Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University

The 28th MIB Retreat 2026 was held on July 1–2, 2026, with the participation of faculty members and graduate students from the Medical Institute of Bioregulation. The retreat aimed to promote academic exchange, professional development, and interaction among institute members.

This year's retreat took place at Hotel Sekia in Nankan Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, and was conducted as a two-day, one-night residential meeting with 147 participants. During the retreat, a total of 17 oral presentations and 39 poster presentations were delivered, all of which stimulated active discussion and lively question-and-answer sessions. The oral presentations were divided into two categories: Category A for students, research fellows, postdoctoral researchers, and other early-career scientists, and Category B for faculty members. This arrangement allowed sufficient time for discussion following each presentation. Presentations could be given in either Japanese or English; however, all presentation slides and posters were prepared in English to ensure accessibility for participants whose native language is not Japanese.

As a result, the oral presentation sessions featured active participation from the audience, with many thoughtful questions and engaging discussions. Likewise, the poster session provided a relaxed atmosphere in which participants continued enthusiastic scientific discussions late into the evening. During the award ceremony on the second day, outstanding presenters in Category A were recognized with the Best Oral Presentation Award, Best Poster Award, and Best Question Award in recognition of their excellent research presentations and active participation in scientific discussion.

The retreat successfully fostered open communication and high-quality scientific exchange within the institute, and it is expected to further strengthen future research collaborations and academic activities. On the other hand, because the retreat guide and abstract booklet were prepared only in Japanese this year, some inconvenience may have been experienced by participants whose native language is not Japanese. Addressing this issue will be an important consideration for future retreats.