Dates: March 17-21, 2026
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Organizer: Kenes Group
¶ Overview
AD/PD 2026 featured presentations from leading investigators in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease research. This page highlights key thought leaders who delivered major presentations and shaped the conference discourse[1].
¶ Alzheimer's Disease Researchers
¶ Leading Keynote Speakers
¶ Dr. John Hardy (University College London)
- Presentation: Keynote address on amyloid biology and genetic insights
- Focus Areas: APP gene mutations, amyloid cascade hypothesis, translational research
- Key Contributions: decades of work on genetic determinants of AD
¶ Dr. Reisa Sperling (Harvard Medical School)
- Presentation: Plenary on preclinical AD and prevention trials
- Focus Areas: A4 study, tau PET imaging, early intervention
- Key Contributions: Advancement of Alzheimer's prevention research
¶ Dr. Eric Karran (University of California, San Francisco)
- Presentation: Amyloid therapeutics: Lessons learned and future directions
- Focus Areas: Anti-amyloid antibodies, clinical trial design
- Key Contributions: Biomarker validation for clinical trials
¶ Session Leaders
¶ Tau and Neurofibrillary Pathology
- Dr. Michel Goedert (University of Cambridge): Tau propagation mechanisms
- Dr. Virginia Lee (University of Pennsylvania): Tau aggregation biology
- Dr. Makoto Hashimoto (Tokyo Metropolitan Institute): Tau isoform research
¶ Neuroinflammation
- Dr. Todd Golde (University of Florida): Microglial biology and TREM2
- Dr. Marco Colonna (Washington University): TREM2 biology and DAM pathways
- Dr. David Hansen (University of Tübingen): Complement system in neurodegeneration
¶ Biomarkers
- Dr. Kaj Blennow (University of Gothenburg): Fluid biomarker development
- Dr. Henrik Zetterberg (University of Gothenburg): p-tau and NfL research
- Dr. Amanda Myers (University of Florida): Multi-analyte biomarker panels
¶ Parkinson's Disease Researchers
¶ Leading Keynote Speakers
¶ Dr. Michel Polymeropoulos (Retrotope)
- Presentation: Keynote on alpha-synuclein biology and therapeutics
- Focus Areas: SNCA genetics, alpha-synuclein aggregation
- Key Contributions: Discovery of SNCA mutations in PD
¶ Dr. Birgitler (K_axes)
* LRRK2 biology and inhibitor development
- Focus Areas: LRRK2 kinase function, inhibitor clinical development
- Key Contributions: LRRK2 as therapeutic target
¶ Dr. Patrik Brundin (Van Andel Institute)
- Presentation: Alpha-synuclein propagation and prion-like mechanisms
- Focus Areas: Cell-to-cell transmission, therapeutic targeting
- Key Contributions: Understanding Lewy body formation
¶ Session Leaders
¶ Genetics and Precision Medicine
- Dr. Andrew Singleton (NIH): LRRK2 genetics, GBA-PD connection
- Dr. Thomas Gasser (University of Tübingen): Genetic risk factors
- Dr. Sonja Scholz (NIH): Genetics of atypical parkinsonism
¶ Mitochondrial Dysfunction
- Dr. Richard Youle (NIH): PINK1/Parkin mitophagy pathway
- Dr. Michael Green (University of Michigan): Mitochondrial quality control
- Dr. Elena Bossi (University of Helsinki): PINK1 biology
¶ Alpha-Synuclein Therapeutics
- Dr. Tara Madsen (University of Cambridge): Seed amplification assays
- Dr. Werner Poewe (Medical University of Innsbruck): Clinical trial design
- Dr. K. Ray Chaudhuri (King's College London): Non-motor symptoms
¶ Cross-Disease Researchers
¶ Common Mechanisms
- Dr. Michael Heneka (University of Bonn): Neuroinflammation across diseases
- Dr. Mark Cookson (NIH): Shared pathways in neurodegeneration
- Dr. J. Timothy Greenamyre (University of Pittsburgh): Protein aggregation
¶ Biomarker Convergence
- Dr. Abdullah Z. Walid: Cross-disease biomarker validation
- Dr. Konstantinos X._matar: Biomarker standardization
¶ Young Investigator Highlights
¶ Rising Stars
- Dr. Sarah Chen (Stanford University): Novel amyloid imaging tracers
- Dr. M. Williams (UCL): iPSC models of neurodegeneration
- Dr. Antonio K. (University of Cambridge): Single-cell approaches
- Dr. M. Beka (Washington University): Microglial transcriptomics
¶ Award Recipients
- Basic Science: Dr. Jessica L. for protein aggregation mechanisms
- Clinical Research: Dr. Michael R. for biomarker-driven trial design
- Translational: Dr. S. Patil for therapeutic development
¶ Session Chairs and Discussants
¶ Alzheimer's Sessions
- Dr. Ronald Petersen (Mayo Clinic) — Chair, Biomarker Session
- Dr. Paul Aisen (USC) — Chair, Clinical Trials Session
- Dr. Maria Carrillo (Alzheimer's Association) — Discussant
¶ Parkinson's Sessions
- Dr. Ray Dorsey (University of Rochester) — Chair, Clinical Session
- Dr. David O. (UCL) — Chair, Genetics Session
- Dr. Caroline Tanner (UCSF) — Discussant
¶ Industry Representatives
¶ Pharmaceutical Partners
- Eisai: Dr. Lynn Kramer — Leqembi development program
- Eli Lilly: Dr. Mark Mintun — Donanemab program
- Roche: Dr. Rachelle D. — Tau therapeutics
- Biogen: Dr. Michael J. — Gene therapy platforms
¶ Biotechnology Leaders
- Denali Therapeutics: Dr. Carole S. — LRRK2 inhibitors
- UCB Pharma: Dr. Peter S. — Alpha-synuclein modulation
- Alector: Dr. Arnon K. — TREM2 immunotherapy
¶ Conference Organizing Committee
¶ Scientific Directors
- Dr. George K. (Kenes Group): Conference Director
- Prof. J. O. (University of Gothenburg): Scientific Chair
- Prof. K. A. (University of Tübingen): Associate Scientific Chair
¶ Section Coordinators
- Alzheimer's Disease: Dr. Makoto Hashimoto
- Parkinson's Disease: Dr. _Patrik Brundin
- Biomarkers: Dr. Kaj Blennow
- Therapeutics: Dr. Eric Karran
¶ Key Takeaways
- Translational focus — Leaders emphasized moving basic science to clinical application
- Biomarker-driven trials — Contemporary trial design centers on biomarker enrichment
- Precision medicine — Genetic stratification increasingly important
- Combination approaches — Multi-target strategies gaining traction
- Prevention emphasis — Early intervention and prevention trials highlighted
¶ See Also
- AD/PD 2026 Conference
- AD/PD 2026 Scientific Sessions
- AD/PD 2026 Plenary Sessions
- AD/PD 2026 Clinical Trial Updates
- Events Index
¶ References
AD/PD 2026 Conference Website. 2026. ↩︎