Pyroptosis, a lytic form of programmed cell death mediated by gasdermin family pore-forming proteins, has rapidly emerged as a pivotal research theme in cell death and immunology in recent years. Gasdermin proteins are highly conserved across a wide range of species—from mammals and fungi to bacteria—and play essential and diverse roles in host defense and the maintenance of immune homeostasis.

For the first time, we are convening a Keystone-style symposium dedicated to this remarkable protein family. The meeting will comprehensively explore both inflammasome-dependent and inflammasome-independent functions of gasdermins across model organisms and human systems. Sessions will also address the mechanistic and structural basis of gasdermin autoinhibition, activation, and post-translational regulation, as well as their promising applications in the development of novel therapeutics for a range of human diseases.

Vishva DIXIT, Genentech

Veit HORNUNG, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Feng SHAO, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing

Hao WU, Harvard Medical School

(in alphabetic order)

Petr BROZ, University of Lausanne

Isaac Ming-Cheng CHIU, Harvard Medical School

Jingjin DING, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Kate FITZGERALD, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Yi-Nan GONG, University of Pittsburgh

Arjen JAKOBI, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience

Jonathan KAGAN, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital

Mohamed LAMKANFI, Ghent University

Eicke LATZ, The German Rheumatology Research Center, University of Bonn

Cammie LESSER, Tufts University

Judy LIEBERMAN, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Ben LV, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

Edward MIAO, Duke University

Gema MORENO-BUENO, Sols-Morreale Institute of Biomedical Research

Theresa PIZARRO, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Christopher POWER, University of Alberta

Hai-Bin RUAN, University of Minnesota Medical School

Jianbin RUAN, UConn Health  

Florian SCHMIDT, University of Bonn

Kate SCHRODER, The University of Queensland

Liang SHAN, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation

Di WANG, Zhejiang University

Lilin YE, Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University

Shu ZHU, University of Science and Technology of China

NOTE: More speakers to be announced.

TBA

Registration Deadline: September 4, 2026 

Please click the Register link at the top of this web page to proceed the registration process.

Registration Fees

*Please upload valid documents for review if you are a student.

Notice

1. When making transfers, please include the following note: PGB + [Your Full Name]. 

2. Please complete the registration and payment before September 4, 2026. Attendees registering on-site will be provided with electronic program only.

3. The electronic invoice for the registration fee will be sent to the registered email address within 15 working days after the symposium.

Refund Policy

1. A 2% administrative fee will be charged for all refund transactions.

2. Refund requests submitted after 18:00 (GMT+8) on September 6, 2026 will not be processed.

This conference will feature a poster presentation session, with an award for outstanding posters. We sincerely invite you to submit your abstract and participate in the poster presentation (encouraging the display of the latest research advancements or unpublished research topics).

How to Participate: Submit abstract for poster when register.

Poster Requirements: If you participate in the poster presentation, please print the poster yourself and bring it to the conference venue to be posted in the designated area by the staff.

Poster Size: Width 80 cm*Height 120cm

We do not provide centralized accommodation for this symposium. Participants can arrange their own accommodation by contacting nearby hotels. (If you encounter any difficulty in booking a hotel, please contact us at symposium@smart.org.cn.)

Phishing Alert: Please be alert to fraudulent emails claiming to offer symposium accommodation or hotel services. These phishing attempts may request payment or personal information. If you receive such an email, do not reply, click any links, download attachments, or share any information. We appreciate your vigilance.

1. EVEN Hotels Shenzhen Guangming Cloud Park, an IHG Hotel

Address: No. 98 Zhenyuan Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 200 meters (~3-minute walk) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Zhou, +86-135 0841 8360

2. Holiday Inn Express Shenzhen Guangming Cloud Park, an IHG Hotel

Address: No. 98 Zhenyuan Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 200 meters (~3-minute walk) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Zhou, +86-135 0841 8360

3. SYSU Academic Vila, Shenzhen Campus

Address : No.66 Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 2.5 kilometers (~5-minute drive) from the conference venue.

Contact : Mr. Ran, +86-133 3028 2207

4. Guangming CIMC Executive Apartments Hotel

Address: CIMC Executive Apartments Hotel, Qiaoming Road, Fenghuang Street, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 7.6 kilometers (~20-minute drive) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Lu, +86-138 2659 2644

Email: symposium@smart.org.cn

Tel: +86-173 2236 4121