Mitotic spindle:
From living and synthetic systems to theory

12-15 April 2026 I Dubrovnik, Croatia

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The focus of this conference will be the biophysics of the mitotic spindle, with emphasis on self-organization and forces in the spindle over different biological contexts. Our goal is to bring together scientists working on cell biology and quantitative imaging of the spindle, in vitro reconstitution of spindle subsystems, and theoretical models that link these experiments to provide new insights. The last three conferences on the same topic had great success, with many outstanding speakers who gave inspiring talks and ample opportunity for discussions and interdisciplinary exchange.

Previous editions of the conference:
www: Mitotic spindle 2019   and    X
www: Mitotic spindle 2021   and    X
www: Mitotic spindle 2023   and    X

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Invited Speakers

Renata Basto

Renata Basto

Curie Institute, France
Sue Biggins

Marin Barišić

Danish Cancer Society Researh Center, Denmark
Meredith Betterton

Meredith Betterton

University of Colorado Boulder, USA
Arshad Desai

Arshad Desai

UC San Diego, USA
Stefan Diez

Gautam Dey

European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
Sophie Dumont

Sophie Dumont

University of California, San Francisco, USA
Rebecca Heald

Rebecca Heald

UC Berkeley, USA
Sebastian Fürthauer

Tomoya Kitajima

RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
Geert Kops

Geert Kops

Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands
Susanne Lens

Susanne Lens

UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Helder Maiato

Helder Maiato

Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, Portugal
Andrew McAnish

Andrew McAinsh

The University of Warwick, UK
Alex Mogilner

Alex Mogilner

New York University, USA
Patrick Meraldi

Andrea Musacchio

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Germany
Thomas Muller-Reicher

Thomas Muller-Reichert

TU Dresden, Germany
Dan Needelman

Dan Needleman

Harvard University, USA
Sabine Petry

Sabine Petry

Princeton, USA
Marie-Helene Verlhac

Arp Schnittger

University of Hamburg, Germany
Patricia Wadsworth

Beth Weaver

University of Wisconsin, USA
Claire Walczak

Julie Welburn

University of Edinburgh, UK

Program

program

Organizers

Nenad Pavin

Nenad Pavin

Faculty of Science, Croatia
Iva Tolić

Iva Tolić

Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia

Local Organizers:

Kruno Vukušić, Ivana Šarić
Ruđer Bošković Institute
Ivana Brebrić
Faculty of Science, Croatia

Website by Nenad Pavin

Scientific Committee

Scientific Committee includes the organizers and:


Stefanie Redemann

Stefanie Redemann

University of Virginia, USA
Thomas Surrey

Thomas Surrey

Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
Patrick Meraldi

Patrick Meraldi

University of Geneva, Switzerland

Registration

Conference registration fee: TBA.

The conference registration fee includes:

  • Attendance to all scientific sessions
  • Conference materials
  • Lunches and dinners
  • Gala dinner
  • Coffee breaks & poster refreshments
  • Guided tour to the old town of Dubrovnik
  • VAT

Registration will start on January 15, 2026.

Deadlines

Abstract submission deadline

15 January 2026

Participants will be notified whether their abstract is selected for a talk or a poster by

01 February 2026

Registration

15 January - 15 March 2026

Visa issuance procedures

To be submitted no earlier than 3 months prior to the date of planed entry into Croatia. The application will be decided on within 15 days from the date of submission of the application, and this period may be extended to 30 or 60 days for justified reasons.

Abstract submission

Poster guidelines

Venue

Dubrovnik

Spindle 2026 meeting will be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Dubrovnik is an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia. Known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik is one of the most prominent tourist resorts of the Mediterranean, surrounded by a brilliant-blue seascape, charming beaches and idyllic islands.
Dubrovnik has rich and fascinating history with many wonderful Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance churches, aristocratic palaces, red-roofed townhouses, and magnificent monasteries. It's known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The origins of the Croatian language and its classic literature can be traced back here, and the city remains an epicentre of culture, art, music and science.

Sponsors

This conference is supported by HRZZ - Croatian Science Foundation (CSF)

and European Research Council (ERC)