WCMTM at the University of Gothenburg, together with the scientific program committee, welcomes you for the annual PALS conference in June 2025.
We look forward to an exciting event filled with scientific talks and networking opportunities within our community. We hope the Swedish west coast will offer its finest sunshine as we gather at Lindholmen, where historic shipyards and factories blend with modern glass facades, overlooking the city across the river.
Registration
It is still possible for late registrations. In case the meeting is full, you will be placed on waiting list. Please get in touch with: charbel.sader@gu.se.
PALS Conference 2025 | All you need to know
Bring your curiosity and scientific expertise to make these days rich with interactions, valuable networking, and the inspiration you need to energize your research.
The conference program contains topics that cover the broad interest areas of fellows within the PALS network. With a mix of basic, clinical, and data-driven topics, the aim is to offer opportunities to discuss and establish multi-disciplinary and translational research collaborations. If you are new fellow, you will also have excellent chance for an introduction to the Swedish research infrastructure landscape.
Here, we have selected highlights from the days, and you can find the full three-day program further down on this page.
Day 1 (Monday June 2), among the highlights are:
- Keynote by Stephen Quake
- Interactive session for fellows
- Dinner and roof top bar
Day 2 (Tuesday June 3), among the highlights are
- Thematic sessions with Ruth Palmer, Giovanni Volpe, Joakim Lundeberg
- Flash talks by fellows
- Guest speakers from KAW
- PALS Collaborative Project Presentations
- Dinner and live music at Kooperativet
Day 3 (Wednesday June 4), among the highlights are
- AstraZeneca presentations
- Handing over to Linköping hosting PALS 2026
The Pier Hotel and Conference
The conference will be held at Clarion Hotel The Pier at Lindholmen, right across the river from central Gothenburg. The Pier offers modern, accessible and newly built conference facilities, all gathered on one floor. All hotel rooms can be conveniently reached via the elevators from the conference area, and there are several lounge areas to meet and connect. On the 11th floor, the roof top bar offers wide views of the city and the river.
Contact to the hotel
Address
Pumpgatan 5
417 55 Göteborg
Phone
+46 31 30 50 130
Lindholmen
Lindholmen, located on the northern bank of the Göta River in Gothenburg, is a thriving hub of innovation and modern development. Once an industrial shipbuilding area, it has transformed into a dynamic district known for its focus on technology, research, and education. The area attracts cutting-edge companies, startups, and academic institutions, and its waterfront setting offers stunning views of the city, Cultural events makes it a vibrant place to work, live, and visit.
During the conference, the SciLifeLab research infrastructures will have an exhibition and you have the chance to talk to experts and representatives from the capabilities.
Travel to Gothenburg
The conference hours have been adapted to fit morning and midday flights from Umeå to Gothenburg and back to Umeå. Regarding your travel bookings to and from the conference, please contact your program coordinator for guidelines.
Organized bus transfer
When you register to the event, you can choose to join our transfer bus from Landvetter airport or from Gothenburg Central Station.
If you arrive to the airport and registered to join the bus, a bus from KE’s bus will be waiting for you outside the terminal with a PALS 2025 sign. The bus is planned to depart at 13:00.
If you registered that want to join the 13:30 bus from the train station, a bus from KE’s bus will leave from Drottningtorget (outside the main entrance of the train station, in front of Hotel Post). Look out for the PALS 2025 sign.
Busses after the event
A bus to Landvetter airport will leave at 11:00
A bus to Gothenburg central station will leave 11:30
Public transport
Option 1 | Tram and ferry, or walk (20-25 min)
From Gothenburg central station, take a tram to Stenpiren, for example tram 1. You can also walk to Stenpiren through the city by following the canal. From Stenpiren take ferry 287 to > LUNDBYSTRAND. When you get off, you have the hotel straight ahead.
Option 2 | Bus (10-15 min)
From Gothenburg central station or Nordstan, take bus 16, 21 or X1 to > PUMPGATAN.
Please check all details about public transport at västtrafik.se
Confirmed guest speakers
Stanford University
Stephen
Quake
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
Sara
Mazur
University of Gothenburg
Ruth
Palmer
University of Gothenburg
Giovanni
Volpe
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Joakim
Lundeberg
Detailed program
Monday 2 June 2025
Details in the schedule may change.
13:00 Bus departs from Landvetter airport (bus stop outside the terminal), arriving latest 14:00
13:30 Bus departs from Gothenburg train station (Drottningtorget infront of Post hotel), arriving latest 13:50
14:30 | Welcome and opening of the conference
Johan Zelano, Director WCMTM | Margit Mahlapuu, Co-Director WCMTM
14:45 | Keynote speech
Stephen Quake
Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University
Chief Scientific Advisor, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
15:50 | PALS Interaction
In this session, participants are divided into four mixed groups and interact over a fika. The purpose is to get to know more people within the network – both fellows and infrastructure experts – and to share research ideas that perhaps will initiate an application for the upcoming PALS call.
