EMBO Workshop — Autophagy in brain health and disease

The complex mechanisms underlying autophagy have been elucidated by studies in simple organisms like yeast and in cell lines. However, there is accumulating evidence that autophagic processes, which include autophagic degradation and other emerging autophagy functions, play pivotal roles in the physiology of neurons and glia. In the last decade, neuroscientists have been actively pursuing new knowledge on how autophagy is regulated in these highly specialized cells, and how it contributes to brain function. The nascent field of brain autophagy field has already driven some major advances in our understanding of autophagy function in brain health and disease. This EMBO Workshop is the first to create a forum in the field of brain autophagy in order to facilitate exciting exchanges between young and established scientists, clinicians and industry and to foster new collaborations in this fast moving area.