CCB Symposium

16th Annual Symposium

March 2-3, 2026

Circadian Time and Metabolism: From Mechanisms to the Clinic!

Join us for two days of leading-edge research presentations, networking, Poster sessions and more. Venue: Scripps Institution of Oceanography - Auditorium

Symposium flyer / PDF
Agenda/Schedule - Coming Soon
Safe Environment Plan

We have invited a select, stellar group of speakers (locally, around the country, and beyond). This symposium attracts leaders in the field, with active participation from our 61 CCB Membership PIs. We welcome and encourage registrants from your research personnel, other institutions, and industry.

Please consider donating toward scholarships to enhance the inclusion of diverse students at the symposium:

The aims of the conference are to:

Promote the exchange of the latest research on aging and circadian biology, encompassing studies across various model organisms and human-based research.
Identify priority areas for multidisciplinary research at the intersection of chronobiology and aging and to encourage new collaborations and define future research directions.
Provide opportunities for the professional development of a diverse array of early career faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

Registration

Registration closes on February 8, 2026

Add a Banquet Guest two ways:
1. Registration checkout
2. Banquet Guest only (not part of your registration)

Sessions will begin at 9:00 am and end 5:00 pm each day. Join us on Monday 4:15 pm to 6:00 pm, for the poster session & happy hour networking event, as well as the Tuesday evening banquet & poster awards ceremony. Breakfast will be served at 8:30 am each morning.

Registration includes: 2-day symposium; Friday banquet dinner & awards ceremony; daily breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks.

Registration Types:

Student Registration - Students and Postdocs from all institutions (includes CCB trainees)
CCB Members - Official Membership (includes those featured on the CCB website under the people pages)
Regular Registration - All other attendees
Banquet guest add-on - Add a guest for the closing banquet (be prepared to include guest's name)

If you require accommodation for a disability for effective communication or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Colleen Reich cjreich@health.ucsd.edu, with as much advance notice as possible and at least 15-20 days in advance of this event.

Agenda/Schedule

DAY 1.
Morning session: Tissue Clocks and Integrated Physiology
9:00 – 9:15	Welcome remarks Opening Message Dr. John Carethers, Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences, UCSD
9:15 – 9:40	Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, University of California, San Diego, CA USA; Circadian Biology Beyond the Host: Microbial Time, Bile Acids, and Metabolic Health
9:40 – 10:05	Joseph Bass, PhD, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA; Circadian Design in Bioenergetics and Emerging Therapeutics
10:05 – 10:30	Karyn Esser, PhD, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA; Keeping Time for the Body: Skeletal Muscle Clocks and Systemic Health
Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:10	Frederic Gachon, PhD, Aarhus University, DENMARK; Feeding-regulated Glycogen Metabolism Drives Rhythmic Liver Protein Secretion
11:10 – 11:35	Vanessa Leone, PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA; Implications for Gut Microbes in Behavioral and Thermoregulatory Outputs of Circadian Networks
11:35 – 12:00	Christoph Thaiss, PhD, Arc Institute, Palo Alto, CA USA; Environment-Body-Brain Interactions
Lunch Break
Afternoon Session: Nutrient Timing and Metabolic Homeostasis
1:30 – 1:55	Kristin Eckel-Mahan, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center/University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX USA
1:55 – 2:20	Satchidananda Panda, PhD, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA USA
2:20 – 2:45	Gad Asher, PhD, Weizmann Institute, ISRAEL; From Circadian Clock Resetting to Hepatopulmonary Syndrome
Coffee Break
3:00 – 3:25	Nicholas Webster, PhD, University of California, San Diego, CA USA; Circadian Rhythms and Cancer
3:25 – 3:50	Matthew Thomas, PhD, University of Kentucky, Louisville, KY, USA; Targeting Circadian Rhythms to Reduce Metabolic Risk in Postmenopausal Women
3:50 – 4:15	Atul Malhotra, MD, University of California, San Diego, CA USA; Incretins in Sleep Disorders
4:15 – 6:00	Poster Session and Happy Hour

