AAV Gene Therapy Symposium 2026

A full day symposium bringing together AAV gene therapy work from across UCL, spanning vector development, preclinical studies and clinical experience. Wednesday 18 November 2026 at Coram House, London, with a call for poster abstracts closing at midnight on Monday 5 October 2026.

The 2026 Pan-UCL Symposium showcases the breadth of adeno-associated virus gene therapy expertise across the university, with keynote talks from UCL speakers, interactive panel sessions, networking and symposium prize awards. The day runs from 10:00 to 16:45 and is followed by a reception.

It is hosted by the Genetic Therapy Accelerator Centre, set up in 2022 as a joint initiative between UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and directed by Professor Francesco Muntoni. The centre develops RNA, AAV and cellular myology therapies for neurological and neuromuscular disorders, with Professor Jo Ng leading the AAV team.

For anyone working on the genetics of neurodegeneration, this is a chance to see how vector work moves from bench to clinic inside one institution. If you have been following gene editing and the treatment possibilities it opens up, or work on genetically determined Alzheimer’s, the delivery problem is the same one.

Event details

• Date: Wednesday 18 November 2026
• Time: 10:00–16:45, followed by a reception and networking
• Venue: Coram House, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ
• Cost: free, but pre-booking is essential
• Access: a UCL or NHS ID card is needed to get into the building

Call for poster abstracts

UCL attendees are invited to submit an abstract of up to 200 words for a poster presentation on the day, with eligibility for the UCL AAV Symposium poster prize. The highest scoring abstracts are selected for short oral poster presentations, and everyone will hear by email by mid-October 2026 whether their abstract has been accepted.

The deadline is midnight on Monday 5 October 2026. Abstracts go by email to genetictherapyaccelerator@ucl.ac.uk.

If your work has not previously been declared or protected, check any confidential information or data with UCL Ventures before presenting it.

Organising committee

Professor Francesco Muntoni, Professor Paul Gissen, Dr Jenny McIntosh, Professor Jo Ng, Professor Ahad Rahim, Professor Trevor Smart, Dr Pamela Tranter, Professor Jaqui Van Der Spuy and Professor Simon Waddington.

Registration and enquiries

Registration opens on Eventbrite and is due to be announced shortly. For enquiries contact genetictherapyaccelerator@ucl.ac.uk or the event coordinator, Sophie Ostler, at s.ostler@ucl.ac.uk.

View the event on the UCL website

The Genetic Therapy Accelerator Centre is based at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and works across UCL to take genetic therapies for neurological and neuromuscular conditions towards the clinic.