The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) recently hosted the “International Society for Molecular Neurodegeneration (ISMND) 2026 Conference”. Centered on the theme “Cell Biology and Therapeutics of Neurodegenerative Diseases,” the event featured keynote lectures by Prof. Thomas SÜDHOF and Prof. Randy SCHEKMAN, Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine, and brought together more than 40 world-leading experts to share the latest insights into the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.
As a flagship event celebrating HKUST’s 35th anniversary, this year’s conference was held at the Shaw Auditorium of HKUST from October 20 to 23. The comprehensive program featured keynote lectures, invited talks, short presentations, poster sessions, panel discussions, and exhibitions. Discussions centered on recent advances in understanding the fundamental cellular processes that go awry in neurodegenerative diseases and innovative therapeutic strategies being developed to combat them. The conference also highlighted advancements in early diagnosis, disease pathways, and targeted therapeutic strategies.
In her opening remarks, Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, extended a warm welcome to scholars and experts from around the globe. She highlighted a major milestone in the university’s commitment to advancing medical education, translational research, and healthcare innovation with the establishment of the HKUST School of Medicine. President Ip said: “Neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the most pressing health challenges of our time. As a neuroscientist, I have seen both the immense scientific complexity of these diseases and their profound impact on families and patients. By bringing together brilliant minds from across the globe to deepen our understanding of cell biology and develop novel therapeutics, this conference exemplifies the collaborative, high-impact endeavor we champion at HKUST.”
In his closing remarks, Prof. Guojun BU, Head and Chair Professor of the Division of Life Science at HKUST, Founder of ISMND, and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration said: “Supporting the next generation of scientists is one of the ISMND’s key priorities. In addition to examining disease mechanisms and breakthrough therapeutics, this conference offered early-career researchers an invaluable stage to exchange ideas, share fresh insights, and directly interact with global authority figures in neurodegeneration.”
The conference featured keynote lectures by two Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine. Under the theme “Neuronal lipid metabolism and Alzheimer’s disease”, Prof. Thomas SÜDHOF examined the role of cholesterol metabolism and ApoE in neurons from the perspective of fundamental cell biology. He also suggested hypotheses that relate this role to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
The spread of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in the brain has long been considered a key driver of the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Another Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Prof. Randy SCHEKMAN, delivered a keynote lecture entitled “Unconventional traffic of alpha-synuclein within and between cells”. He shared his personal journey and interest in Parkinson’s disease research and explained how his team uncovered the mechanism by which α-syn abnormally crosses cellular membranes via endosomes.
The conference also featured a series of scientific sessions. President Ip presented under the theme “Understanding the biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases – Insights into the development of diagnosis and therapeutics”, sharing her team’s recent advances in blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and their applications. The team identified hundreds of altered blood proteins that together form a “blood protein signature”, unveiling crucial disease-associated biological pathways involved in immune and inflammatory responses. By integrating these blood biomarker profiles with machine learning, the team developed models that accurately reflect brain pathology, substantially improving the accuracy of early detection and disease staging.
ApoE-mediated lipid transport is a central mechanism linking brain lipid homeostasis to Alzheimer’s disease risk, resilience, and pathogenesis. In another scientific session, Prof. Guojun BU delivered a presentation entitled “ApoE in brain lipid metabolism and Alzheimer’s disease”. He noted that multiple studies have established ApoE as a key regulator of brain lipid metabolism, and highlighted isoform-specific lipid pathways as mechanistic contributors to the pathogenesis of the disease and a promising direction for the future development of novel therapeutics.
The ISMND 2026 Conference is co-organized by ISMND and the scientific journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, with support from the BrightFocus Foundation and the Korean Society for Neurodegenerative Disease (KSND).
