Microglia are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma, at the intersection of Immunology and Neuroscience. They have gained increased attention over the past decade: what we once thought were quiescent cells under steady-state conditions are now known key contributors to neural circuit development and function. There is also increasing evidence that microglia are important in the etiology of many nervous system diseases. In this EMBO Workshop, we will have sessions related to microglia cross-talk with other cell types and new technical advances being developed to study them. In addition, we will host new sessions focused on microglial function within neural circuits, functional genomics, mechanisms in disease, and metabolic regulation of microglial function. We will also include a session on microglial states and nomenclature, to follow up with the online workshop at the EMBL 2021 meeting that will help to establish the field´s agenda. We aim to appeal to a broad audience, including established and new researchers both from industry and academia, spark scientific discussion, and foster collaboration for this growing field.
This year retinal microglia will be included in the program!