Registration is required for both the symposium and the pre-symposium workshop. Registration opens mid-August 2026.

In person attendance is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 2026 Human Cell Atlas (HCA) Middle East Symposium, hosted by Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), will bring together leading researchers in single-cell and spatial biology from the Middle East and around the world to advance the Human Cell Atlas and strengthen regional collaboration.

As the inaugural HCA Middle East Regional Event, the symposium will showcase the region’s growing role as a hub for genomics, computational biology, and artificial intelligence, while fostering new scientific partnerships across the region and beyond.

The event will begin with a hands-on Pre-Symposium Workshop on 8 November, designed to build local capacity and equip early-career researchers with practical skills, followed by the main symposium on 9 - 10 November, featuring 20 invited speakers from across the globe and the Middle East. The program will include keynote presentations, scientific talks, a poster session, and ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. 

Thanks to the generous support of MBZUAI, registration for both the pre-symposium workshop and symposium is free of charge for in-person and virtual participants, ensuring broad access to this inaugural regional event.

To further expand the symposium's impact, the Human Cell Atlas is seeking sponsorship and exhibitor partners to support the delivery of the meeting and enable travel awards for principal investigators, trainees, and other researchers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

These contributions will help ensure broad regional participation, strengthen scientific exchange, and support the growth of the Human Cell Atlas community across the Middle East and beyond.

If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Kristine Schwenck, Head of Administrative Operations, at kschwenck@humancellatlas.org.

HCA is grateful for support from our Symposium Sponsor