We are thrilled to invite you to the 15th International Conference on Frontotemporal Dementias (ISFTD 2026) in the vibrant city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! Join us from October 8-11, 2026 for the opportunity to enhance your expertise, explore cutting-edge research, and connect with leading experts in the field from around the world.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pre-Conference Workshop: State-of-the-Art Technologies to Advance the Next Generation of FTD Researchers
8:00 AM - 8:25 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
Speaker:
Olivier Piguet (Australia)
8:00 AM - 8:25 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Spatial-omics From Postmortem Tissue in ALS-FTD
Speaker:
Hemali Phatnani (USA)
8:25 AM - 8:50 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - Primary Progressive Aphasia
Speaker:
Marsel Mesulam (USA)
8:25 AM - 8:50 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Cryo-EM Approaches to Study Protein Aggregates
Speaker:
Edward Lee (USA)
8:50 AM - 9:15 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Syndrome
Speaker:
James Rowe (UK)
8:50 AM - 9:15 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Open-source Digital Pathology
Speaker:
Paul Yushkevich (USA)
9:15 AM - 9:40 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - ALS-FTD
Speaker:
Michael Strong (Canada)
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Hands-on Digital Pathology Session: Interactive Digital Pathology Demonstration of Image Thresholding, Segmentation and Object Detection
Speaker:
Daniel Ohm (USA)
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - Clinical Outcome Measures for FTD Trials
Speaker:
Howie Rosen (USA)
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Coffee Break
10:15 AM - 10:40 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - Genetics of FTD
Speaker:
Vivianna Van Deerlin (USA)
10:15 AM - 10:40 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Strategies for Identifying Prodromal Behavior & Cognition in Genetic FTD & ALS
Speaker:
Ted Huey (USA)
10:40 AM - 11:05 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - FTLD-TDP and FTLD-FET
Speaker:
Manuela Neumann (Germany)
10:40 AM - 11:05 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Computational Analysis of Digital Speech Samples in PPA
Speaker:
Bradford Dickerson (USA)
11:05 AM - 11:30 AM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - FTLD-Tau
Speaker:
Dennis Dickson (USA)
11:05 AM - 11:30 AM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Digital Metrics of Connected Speech
Speaker:
Jet Vonk (USA)
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Track A: “An Introduction to FTD” - Interactive Digital Pathology Session: Review of Digital Images of Exemplar FTLD Pathology with Audience Participation
Moderator:
David Irwin (USA)
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Track B: “Advanced Techniques in FTD Research” - Informatic Approaches to Big Data
Speaker:
Adam Staffaroni (USA)
1:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Opening Ceremony
1:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Special Session
Speaker:
Virginia Lee
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM
Presidential Lecture
Speaker:
Olivier Piguet (Australia)
1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
Plenary Session 1 - Update on Clinical Syndromes
1:45 PM - 2:15 PM
Right Temporal Variant FTD
Speaker:
Hulya Ulugut (USA)
2:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Lateralized Atrophy and Emotions in FTD
Speaker:
Virginia Sturm (USA)
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM
Redefining the ALS-FTD Spectrum: Biological & Clinical Considerations
Speaker:
Michael Strong (Canada)
3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
Coffee Break
3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Abstracts Session 1.1 - Behaviour/Cognition/Language
3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Abstracts Session 1.2 - Neuropathology
5:15 PM - 7:00 PM
Poster Viewing & Welcome Reception
Friday, October 9, 2026
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Industry Sponsored Breakfast Symposium
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Plenary Session 2 - Biomarker/Epidemiology
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Mapping the Exposome and Biomarker Signatures of Frontotemporal Dementia Across Latin America
Speaker:
Agustin Ibañez (Chile)
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
RNA Dysregulation and Cryptic Splicing in TDP-43 Proteinopathy as Biomarker
Speaker:
Pietro Fratta (UK)
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Coffee Break
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Abstracts Session 2 - Biomarker/Imaging
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch & Poster Viewing
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Industry Sponsored Lunch Symposium
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Plenary Session 3 - Update on Genetics and Neuropath of FTD
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Structural Classification of FTLD
Speaker:
Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon (UK)
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Genes and Risk Factors for FTLD Subtypes
Speaker:
Rosa Rademakers (Belgium)
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Coffee Break
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Award Ceremony
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM
Panel: Recent Advances in Biomarkers and Emerging Therapies Shaping the Research Landscape
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
ISFTD Business Meeting
Saturday, October 10, 2026
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Industry Sponsored Breakfast Symposium
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Plenary Session 4 - Clinical Trials/Trial Design
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Digital Health Assessments in FTLD
Speaker:
Adam Staffaroni (USA)
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Update on Tau Targeting Trials in PSP/CBS
Speaker:
Günter Höglinger (Germany)
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
From Care to Clinical Trials: Centering Individuals and Families in FTD Research
Speaker:
Lauren Massimo (USA)
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Coffee Break
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Abstracts Session 3.1 - Genetics
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Abstracts Session 3.2 - Behviour/Psychiatry
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch & Poster Viewing
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Industry Sponsored Lunch Symposium
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Abstracts Session 4.1 - Pathomechanism
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Abstracts Session 4.2 - Clinical Overlap/Care management
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Coffee Break
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Plenary Session 5 - Pathomechanisms and Translation
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Disruption of RNA Metabolism and Emerging Therapeutic Targets
Speaker:
Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne (USA)
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Transynaptic Tau Spread in Tauopathies
Speaker:
Tara Spires-Jones (UK)
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
ISTAART PIA Workshop: Integrating Diversity into Frontotemporal Dementia Research: From Biological Insight to Equitable Clinical Practice
Sunday, October 11, 2026
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Plenary Session 6 - HOT Topics
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Prize Ceremony & Closing Remarks
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Special Session