2026 PCEN Virtual Scientific Symposium

The Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology Present

2026 PCEN Virtual Scientific Symposium

Promoting Research in Childhood Kidney Diseases

The Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology (PCEN) invite you to their annual Scientific Symposium, which will now be held virtually. This meeting will provide an opportunity for you to hear about science and resources you can access from the PCENs to advance your pediatric kidney research. The virtual format allows participants to join from anywhere while engaging with the PCEN community.

Please REGISTER to RSVP. There is no registration fee to attend the Symposium. You can also check out our new website (www.pcennetwork.weebly.com) for updates and to learn more about the Centers!

When: March 23^rd, 2026, 10:00 am–2:40 pm ET
Where: Virtually via Zoom

We are excited to share our vision for this symposium, including:

• Keynote Speakers:
  1. Pinaki Sarder, University of Florida
     Title – AI × Molecular Insight—Bridging Every Scale
  2. Simone Sanna-Cherchi, Columbia University
     Title – Genomic Discovery in Pediatric Kidney Disease
• Abstracts: Learn about cutting edge pediatric nephrology research and explore collaborative opportunities! We are issuing a call for abstracts that is open to everyone. Please see below for submittal instructions. Submissions are due by Friday, February 27^th. All abstracts will be circulated to attendees ahead of the symposium, and some abstracts will be chosen to talk about their research. Smaller groups will be set up to allow attendees to discuss research topics, methods, and best practices.
• Progress and Updates from Pilot & feasibility Awardees: One Pilot and Feasibility Program awardee from each institution will deliver a brief talk about their research and their experiences working with the Centers.
• Workshops: We are offering two concurrent workshops about AI in research: One focused on integrative navigation and analysis of spatial omics and histology and the other on electronic health record data.
• Open House: Ask PCEN and Core leadership about available resources and how to access them during breakout rooms and enhance your scientific pursuits. You can sign up for your top three Cores for these sessions when you register. This is a chance to ask your questions and benefit from a group discussion with leadership and your peers.

Please direct any questions about the Symposium to CHOPPCEN@chop.edu or pcen@wustl.edu.

ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

The PCENs are issuing another call for abstracts for this year’s Symposium! In addition to our keynotes and other presentations highlighting Center resources, we will be featuring YOUR research!

We are collecting information for abstract submittals with your registration here. This information includes:

• Name, email, institution, etc.
• Project Abstract
• A description of your research interests
• Career Stage
• Biosketch or CV

Please complete the survey to submit your abstract. All abstracts must be received by Friday, February 27^th at 5:00pm ET.