Symposium 2026 | Sessions & Speakers
Session and Speaker Information
We invite you to learn more about the symposium’s scientific sessions and speakers.
Click “Learn more” for each session below to view speaker bios and specific topics to be discussed.
Welcome from Leadership
Stanford University Provost Jenny Martinez and Professor Scott Delp welcome attendees to the 2026 Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Research Symposium, commemorating five years of achievement.
Keynote
We are excited to welcome Janet Evans, 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Chief Athlete Officer for LA28, as our keynote speaker.
Lightning Talks
Hear from practitioners and researchers about unmet needs, opportunities, and success stories, as well as get a preview of the research showcased in the poster sessions. Lightning talks will take place during both days of the symposium.
Posters & Demos
Explore the diverse research happening in human performance through interactive demos and posters.
Performance Across the Lifespan
Regenerating Musculoskeletal Tissues
Learn about advances in tissue regeneration, from the effect of resistance training on bone healing to scar-free implants and new approaches for regenerating muscle and cartilage.
Precision Training across the Lifespan
What kind of training works best, and for whom? Explore recent discoveries spanning molecular to system-level training responses to exercise across the lifespan.
Performance in the Age of AI
The Molecular Basis of Performance: Insights from Big Data and Novel Sensors
New tools are revealing what drives performance at the molecular level. Discover research findings from large-scale studies and wearable sensors.
Next-Generation AI for Sport
Learn how artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new frontiers in how we understand and improve movement.
AI in Action: Improving Athlete Performance & Resilience
Explore how data-driven research is keeping athletes healthy, preventing ACL and hamstrings injuries, improving their balance, and helping them perform at their best.
Data to Drive Performance: Wins and What’s Next
Leaders from sports, medicine, and technology will discuss how data is already reshaping athletic performance and where we will head next.
Female Athlete Research
Welcome
Alliance leaders Kathryn Ackerman and Emily Kraus welcome attendees to day 2 of the symposium and the female athlete research session.
Uncovering the Influence of Hormones across Systems and Tissues
Explore our latest research on hormones’ influence on our physiology and new sensing technology to track gastric and menstrual activity.
Pregnancy and Postpartum: What We Know and What We Need to Know
Researchers and elite athletes will discuss current knowledge, guidelines, and open questions around training during the pregnancy & postpartum periods.
Performance Science for Female Endurance Athletes
What does the science say about training in female endurance athletes? Learn about bone stress injuries, fueling for performance, wearable studies on injury and the menstrual cycle, and adaptation to heat stress.
From Lab to Court – Putting Science in the Hands of Athletes and Coaches
Sport Focus on Basketball
A close look at the science of basketball performance, from how circadian disruption affects WNBA athletes to analyzing in-game biomechanics and translating research into on-court gains.
College Sports and Olympic Development: The Role of Research in a Changing Landscape
Leaders from athletics and sports medicine discuss how science can advance athlete development and performance amid a shifting landscape.
Research Innovations Having Real World Impact
Explore how performance research is having an impact beyond the lab, from new therapeutics and next-generation wearable technology to advances in manufacturing and translational injury research.
Fireside Chat
A closing conversation with panelists from distinct domains on the broader promise of performance science: how discoveries in the lab can help people of all ages and abilities benefit from a lifetime of movement and sport.
Get Engaged
Join our mailing list to receive the latest information and updates on the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance.