Detailed Programme
Day I — 2 October 2026
Session 1
3:15 PM – 4:55 PM Chair: Shruthy Suresh Aggarwal3:15 – 3:55 PMPlenary LectureMarianne BronnerCaltech, Pasadena, USA
Gene regulatory analysis of enteric nervous system development
3:55 – 4:15 PMChinmoy PatraAgharkar Research Institute, Pune
Domain-specific functions of Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor in development
4:15 – 4:35 PMSreelaja NairIIT Bombay, Mumbai
Role of tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNA) in Regulating Transcription During Development
4:35 – 4:45 PMGreg Jude DsilvaIISER Pune / Shiv Nadar University
Establishment of Distinct Pre-ZGA H3K4me1 Chromatin Landscapes During Zebrafish Embryogenesis
4:45 – 4:55 PMJyotishman SarmaBRIC-NIBMG, Kalyani / Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad
PTPRM Regulates Connexin43 to Maintain Lens Homeostasis During Ocular Development in Zebrafish
Tea Break · 4:55 PM – 5:25 PM
Session 2
5:25 PM – 6:45 PM Chair: Amrutha Swaminathan5:25 – 5:55 PMEMBO Global LectureRoberto MayorUCL, London, UK
Forces that Shape Fate: The Mechanics of Neural Crest Development
5:55 – 6:15 PMVivek T NatarajanCSIR-IGIB, New Delhi
Cell Fate Decisions in Melanocyte Development and Melanoma Revealed by Zebrafish Somatic Mutagenesis and Single-Cell Profiling
6:15 – 6:35 PMMujahidkhan A. PathanICAR-CIFE, Mumbai
Genetic Parameters and Inbreeding Effects on Growth and Production Traits in Zebrafish (Danio rerio): Implications for Selective Breeding
6:35 – 6:45 PMRoopsali BanerjeeIISER Pune
Kaptin Mediated Actin Cytoskeleton Remodelling in Neural Circuit Development and Seizures
Day II — 3 October 2026
Session 3
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Chair: Mahendra Sonawane9:00 – 9:30 AMKeynote LectureKaruna SampathWarwick, Coventry, UK
RNA granules in oocyte polarity and germline development
9:30 – 9:50 AMBeena PillaiBRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram
Persistent effects of inherited RNAs on brain and behaviour
9:50 – 10:10 AMJason RihelUCL, London, UK
Genetic Evidence for Two Independent Neuropeptide-Regulated Sleep Homeostats in Zebrafish
10:10 – 10:20 AMAnil KomanduruCSIR-CCMB, Hyderabad
Swimming in Plastic: What Zebrafish Reveal About Microplastic Toxicity
10:20 – 10:30 AMArkajyoti SanyalTata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Characterizing the Physical and Chemical Mechanisms of Tissue Shape Change in Zebrafish Embryonic Explants
Tea + Poster Session (all posters) · 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Session 4
11:30 AM – 12:55 PM Chair: Rajeeb Swain11:30 AM – 12:00 PMEMBO Global LectureFilippo Del BeneInstitut de la Vision, Paris, France
Precise genome editing tools for disease modelling in zebrafish
12:00 – 12:20 PMRajesh RamachandranIISER Mohali, Mohali
HDACs regulate immune cell dynamics and ECM remodeling during appendage regeneration in zebrafish and axolotl
12:20 – 12:30 PMGautam MohapatraIIT Madras, Chennai
Targeting the Lactate Receptor (GPR81) to Suppress Neuronal Hyperexcitability and Seizures in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A GIRK Channel-Mediated Mechanism
12:30 – 12:45 PMThermoSponsor Talk
12:45 – 12:55 PMSamitekSponsor Talk
Session 5
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Chair: Aurnab Ghose2:00 – 2:30 PMKeynote LectureAmitabha BandyopadhyayIIT Kanpur, Kanpur
