2027 Horizons in Metabolism

Horizons in Metabolism is a two-day symposium that brings together established investigators and exceptional early-career scientists to share cutting-edge advances, build new collaborations and explore emerging directions in metabolism research. Presented by VAI’s Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, the symposium spotlights the next generation of leaders and examines important questions shaping the field and human health. The program also provides dedicated opportunities for networking and meaningful exchange among speakers and attendees throughout the two-day symposium.

The symposium will open with Rising Stars in Metabolism, which showcases up-and-coming postdoctoral fellows whose innovative research is poised to deeply impact the metabolism field.

The second day, Bridging Immunology, Inflammation, and Nutrition, will explore how disordered immune function and inflammatory signaling drive many chronic conditions, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Understanding these mechanisms opens the door to nutritional and pharmacological therapeutics designed to restore function and improve patient outcomes. Speakers will tackle unresolved questions, highlight new mechanistic insights and discuss opportunities for clinical practice.

Registration includes access to both days of the symposium, breakfast and lunch both days, and beverage service throughout the event.

Attendees may also register for an optional networking dinner for an additional $50. Registration coming soon!

Our program is in development. To be added to our mailing list, please email Courtney Zirkle.

Choose your collaboration goal

The Horizons in Metabolism poster session is designed to help attendees connect with potential collaborators across basic, translational and clinical research. During registration, participants will select one of four goal categories that best represents the expertise and resources they bring to a potential collaboration or the expertise or resources they seek to move their project forward.

Posters will be organized based on these goals:

• Methods and Platforms: Share research methods, technology, models, computational tools, reagents or platforms. Connect with researchers interested in applying these methods/platforms to other scientific questions. 

• Screens and Basic Discovery Data: Share screening, omics or other basic discovery data. Connect with colleagues who can help interpret or investigate promising hits and patterns.  

• Potential Biomarkers or Therapies: Share a target, biomarker, therapeutic candidate or clinically relevant laboratory finding. Connect with colleagues who have expertise in clinical translation, validation opportunities, drug development or community health data analysis.  

• Clinical or Observational Insights: Share an informative clinical case, unique patient cohort, community health finding or sample collection. Connect with scientists who could help investigate the underlying biology.  

To help foster collaborations, you also will be asked during registration to briefly describe in your own words what you bring to a potential collaboration and what expertise or resource you are seeking. 

Questions?
Please send questions regarding abstract submission, posters or the poster session to Courtney Zirkle.

TITLE OF ABSTRACT IN ALL CAPS (STYLE = TITLE)

Presenting Author^1,2, Other Author¹, and Last Author^1,3(Style = Authors)

¹First Dept., Institution, City, State, Country, ²Second Dept., Institution, City, State, Country, and ³Last Dept., Institution, City, State, Country (Style = Affiliations)

Body of abstract using 300 words or less. Define each abbreviation at first use. All fonts should be Arial, 11 pt. and text should be single-spaced. Once you have filled in this template, choose File>Save As and save your file as a Word document (.doc or .docx) with the filename lastname_abstract. (Style = Body)

EXAMPLE
TARGETING TUMOR METABOLISM THROUGH DIET: MECHANISTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE CANCER THERAPY

Vanessa Cardino¹, Kelsey Williams¹ and Russell Jones^1,2

¹Metabolism and Nutrition (MeNu) Program, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States, ²Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States

Cancer cells reprogram nutrient metabolism to support rapid growth, manage cellular stress and resist therapeutic intervention. These adaptations create metabolic dependencies that may be exploited during treatment …

When is Horizons in Metabolism? How much does it cost?
Horizons in Metabolism will take place April 26–27, 2027. Registration will open in fall 2026.

• $50 for trainees (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows)
• $150 for general admission

Attendees also may purchase a ticket to the networking dinner:

• $30 for trainees (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows)
• $50 for general admission attendees

What if I need other accommodations?
Please contact Courtney Zirkle to discuss any special accommodation needs.

How do I become a sponsor?
Please contact Courtney Zirkle for more information on sponsorship opportunities.

Are there organized evening events to connect with other symposium attendees?
Yes! We will host a networking dinner Tuesday evening. Tickets are $50 for general admission attendees and $30 for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Tickets may be purchased during registration.  

Will there be abstract-selected talks?
Yes! We will feature several short abstract-selected talks on the second day of the symposium. To be considered, please submit a poster abstract during registration. More information on formatting may be found on our Poster page.

Participants chosen for abstract-selected talks also have the option to participate in the poster session.

I’m a senior postdoctoral fellow. Can I apply to be a speaker for next year’s Rising Stars in Metabolism?
Senior postdocs who are interested in participating in Rising Stars in Metabolism should email Dr. Vanessa Cardino ([email protected]) with a statement of interest and their CV. Rising Stars in Metabolism speakers are typically selected in early fall of the previous year.

When is the poster session?
The poster session will be held on the afternoon of April 26, the first day of the symposium.

What if my research doesn’t neatly fit into one of the poster goal categories?
That’s OK! Please select the goal category that best aligns with your interests. During abstract review, we may suggest a different group based on the collaboration interests outlined in other submissions. All posters will be displayed in the same location so your assigned goal category will not limit who can visit your poster.    

When is the abstract deadline?
The abstract submission deadline for the poster session is April 12, 2027.

When is the registration deadline for Horizon in Metabolism?
The registration deadline is April 19, 2027.

When is the refund deadline?
The refund deadline is April 19, 2027.

What is the refund policy?
Refund requests must be made in writing to Horizons in Metabolism by April 19, 2027. After April 19, refund requests will not be honored. If you are not able to attend, a substitute may attend in your place. The name and email address of the substitute must be emailed to Courtney Zirkle prior to April 19, 2027.

Code of Conduct Guidelines
We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free, non-discriminatory symposium experience for all participants, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, height, weight, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other personal characteristics covered by applicable law. We will not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. We expect participants at our events to engage in constructive and professional discussions at all times. Harassment can include unwelcomed attention, inappropriate comments or jokes that refer to sexual topics, requests for dates, or other sexual activities as well as the use of language that may demean or degrade individuals. These behaviors are not appropriate for any of our conference venues, including talks, workshops, networking sessions, poster sessions, social networking platforms, and other online media platforms. Any participant violating these guidelines will be removed from the symposium at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Anyone who has experienced the above, or who has witnessed such behavior, should notify Courtney Zirkle. Anonymous reporting may also be done through the EthicsPoint Hotline.