Skip to main content

The neuroscience of addiction and possible paths to a cure

Lake Conference – AICS 2026

Details

Join the Allen Institute and Circuit Neuroscience Basel for the Lake Conference in Seattle, Washington this September! This small conference will bring together researchers for engaging presentations and discussions of cutting-edge research and time for networking.

The 3.5 day conference will focus on neural coding and dynamics at the brain-wide level, their implementation in evolved neural circuits, and the impact of theory and machine learning in understanding the brain.

Sep 28, 2025 - Oct 2, 2025

Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle's Southport

Audience

Graduate, Postdocs, Scientists

Texture Background Image

Key Takeaways

The scientific program will feature 28 invited talks, organizer-selected short talks from participants, and two poster sessions. Advances in imaging, synthetic biology, and AI-driven modeling are transforming the study of morphogenesis and self-organization, making it possible to connect molecular mechanisms with emergent multicellular behaviors. Researchers can now test long-standing theories of how cells coordinate to form robust tissues, and how their breakdown contributes to disease. 

The conference will bring together leaders in the field with early-career researchers for a highly interactive meeting. 

 

Application Details

We invite applicants at all career stages to apply to attend. 

In addition to speaker presentations, we will feature a number of short talks and posters from accepted applicants. Acceptance does not guarantee a short talk time slot, those elected will be notified. 

Applications close on December 12, 2025. All applicants will be notified of the decision on their applications in January 2026. 

Registration Cost

The conference registration fee is $650.00 USD for a general ticket and $550.00 for students, to be paid only by accepted applicants after notification. Application is free. Registration includes: 

  • Three days of conference sessions 
  • Evening event (Wednesday, 4/22) 
  • All meals during the conference 

Please contact events@alleninstitute.org with questions. 

Venue

This conference will be held at the Allen Institute, a 270,000-square-foot life sciences building, located in South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle. The building is purpose-built for life science research and facilitates our trademark team science approach amid abundant natural light and with stunning views of Seattle. 

 Upon arrival at the Allen Institute, check in at the registration desk each day located in the lobby and you will be directed to the meeting. Please wear your name badge for the duration of the meeting. 

Accepted applicants will receive additional travel and accommodation details in advance of the event. 

Lake Conference 2026 Speakers

  • Alan Lowe, Chan Zuckerberg
  • Alex Schier, Biozentrum 
  • Allon Klein, Harvard University 
  • Amy Shyer, The Rockefeller University 
  • Arthur Lander, University of California Irvine 
  • Christina Theodoris, Gladstone Institute 
  • Dana Pe’er, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
  • Ewa Paluch, University of Cambridge 
  • Giovanni D’Angelo, EPFL Switzerland 
  • Irene Miguel-Aliaga Francis Crick Institute 
  • James Briscoe, Francis Crick Institute 
  • Jennifer A. Lewis, Weiss Institute; Harvard 
  • Jesse Veenvliet, Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics 
  • Jun Allard, University of California Irvine 
  • Karen Alim, Technical University of Munich; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization 
  • L. (Maha) Mahadevan , Harvard University 
  • Matthias Lutolf , EPFL 
  • Michael Elowitz, Caltech 
  • Miguel L. Concha, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 
  • Miki Ebisuya, TU Dresden; EMBL Barcelona 
  • Mukund Thattai, NCBS 
  • Nicoletta Petridou, EMBL 
  • Paul François, McGill University 
  • Rashmi Priya, Francis Crick Institute 
  • Sara Wickström, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Medicine 
  • Takashi Hiiragi , Hubrecht Institute 
  • Wendell Lim, University of California San Francisco 
  • Yanlan Mao, MRC 

Science Programs at Allen Institute