Glycogen Symposium

The Symposium

The Glycogen Symposium – Honouring the Legacy of Joan Guinovart is a scientific meeting created to celebrate the life and work of Joan J. Guinovart (1947–2025), one of the world’s leading experts in glycogen metabolism. Throughout his career, Joan made fundamental contributions to our understanding of how glycogen is synthesised, regulated, and utilised across tissues, and how its dysfunction contributes to neurological and metabolic disease. He was also a driving force behind the creation of IRB Barcelona, where the symposium will be hosted.

In tribute to his legacy, the symposium brings together researchers whose work reflects and expands upon the scientific areas Joan helped shape. The programme explores the many dimensions of glycogen biology, including:

• regulatory and molecular mechanisms of glycogen synthesis and degradation

• the role of glycogen in the brain and its relevance to neurological health and disease

• glycogen function in skeletal muscle, exercise and metabolic adaptation

• bacterial glycogen metabolism and its evolutionary implications

• glycogen involvement in rare disorders such as Lafora disease

• links between glycogen dysfunction, the central nervous system, and cancer

• interaction between glycogen pathways and ubiquitin-dependent signalling

The meeting will take place on 20 March 2026, in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join in person at IRB Barcelona or online via live streaming.

By gathering leading experts across the field, the symposium offers a day of scientific exchange that reflects the depth, breadth, and inspiration of Joan Guinovart’s legacy.