About the Symposium

On behalf of the Sabri Ülker Center for Metabolic Research and the Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, I am delighted to announce the second Sabri Ülker Symposium, “Metabolism and Life”, to be held May 29-30, 2018 in Boston, MA, USA.

The symposium is focused on metabolism, which encompasses all of the reactions that generate and use energy and is the most fundamental process of life, starting from the synthesis of the very first macromolecule. At the cellular and organismal levels, metabolic flux and balance is a requisite to move, to replicate, to repair damage, and to sustain life, and indeed disruptions to this delicate balance are a major contributor to disease and aging. Thus, in some sense metabolism is life; it is the molecular explanation of how we interact with the internal and external environment and operate as living organisms. Proper metabolism ensures robust function and health, and metabolic disturbances set the stage for chronic disease and the greatest threats to global public health. The Sabri Ülker Center for Metabolic Research is committed to investigating the molecular underpinnings of metabolism, its interactions with nutrients, and its dysregulation in chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases as well as during aging, with the long-term goal of translating the findings into new preventive and therapeutic directions and strategies to prolong healthspan. The second Sabri Ülker Symposium on Metabolism and Life is constructed on this framework and this first Harvard program of the series brings together a spectacular array of global experts exploring various aspects of metabolism in health and disease states and during the aging process.

The Sabri Ülker Symposium will be an unparalleled opportunity for attendees to engage with and learn from the globally recognized leading researchers in the field of metabolism from around the world. Sessions will feature presentations from renowned experts describing their innovative work to unravel the molecular details of metabolic pathways and translate these findings into real-world approaches to treat or prevent metabolic disease. The symposium will also be a great platform for young and emerging scientists to interact with established experts and for local and international scholars to build new networks. We are confident that this event will lead to new perspectives, stimulate new collaborations, and inspire future scholarly efforts. The Symposium will be held within the historic the 1877 Memorial Hall at Harvard University, built in eclectic High Victorian Gothic architectural style, and located just north of Harvard Yard. In addition to the unparalleled scientific presentations, the symposium will feature artistic performances and exhibits, and all events will be complimentary to attendees. Meeting attendees will also have the opportunity to experience the very best that Boston has to offer, from architecture and history to shopping and arts, and to explore Harvard University and museums.

I am most grateful to the Sabri Ülker Foundation and its staff for supporting the symposium, the speakers who have kindly accepted to participate, and I would like to personally welcome you to Boston for this scientific and cultural celebration.



Gökhan S. Hotamisligil, MD, PhD, Conference Organizer
JS Simmons Professor and Chair
Department of Genetics & Complex Diseases
Director, Sabri Ülker Center for Metabolic Research
Harvard University, TH Chan School of Public Health


Click here to see the Sabri Ülker Center 2017 Annual Report
Click here to see the Sabri Ülker Center 2016 Annual Report
Click here to see the Sabri Ülker Center 2015 Annual Report

Click for the previous Sabri Ülker Center Syposium 2016 web site.