Infection fundamentally reshapes host cell metabolism, architecture, and organelle behavior. Yet these changes are often treated as secondary consequences rather than central drivers of disease pathogenesis. This meeting will address a critical gap by centering an emerging and unifying framework: Cellular and Metabolic Dynamics of Host Pathogen Interactions.

Current scientific meetings on host-pathogen interactions are typically siloed—focused on specific pathogen classes or restricted to immunology or microbial mechanisms—limiting cross-disciplinary exchange. The meeting will bring together researchers across microbiology, cell biology, metabolism, structural biology, and human genomics to tackle key challenges, including how hosts and pathogens compete for metabolic resources, how intracellular microbes are compartmentalized and controlled, and how organelles—particularly mitochondria—actively interact with intracellular pathogens during infection.

A central goal of this meeting is to redefine infection as a dynamic interplay between host cellular systems and microbial strategies, rather than a unidirectional process.  Attendees are expected to gain new conceptual frameworks, exposure to cutting-edge technologies (e.g., advanced structural analyses, molecular simulations of host-pathogen interactions, spatial resolution of cellular processes), and opportunities for collaboration across traditionally disconnected fields. By integrating diverse perspectives, pathogens, and approaches, the meeting aims to catalyze new research directions and foster a community that transcends pathogen- or organelle-specific boundaries.

This meeting is uniquely positioned at a moment when technological advances and conceptual shifts make such integration both possible and necessary. By prioritizing shared cellular principles over organism-specific silos, it offers a timely and compelling alternative to existing meetings and will help define the future direction of the field.    

Unique Career Development Opportunities

This meeting will feature a Career Roundtable where trainees and early-career investigators will have the opportunity to interact with field leaders from across academic and industry sectors for essential career development advice and networking opportunities. Find out more about Career Roundtables here: https://www.keystonesymposia.org/diversity/career-development-initiatives