Day 2.
8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast
Morning Session: Circadian Disruption and Chronotherapeutics
9:00 – 9:25	Frank Scheer, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA; Circadian Misalignment, Metabolism, and Meal Timing Countermeasures
9:25 – 9:50	Jessilyn Dunn, PhD, Duke University, Durham, NC USA: Digital Biomarkers of Health and Disease
9:50 – 10:15	Courtney Peterson, PhD, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL USA; Time-Restricted Eating and Chrononutrition Interventions: Do They Improve Cardiometabolic Health in Humans
Coffee Break
10:30 – 10:55	Emily Manoogian, PhD, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA USA; Chrononutrition for Shiftwork and Chronic Disease
10:55 – 11:20	Esra Tasali, MD, University of Chicago, IL, USA; Sleep Health and Energy Metabolism: Research Highlights
11:20 – 11:45	Andrew McHill, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA; Uncoupling the Impact of Sleep and Circadian Disruption on Metabolic Health
Lunch Break
11:45 – 1:15	Lunch with the Professor
Afternoon Sessions: Model Organisms and Molecular Clock Mechanisms
1:15 – 1:40	Mimi Shirasu-Hiza, PhD, Columbia University, NY USA
1:40 – 2:05	Swathi Yadlapalli, PhD, University of Michigan, MI USA; Introns as Molecular Circadian Timers
2:05 – 2:30	Hikari Yoshitane, PhD, University of Tokyo, JAPAN; Mouse Circadian Proteome Atlas
Coffee Break
2:45 – 3:10	Alex Keene, PhD, Texas A&M, College Station, TX USA; The Evolution of Sleep Loss in Mexican Cavefish
3:10 – 3:35	Jacqueline Pelham, PhD, Washington University, MO USA; The Long and Short of it: Disordered Isoforms and Temperature in the Core Clock
3:35 – 4:00	Closing Remarks
Banquet Award Ceremony – Best Poster Special Lecture - Martin Tresguerres, PhD, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA

Speakers

CCB 2026 Speaker List

Alex Keene, PhD (Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA)
Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD (University of California, San Diego, CA, USA)
Andrew McHill, PhD (Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA)
Atul Malhotra, MD (University of California, San Diego, CA, USA)
Christoph Thaiss, PhD, Arc Institute, Palo Alto, CA USA
Courtney Peterson, PhD, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL USA
Emily Manoogian, PhD (The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA)
Esra Tasali, MD (University of Chicago, IL, USA)
Frank Scheer, PhD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA)
Frederic Gachon, PhD, Aarhus University, DENMARK
Gad Asher, PhD (Weizmann Institute, Israel)
Hikari Yoshitane, PhD, University of Tokyo, JAPAN
Jacqueline Pelham, PhD (Washington University, MO, USA)
Jessilyn Dunn, PhD (Duke University, Durham, NC, USA)
Joseph Bass, PhD (Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA)
Karyn Esser, PhD (University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA)
Kristin Eckel‑Mahan, PhD (MD Anderson Cancer Center/University of Texas Health Sciences, Houston, TX, USA)
Martin Tresguerres, PhD (Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA)
Matthew Thomas, PhD (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA)
Mimi Shirasu‑Hiza, PhD (Columbia University, NY, NY USA)
Nicholas Webster, PhD (University of California, San Diego, CA, USA)
Satchidananda Panda, PhD (The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA)
Swathi Yadlapalli, PhD (University of Michigan, MI, USA)
Vanessa Leone, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA)

Poster Session

We welcome registered attendees to participate in a poster session to be held on Monday at 4:15 pm. Priority for the limited space will be given to students and postdocs.

To participate in the poster session, please follow these steps:

Review the Guidelines Sheet for poster abstract and submission
Complete the Sign-up form and submit your abstract. Please sign up now. You may submit your abstract now or return to edit your form and submit your poster abstract at any time before the submission deadline on January 20th, 2026

To be considered for acceptance, you must upload your poster abstract for review (step 2 above). You may wait to register for the symposium until after acceptance announcements are made; you will be granted the early-bird discounted registration fee.

Important:

As part of the consideration for acceptance, you must submit (upload) your poster abstract for review. We will notify you by email if your poster is accepted.

Poster size not to exceed the maximum size (32" wide x 48" tall) printed in portrait orientation.

Winner(s) will receive a $100 Amazon gift card; name(s) will be announced during the banquet dinner. Team submissions are welcome; should your team win, the presenting author will be called to accept on behalf of the group.

Poster Submission Deadline: Jan 16, 2026 (for those not seeking the travel award)

Questions? Contact Colleen Reich (cjreich@health.ucsd.edu)

Network Awards

2026 CCB Symposium Travel Awards for trainees

The UC San Diego Center for Circadian Biology is excited to announce the 2026 CCB Network Awards. This award funds trainees whose activities and experiences contribute to expanding the community of scientists involved in biological rhythms research. We will provide a limited number of scholarships for trainees to attend the 16th Annual CCB Symposium, March 2-3, 2026.

Recipients of the award will receive a full registration scholarship. Recipients from outside of the San Diego area will also be reimbursed for travel and housing expenses to fully support attending the conference. Students who apply for the award should not register through the CCB registration portal until a decision about the travel award has been made. Students who are not selected, but choose to register anyway, will be granted early bird discounted registration status.

Applications must be submitted by January 19th. Application submission triggers an invitation for an advisor letter, due January 26th, 2026. For full details on eligibility and submission, use this link: Network Award Submission Form

Questions? Contact Colleen Reich (cjreich@health.ucsd.edu)

Contact

For additional information, please contact:

Colleen Reich
cjreich@health.ucsd.edu

Center For Circadian Biology