Gut-brain and beyond: Interorgan Communication in Health and Disease

Organized by Scuola Normale Superiore in collaboration with the Health Science Interdisciplinary Center of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, the advanced training course is funded by the PNRR through the MERITA, the network for talent project*.
 
Date: 27 - 28 May, 2026
Location: Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa
Total hours: 15
Max participants: 85
Language: English
Application deadline: March 16, 2026
Target audience: attendance of Undergraduate/Graduate/PhD programs or being a young researcher in the biological, medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, neuroscience, veterinary or related fields

Description

The course has the aim to strengthen knowledge related to integrated physiology and inter-organ communication, by analyzing the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the dialogue between different systems, as well as their pathophysiological implications. In particular, it will explore:

• the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the gut–brain crosstalk, with a focus on the processes connecting digestive, neuroendocrine, and behavioral functions
• the implications of the intestinal microbiota in cardiometabolic risks and metabolic disorders, examining how alterations in the microbial community influence systemic homeostasis
• the heart–brain crosstalk in the regulation of cardiovascular function and behavior, including neuroautonomic circuits and peripheral signals
• inter-organ communication as a clinical frontier in systems medicine, with emerging applications in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of chronic diseases
• innovative approaches for studying inter-organ communication, ranging from advanced omics methodologies and engineering-based devices to preclinical experimental models and human studies

The course therefore aims to provide a multidimensional perspective that spans from basic mechanisms to pathophysiology, up to advanced clinical implications, offering useful tools to understand the complex interactions that regulate human health in both physiological and pathological conditions.

Application and Scholarship Information

The application, accompanied by an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae, must be submitted using the designated form no later than March 15, 2026. Additionally, candidates have the option to include a poster-style presentation (using the abstract form available for download on this page). 

The three/four best abstracts will be selected to be inserted in the course program as short talks.

Participation in the School does not entail enrollment fees.
Admission to the course includes participation in the lectures, the educational material, lunch on the first day of the course, and coffee breaks for the first and second day. 

The list of admitted and waitlisted candidates is going to be published by 10 April 2026, identified by their respective application numbers.

Among the featured guest speakers are:

Ilaria Carnevale | Cell press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Timothy Cox | (Thaiss Lab) University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US

Mathew DeBerge | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, US

John Floras | Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Canada

Alberto Giannoni | Scuola Superiore S. Anna, Pisa

Gianluca Ianiro | Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma

Cristina Limatola | Università di Roma La Sapienza

Vaughan Macefield | Monash University, Melbourne, Australia 

Malu Martinez-Chantar | CICBioGUNE, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain

Cameron McAlpine | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York city, US

Calogero Oddo | Scuola Superiore S.Anna, Pisa

Maria Rodriguez-Aburto | University College Cork (UCC), Ireland

Nicola Segata | Università di Trento

Paola Tognini | Scuola Superiore S. Anna, Pisa

Afroditi Tisitsou | (Gogolla Lab) Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany 

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* MERITA, the network for talent project is the result of a collaboration between five Italian academic institutions: the Scuola Normale Superiore, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, the Collegio Superiore dell’Università di Bologna, the Scuola Galileiana di Studi Superiori dell’Università di Padova and the Scuola Superiore di Studi Avanzati della Sapienza Università di Roma.
The MERITA project is funded within the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR), Missione 4 – Istruzione e Ricerca, Componente 1, Investimento 3.4 "Didattica e competenze universitarie avanzate"- "Rafforzamento delle Scuole universitarie superiori". (National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 – Education and Research, Component 1, Investment 3.4 "Advanced university teaching and competences" - "Enhancement of the institutions for higher education").