Biological signals travel far beyond the cells where they originate. Hormones, metabolites, vascular networks, and population-level patterns all shape how health and disease unfold. This year conference focuses on systemic communication in health, from organ-to-organ interactions and vascular biology to women's health and epidemiological research that feeds experimental discovery. 

Below, each conference topic is briefly described:
Systemic organ-to-organ crosstalk and interoception 
This session examines new research on the bidirectional flow of neural, hormonal, metabolic, immune, and microbial signals among the body’s organs. It highlights the growing focus on interoception - the “hidden sixth sense” of organ-to-brain communication - and its potential to advance diagnosis and treatment of conditions like neurodegenerative, psychiatric, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders.

Leveraging epidemiological resources for experimental research 
This session will highlight cutting edge methodologies and the extensive epidemiological resources available for health research at UiT and beyond, such as cohorts with repeated questionnaire data and one of Norway’s most extensive biological sample collections. Examples of experimental approaches within the epidemiological framework will be showcased, such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), combinations of observational and in vitro-studies, and emulated trials, the latter using observational data for causal inference.  

Vascular Biology: Addressing the Global Health Burden 
The next global health pandemic is not viral - it is vascular. As populations age and metabolic risks rise, the integrity of our blood vessels has become the single most critical factor in global disease burden. This session highlights how a deeper understanding of the vasculature offers novel strategies for securing the future of global circulatory health.