16:50 | Research Infrastructure: Expertise and partnership in life science research
Jan Ellenberg, Director SciLifeLab
Elisabet Carlsohn, Site-Director SciLifeLab Gothenburg and Head of Core Facilities at Sahlgrenska Academy
17:10 | Information about dinner and coming conference days
17:15 | Check-in
18:30 | Dinner at the hotel restaurant (ground floor)
20:30 | Mingle and hangout at the roof top bar
Tuesday 3 June 2025
Details in the schedule may change.
07:00 | Morning stroll or run – in your own pace or together with a group. For the group activity we will meet at 07:00 in front of the hotel entrance and either go or run together up to Slottsberget (4 km total) where you can find typical west coast houses and a nice view of Gothenburg and the river, or Lindholmspiren (2 km total). If you want to activate in the morning, choose what is comfortable and doable for you.
8:45 | Introduction to thematic sessions
During these three thematic sessions, our invited guest lecturers will hold a longer presentation (25 min) within each theme, followed by fellows and infrastructure flash talks (1-3 slides, maximum 3 min), also within the same theme. Each thematic session is 1h 15 min, and is followed by a longer break for possibility to discuss and interact. All new and active fellows are expected to hold a flash talk, while for alumni it is welcomed but not expected. When you register for the event, you also choose theme and register a flash talk.
The aim is to create a forum to share both difficulties and success stories, get feedback and learn from each others experiences.
9:00 | Theme A: Clinical and translational focus
Guest: Ruth Palmer, Professor at the Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg
10:15 | Coffee, interaction, exhibition
For management: Steering group PALS meeting (10:15-11:15)
11:00 | Theme B: Basic research focus
Guest: Joakim Lundeberg, Professor and head of division of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
12:15-13:30 | Lunch, interaction, exhibition
For management: WCMM Directors’ meeting (13:15-14:45)
13:45 | Theme C: Machine learning and Data-driven focus
Guest: Giovanni Volpe, Professor at the department of Physics, University of Gothenburg
15:00 Coffee / interaction / exhibition
15:30 | Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
10 years of supporting translational research, and the road ahead for Sweden as a leading life science nation
Sara Mazur, Executive Director
Proof of Concept grant – bridging the gap from academic research to innovations
Lilian Wikström, Director Innovation
16:10-16:20 Short break
16:20-17:30 | PALS Projects: Presentation of the most recent collaborative projects
In this session, we conclude this day by showcasing projects that highlight real examples of joint efforts within the PALS community, with the aim to inspire future collaborations beyond the conference.
18:30 | Dinner and party at Kooperativet Lindholmen Street food market (walking distance)
18:20 We go together from the hotel – welcome to join
18:30 Drinks and snacks
19:10 Dinner and party
Wednesday 4 June 2025
Details in the schedule may change.
07:00 | Morning stroll or run – in your own pace or together with a group. For the group activity we will meet at 07:00 in front of the hotel entrance and either go or run together up to Slottsberget (4 km total) where you can find typical west coast houses and a nice view of Gothenburg and the river, or Lindholmspiren (2 km total). If you want to activate in the morning, choose what is comfortable and doable for you.
8:20 | Checkout
8:40 | Program starts
8:45 | Panel discussion with directors of WCM(T)M, DDLS and SciLifeLab
09:00 | AstraZeneca: From idea to patient & Examples of successful drug developments in cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease area’s
Johanna Kollback, Platform Business Analyst – Digital Lab, R&D IT (30 min)
Kristina Wallenius, Director, and Daniel Linden, Senior Principal Scientist Bioscience Metabolism (15 min)
Elise Kessler, Director, Bioscience Cardiovascular (15 min)
Mark Lal, Principal Scientist, Bioscience Renal (15 min)
09:40-09:50 | Quick break
10:25 | Closing remarks
10:30 | Coffee and lunch to go available
Checkout is also possible here for those who are not taking the arranged busses to the airport or train station.
11:00 | Bus depart to Landvetter airport
11:30 | Bus departs to Gothenburg train station
For those who are not taking the busses, it is possible to eat your lunch wrap on spot, and continue mingle inside or by the waterfront in the hopefully sunny weather.
#PALS2025 in Social media
Please use the hashtag #PALS2025 in social media so that participants can follow your posts and see what you share. Posts from LinkedIN with this hashtag will be displayed below.
Questions or Comments
If you have questions or comments about the conference, feel free to use our form, or get in touch personally. The event’s main contact is Charbel Sader, communication officer at WCMTM, University of Gothenburg.
Scientific Program Committee (Fellows)
Abhishek Niroula | DDLS
Adil Mardinoglu | SciLifeLab
Andreas Josefsson | WCMM Umeå
Aishe Sarshad | WCMTM Gothenburg
Claudio Cantù | WCMM Linköping
Cristina Maglio | WCMTM Gothenburg
Joan Camuñas | WCMTM Gothenburg
Ka-Wei Tang | WCMTM Gothenburg
Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren | WCMM Lund
Oskar Ragnarsson | WCMTM Gothenburg
Paul Bourgine | WCMM Lund
Coordination and event management
Camilla Skånberg | WCMTM Gothenburg
Charbel Sader | WCMTM Gothenburg
David Gotthold | SciLifeLab
Director and Co-Director
Johan Zelano | Director WCMTM Gothenburg
Margit Mahlapuu | Co-director WCMTM Gothenburg