About the conference

Mechanism, at genome scale

A focused international meeting on alternative (non-B) DNA structures and their roles in genome stability, mutagenesis, disease, evolution, and biological innovation.

March 24–25, 2027
The University of Texas at Austin

DNA is not limited to the canonical B-form double helix. Across genomes, sequence context can promote alternative structures that shape replication, transcription, repair, recombination, mutagenesis, and genome evolution. This two-day meeting will convene researchers working at the intersection of DNA structure, genome stability, disease biology, and computational genomics to discuss new mechanisms, technologies, datasets, and opportunities for translation.

The meeting is intended to be mechanistically rigorous while also looking forward: connecting foundational discoveries in DNA structure to large-scale genomics, artificial intelligence, precision medicine, therapeutic opportunities, and new experimental approaches.

Sequence architecture is not neutral. What a stretch of DNA can fold into changes what happens to it.

The program spans G-quadruplexes, Z-DNA and Z-RNA, cruciforms and hairpins formed by inverted repeats, triplex and H-DNA, slipped and tandem-repeat structures, and related noncanonical nucleic-acid conformations.

Particular emphasis falls on how sequence architecture and structural transitions influence replication, transcription, repair, recombination, mutation, chromosomal rearrangements, and disease — the point at which a structural observation becomes a genomic consequence.

Advances in genome sequencing, pangenomics, epigenomics, and machine learning have transformed the ability to study these structures at scale. Predicting where a structure forms, prioritising functional loci, integrating multi-omic datasets, and identifying clinically relevant instability signatures are now tractable problems.

What has been missing is a dedicated forum that puts computational, experimental, and translational researchers in the same room. This meeting is intended to be that forum — not a survey of the field, but a working discussion of mechanisms, methods, datasets, and what would count as evidence.

Dates: March 24–25, 2027
Location: The University of Texas at Austin • Austin, Texas
Expected scale: Approximately 100–150 participants
Format: Keynote and invited lectures, focused scientific sessions, short talks selected from abstracts, poster presentations, and discussion-oriented panels.

Organizer

Karen M. Vasquez, PhD

Conference Organizer · Professor and Division Head, Pharmacology and Toxicology

College of Pharmacy and Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin

Karen M. Vasquez is Professor and Head of the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin, where she holds the Jaime N. Delgado Endowed Chair and is based at the Dell Pediatric Research Institute. Her research addresses alternative DNA structures, DNA repair and genome stability, mutagenesis, and the mechanisms that connect DNA structure to disease.

Faculty profile

The scientific committee and session chairs will be listed here once appointed.

Audience

Who the meeting is for

DNA repair, replication, and chromosome biology: Researchers in DNA repair, replication, transcription, recombination, and chromosome biology.
Non-B DNA and genome evolution: Scientists studying non-B DNA, repeat instability, structural variation, mutagenesis, and genome evolution.
Cancer biology, genetics, and disease: Cancer biologists, geneticists, and investigators working on disease-associated genome instability.
Computational genomics and AI: Computational genomics, bioinformatics, machine-learning, and AI researchers.
Structural and biophysical science: Structural and biophysical scientists developing methods to characterize alternative nucleic-acid conformations.
Trainees, industry, and funders: Trainees, early-career investigators, technology developers, funders, and industry scientists interested in genome stability and biological innovation.

Conference format

Keynote and invited lectures · Focused scientific sessions · Short talks selected from abstracts · Poster presentations · Discussion-oriented panels · Trainee and early-career engagement.

Program and speaker list are in development and subject to change. Registration and abstract submission open in due course.

Attend Join updates