EMBL Conference
Matti Saraste Reunion | Saturday 11 July 2026 | EMBL Heidelberg
We warmly invite Matti’s family, friends, colleagues and collaborators to join us at EMBL Heidelberg to honour the life, science and lasting legacy of Matti Saraste, 25 years after his passing.
This special reunion brings together the many people whose lives and work Matti touched during his time at EMBL, but also earlier. It is a moment to remember an exceptional scientist and colleague, to celebrate his enduring impact, and to reconnect with one another.
The reunion takes place on Saturday 11 July 2026, the day after the EMBL Alumni Awards ceremony and the annual EMBL Lab Day dinner and party on Friday 10 July. We encourage those who are able to arrive a day earlier to join us for these events and connect with the wider EMBL community.
Learn more about Matti Saraste:
· Obituary and tributes from the EMBL community
Contact:
Mehrnoosh Rayner, EMBL Head of Alumni Relations
The Planning committee and former Saraste Group members:
Matthias Wilmanns, EMBL Hamburg
Kristina Djinovic Carugo, EMBL Grenoble
Marko Hyvönen, University of Cambridge
| Time (CEST) | Speaker |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | Registration and coffee Outside the Matti Saraste Courtyard Room |
| 11:00 | Welcome |
| 11:05 | Veli-Pekka Lehto – welcome and opening talk |
| 11:25-13:00 | Part 1: Matti – The Supervisor |
| 11:25 | John van der Oost |
| 11:35 | Andrea Musacchio |
| 11:45 | Gilles Travé |
| 11:55 | Matthias Willmanns |
| 12:05 | Marko Hyvönen |
| 12:15 | Sonia Bañuelos |
| 12:25 | Kristina Djinovic-Carugo |
| 12:35 | Manuela Pereira |
| 12:45 | Paul Young |
| 12:55 | Video messages |
| 13:10 | Lunch On the terrace outside the EMBL Canteen |
| 14:00-15:00 | Part 2: Matti – The Colleague |
| 14:00 | Werner Kühlbrandt |
| 14:10 | Hartmut Oschkinat |
| 14:20 | Annalisa Pastore |
| 14:30 | Siegfried Labeit |
| 14:40 | Luis Serrano Pubul |
| 14:50 | Rebecca Wade |
| 15:00 | Group photo In the Matti Saraste Courtyard |
| 15:10 | Coffee Outside the Matti Saraste Courtyard Room |
| 15:40-16:35 | Part 3: Matti – The Colleague |
| 15:40 | Michael Nilges |
| 15:50 | Irmgard Sinning |
| 16:00 | Michael Sattler |
| 16:10 | Bettina Böttcher |
| 16:20 | Ruben Abagyan |
| 16:35 | Jaakko Saraste – closing remarks |
| 17:00 | Spanish tapas buffet On the ATC Rooftop |
Date: 11 Jul 2026
Location: EMBL Heidelberg
Time: 10:30
Venue: Matti Sarasate Courtyard, EMBL ATC
Deadline(s):
Registration: 9 Jul 2026
Organisers:
Contact: Mehrnoosh Rayner, EMBL Head of Alumni Relations