2026 AS–KU–UCLA Symposium — Redesigning Materials and Life for Planet and Human Health, May 18–20, 2026, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
About the Symposium

Redesigning Materials and Life for Planet and Human Health

event – location_on Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

The AS–KU–UCLA Symposium 2026 invites scholars from Academia Sinica, Kyoto University, and UCLA to address complex challenges at the interface of human and environmental systems.

Focusing on new materials and renewable energy, biomedical research, and plant and microbial science, the symposium brings together work that spans from molecular design to ecosystem dynamics.

"From molecules to ecosystems — advancing integrative approaches for a more sustainable future."

Building on the inaugural 2025 meeting at UCLA, UCLA–Kyoto University–Academia Sinica (Pan Pacific) Meeting: New Developments in Biomedical Sciences, the symposium expands from a biomedical focus to a broader cross-disciplinary framework.

Three-Day Program

Conference Schedule

location_on Lecture Hall, Environmental Change Research Building
09:30–09:40

Opening Ceremony and Welcome Remarks

Keynote Lecture
09:40–10:40

Designing Molecular Space: From MOFs to a Better Future

person Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University

workspace_premium 2025 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, moderated by David Tai-Wei Wu, Director of Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica
10:40–11:00

Coffee Break (invited only)

coffee
Session 1: New Materials and Renewable Energy ( Energy Conversion )
11:00–11:30 1-1

New Materials for Energy Efficient Nano-Scale Devices

person Jane P. Chang, UCLA

11:30–12:00 1-2

Endothermic Singlet Fission Process in Harvesting the High-Level Excitation Energy for Tetracene-Based Photodiodes

person Tzung-Fang Guo, Academia Sinica

12:00–12:30 1-3

Materials Science for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

person Tomoya Nakamura, Kyoto University

12:30–13:30

Group Photo and Lunch (invited only)

restaurant
Session 2: New Materials and Renewable Energy ( Catalysis and Health Applications )
13:30–14:00 2-1

Understanding (and Controlling) Electrified Interfaces for Energy and Health

person Yuzhang Li, UCLA

14:00–14:30 2-2

Macromolecular Electrode Materials

person Hung-Ju Yen, Academia Sinica

14:30–15:00 2-3

Beyond Materials: Electrified Catalysis and Reactor Design for a Healthier Planet

person Carlos Morales-Guio, UCLA

15:00–15:15

Coffee Break (invited only)

coffee
Session 3: New Materials and Renewable Energy ( Optoelectronics, Electrocatalysis, and Biomanufacturing )
15:15–15:45 3-1

Controlling Emission and Photodetection in Atomically Thin 2D Materials with Plasmonic HfN-Gated Heterostructures

person Yu-Jung Lu, Academia Sinica

15:45–16:15 3-2

2D Materials Edges as a Platform for Electrocatalysis

person Ya-Ping Hsieh, Academia Sinica

16:15–16:45 3-3

Coacervate Protocells for Cell-Free Biomanufacturing

person Samanvaya Srivastava, UCLA

16:45–17:15

Day 1 Wrap-up and Discussion

18:30

Banquet (invited only)

location_on Lecture Hall, Environmental Change Research Building
Session 4: Biomedical Research ( Immunology and Cancer Therapy )
09:30–10:00 4-1

Engineering Multi-Pronged CAR-T Cell Therapies for Cancer

person Yvonne Chen, UCLA

10:00–10:30 4-2

Decoding Innate-Like Lymphocytes in Asthma: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Opportunities

person Ya-Jen Chang, Academia Sinica

10:30–11:00 4-3

X Chromosome and Autoimmunity

person Maureen An-Ping Su, UCLA

11:00–11:15

Coffee Break (invited only)

coffee
Session 5: Biomedical Research ( Tumor Immunity and Cell Engineering )
11:15–11:45 5-1

Targeting Oncogenic EGFR and TIL Density in the GBM Immune Microenvironment

person Robert M. Prins, UCLA

11:45–12:15 5-2

Chemical Biology of Self-Assembly

person Motonari Uesugi, Kyoto University

12:15–12:45 5-3

Engineering a Potent T Cell Response against Melanoma

person Cristina Puig Saus, UCLA

12:45–13:45

Lunch (invited only)

restaurant
Session 6: Biomedical Research ( Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics )
13:45–14:15 6-1

Elimination of Unwanted Cells: From Understanding to Control

person Jun Suzuki, Kyoto University / Academia Sinica

14:15–14:45 6-2

Single-Cell Dynamics by Omics

person Hirofumi Shintaku, Kyoto University

14:45–15:15 6-3

Two Large Biobanks at Academia Sinica

person Hsin-Chou Yang, Academia Sinica

15:15–15:30

Coffee Break (invited only)

coffee
Session 7: Biomedical Research ( Virology, Barriers, and Bioengineering )
15:30–16:00 7-1

Beyond the Pandemic: Uncovering the Drivers of Viral Spillover in a Changing Environment

person Shin-Ru Shih, Academia Sinica

16:00–16:30 7-2

Mechanisms of Ebola Virus Intracellular Replication

person Takeshi Noda, Kyoto University

16:30–17:00 7-3

Microbial Natural Product and Enzyme Discovery

person Yi Tang, UCLA

17:00–17:30 7-4

"DuraBle" Tolerance: How Do B Cells Establish Tolerance at the CNS Borders?

person Wei-Le Wang, Academia Sinica

17:30–18:00

Day 2 Wrap-up and Discussion

18:30

Dinner (invited only)

location_on Lecture Hall, Environmental Change Research Building
Session 8: Plant and Microbial Research ( Plant Signaling and Environmental Resilience )
09:00–09:30 8-1

Strigolactones and LysM Proteins in Rice Architecture and Symbiosis

person Jian-You Wang, Academia Sinica

09:30–10:00 8-2

Research of Plant Growth Mechanism under the Brassinosteroid Signaling

person Takeshi Nakano, Kyoto University

10:00–10:30 8-3

Plant Drought Tolerance from Cells to Leaves to Ecosystems to Continent

person Lawren Sack, UCLA

10:30–10:45

Coffee Break (invited only)

coffee
Session 9: Plant and Microbial Research ( Microbial Resources and Plant-Microbe Interaction )
10:45–11:15 9-1

Rethinking Fungus-Cyanobacterium Symbiosis: When Cyanobacteria Build the House and Fungi Move In

person Ko-Hsuan Chen, Academia Sinica

11:15–11:45 9-2

Stability and Dynamics of Microbial Communities

person Hirokazu Toju, Kyoto University

11:45–12:15

Day 3 Wrap-up and Closing Remarks

Partners

Organizers

Academia Sinica Kyoto University UCLA