The First International Workshop on Cell Division Cycles at OIST

Small-scale recurring international workshops dedicated to the cell cycle have become well established in Europe and the United States, but not in Japan. To establish such a workshop in Japan, four principal investigators at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) organized the First International Workshop on Cell Division Cycles, entitled "Emerging Concepts in Cell Division Cycles 2026-From Early Development to Cancer and Aging," in Okinawa, Japan, from March 2 to 5, 2026. The meeting brought together 17 world-leading experts and a total of 74 participants from diverse fields spanning cell division, cancer, and aging. The speakers presented cutting-edge studies employing a wide range of advanced approaches, including large-scale translational isoform analyses, new experimental systems and model organisms, ultrastructure expansion microscopy, and anti-aging strategies. These advances highlighted recent progress in understanding the mechanisms that ensure faithful genome inheritance and their relevance to development, disease, and evolution. Here, we summarize the 36 oral presentations, together with photographs from the workshop, and share our reflections and perspectives with the community in the hope that the OIST Cell Division Workshop will continue to grow as a recurring international forum for cell division and cell cycle research.