Articular cartilage can be regenerated in murine models of osteoarthritis
2:30 – 2:50 PMAnamika BhargavaIIT Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Bridging Drug Exposure and Efficacy: LC-MS/MS Based Measurement of Doxorubicin Uptake in Zebrafish Breast Cancer Xenografts
2:50 – 3:00 PMSanovar DayalCSIR-IGIB, New Delhi
durga: A Behaviour Modulating, Inherited, Enhancer RNA in Zebrafish
3:00 – 3:10 PMBhawna MalikPanjab University, Chandigarh
Hyperglycemia Induced Diabetic Retinopathy Zebrafish Model: Dose-Time Response and Behavioral Study
3:10 – 3:20 PMVarshini RIISER Mohali
Role of Marcks and Marcks Like Protein in Zebrafish Retina and Fin Regeneration
3:20 – 3:30 PMBiolegendSponsor Talk
Tea + Poster Session (all posters) · 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Session 6
5:00 PM – 6:20 PM Chair: Megha Kumar5:00 – 5:20 PMYogesh BhargavaDr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, MP
Open and Affordable Technologies Across the Zebrafish Research Pipeline
5:20 – 5:30 PMStuti GuptaIIT Bombay, Mumbai
Novel and Non-canonical Role of RNA Polymerase II in Regulating Gene Expression in Early Zebrafish Embryos
5:30 – 5:40 PMSambuddha BanerjeeVisva-Bharati University, Santiniketan
Environmental Acrylamide Exposure Disrupts the Central Kiss2-GnRH3-LH Axis to Impair Reproductive Fitness in Adult Female Zebrafish
5:40 – 6:00 PMMohita Malay TagoreMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
From Cell State to Tissue State: Bioelectric Control of Melanoma Initiation in Zebrafish
6:00 – 6:10 PMKaushani GhoshShiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi
One Signal, Two Fates: Calcium Dynamics Dictate Organ-Specific Injury in the Alcohol-Exposed Zebrafish
6:10 – 6:20 PMAddgeneSponsor Talk
Community Session (all participants invited): Chetana Sachidanandan · 6:20 PM – 7:00 PM
Day III — 4 October 2026
Session 7
9:00 AM – 10:20 AM Chair: Rudra Nayan Das9:00 – 9:20 AMAgnik DasguptaTCG CREST-CHINTA, Kolkata
From pulse to patterning: Spatiotemporal code for sensory morphogenesis
9:20 – 9:40 AMRita MateusMax Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
Developmental growth rates adapt to enable self-correction of organ morphology after injury
9:40 – 10:00 AMSudipta MaitraVishwa Bharati, Shantiniketan
Neuroendocrine-Metabolic Integration and Mitochondrial Remodelling Coordinates Ovulation in Zebrafish
10:00 – 10:20 AMRavneet KaurPanjab University, Chandigarh
Microscopic and Neurobehavioral Insights into Neural Degeneration and Regeneration in a Stressed Zebrafish Model
Tea Break · 10:20 AM – 10:50 AM
Session 8
10:50 AM – 12:10 PM Chair: Hetal Roy10:50 – 11:10 AMDamanpreet SinghCSIR-IHBT, Palampur
Development of a Novel Clinically Relevant Zebrafish Model of Epilepsy: Phenotyping to Multidimensional Validation
11:10 – 11:30 AMBittu Kaveri RajaramanAshoka University, Sonepat
Quantity perception in social decision making in zebrafish
11:30 – 11:50 AMRajeeb SwainInstitute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar
Rhomboid-like 4 regulates hematopoietic cell migration in zebrafish
11:50 AM – 12:10 PMSumeet Pal SinghUniversité libre de Bruxelles, Belgium & Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi
CellCousin: Exploring Cellular Mosaics in Regeneration, Inflammation and Cancer
Session 9
12:10 PM – 12:50 PM Chair: Vivek T Natarajan12:10 – 12:30 PMDeclaration of Awards
12:30 – 12:50 PMClosing Remarks