Invitation - CMMC Symposium 2026

Dear Colleagues - Dear Students - Dear FriendsWe are delighted to announce the CMMC Symposium 2026 in Molecular Medicine – Metabolic Control of Tissue Regeneration and Degeneration, taking place September 28–30, 2026, at the Medical Campus of the University of Cologne, Germany, integrating the 38^th Ernst Klenk Symposium, a long-standing forum for excellence in molecular medicine. The meeting is open to all and participation is free of charge; free registration is required. 

Recent advances in molecular medicine have highlighted the central role of the metabolism of different macromolecules in regulating tissue regeneration and degeneration. In this context, metabolic programs and metabolites function not only as energy and substrate suppliers, but also as regulatory elements that determine e.g., cell proliferation, differentiation, reprogramming and immune responses. Understanding the mechanistic relationship between these regenerative cell functions and metabolic programs is key to addressing major challenges in human health and disease.

The meeting aims to foster interdisciplinary exchange between basic and clinical research, bringing together scientists from molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, metabolism research, immunology, stem cell biology, and clinical medicine. We warmly welcome early-career researchers, junior group leaders, and students, and encourage their active participation. The symposium provides an excellent platform to present research, exchange ideas, and build scientific networks.

We are honored to welcome the following external scientific organizers and keynote speakers: Elly Tanaka (IMBA, Vienna, AT) - Axel Roers (Univ. Hospital Heidelberg, DE) - Gerald Shulman (Yale School of Medicine, US)

With their input and support, we have developed an outstanding program bringing together leading experts in the field, who will present and discuss the latest advances in the following sessions with confirmed speakers:

• Session 1  -  Regeneration and Metabolism
  Almudena Chaves Perez - New York, US  •  Ahmed Mahmoud - La Jolla, US  •  Mónica M Sousa - Porto, PT  •  Elly Tanaka - Vienna, AT (Keynote Speaker / External Scientific Coordinator)
• Session 2  -  Carbohydrate Metabolism and Diabetes
  Jens Brüning - Cologne, DE  •  Roy Taylor - Newcastle, GB
• Session 3  -  Redox Metabolism and Regeneration
  Ruma Banerjee - Ann Arbor, US  •  Hozumi Motohashi - Sendai, JP  •  Can Aztekin - Tübingen, DE
• Session 4  -  Immunity and Metabolism
  Jane Reznick - Cologne, DE  •  Kenji Kabashima - Kyoto, JP  •  David E Sanin - Baltimore, US
• Session 5  -  Nucleic Acid Metabolism
  Ana Martin-Villalba - Heidelberg, DE  •  Min Ae Lee-Kirsch - Dresden, DE  •  Hendrik Poeck - Regensburg, DE  •  Axel Roers - Heidelberg, DE (Keynote Speaker / External Scientific Coordinator)
• Session 6  -  Lipid and Fatty Acid Metabolism
  Triantafyllos Chavakis - Dresden, DE  •  Kitt Petersen - New Haven, US  •  Gerald I Shulman - New Haven, US (Keynote Speaker / External Scientific Coordinator)  •  Gregory Steinberg - Hamilton, CA

The program will be complemented by poster sessions, a BioTech exhibition, and social events, providing additional opportunities for exchange and networking. 

We are gratefully acknowledge support by the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, our local supperter and extenral sponsors.

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Cologne.

Sincerley yours

The Cologne Scientific Organizers
Sabine Eming¹  -  Guenter Schwarz²  -  Jens Brüning^3, 
1Dept. of Dermatology, Univ.Hospital Cologne - ²Inst. of Biochemistry, Univ.of Cologne - ³MPI for Metabolism Research

Central Office  - Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne
University of Cologne

Dr. Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher 
Dr. Nadja Bochers - Dr. Claudia HJerr - Kerstin Heber - Bettina Kranz 

Please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail cmmc-symposium@uni-koeln.de 
for further information for example travel and/or hotel information and/or child care possibilites during the CMMC Symposium 2026.

For requesting a confirmation of your participation in the CMMC Symposium 2026 for organizing your travel grant from your institution, please contact Dr. Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher (debora.grosskopf-kroiher[at]uni-koeln.de).