for improving animal breeding and crop production. Topics that focus on this unique cell division cycle range across multiple sub-disciplines, such as germ cell biology, DNA recombination and repair, gene regulation and epigenetics, chromosome dynamics, checkpoint mechanisms and spindle assembly. To foster community and promote scientific exchange, we prioritize time for discussion after oral presentations and encourage informal and formal interactions among scientists of all career stages.

Abstracts are due March 13th, 2026 for consideration for oral or poster presentation and we encourage scientists to apply early, since this meeting is usually oversubscribed. Abstracts for oral presentation may be submitted by faculty or by trainees (with permission from their PIs). Please note, however, that we will prioritize trainees who are currently or about to be on the job market, and only one abstract for oral presentation may be submitted from each lab.