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The 2026 Phenomenology Symposium (PHENO) will be held May 11 - 13, 2026 at the University of Pittsburgh.  It will cover the latest topics in particle phenomenology and theory as well as related issues in astrophysics and cosmology.  We would like to encourage you to register and submit an abstract for a parallel talk.  All talks are expected to be in person. We hope to see you in May!

Deadlines: 

• Student travel award application deadline: April 13, 2026
• Early registration deadline (discount reg fee): April 17, 2026
• Dorm sign-up deadline: April 15, 2026
• Parallel talk submission deadline: April 24, 2026
• Registration closes: May 1, 2026

Topics to be Covered:

• Dark Matter Theory and Detection
• Electroweak, Higgs, and Top Quark Physics
• Neutrino Physics
• Quark and Lepton Flavor Physics
• New Physics at Future Colliders
• Particle Cosmology
• Astro-Particle Physics
• New Developments in Theory
• Gravitational Waves and Particle Physics
• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Particle Physics 
• Computing, Analysis Tools, and Data Handling

Plenary Program Speakers: 

• Prateek Agrawal (UCSB):Strong CP Problem and the Physics with Axions
• Jonathan Blake (Northeastern University): Probing the Dark Energy
• Federico Buccioni (CERN): Precision Physics in the LHC Era 
• Marcela Carena (Perimeter Institute/U Chicago): Pathways to Discoveries in Particle Physics
• Regina Demina (CMS/Rochester U): Highlights of the Recent LHC Results
• Yuanning Gao (LHCb/PKU): Flavor Physics from the LHCb
• Colin Hill (Columbia U): CMB Power Spectrum and New Physics from ACT-DR6
• Matheus Hostert (U. Iowa): Neutrino Physics Phenomenology
• Gordan Krnjaic (FNAL): Primordial Black Holes and Particle Physics 
• Zoltan Ligeti (LBNL): Flavor Physics in the New Era
• Hugh Lippincott (UCSB): Progress and Prospects in Dark Matter Direct Detection
• Fabio Maltoni (Bologna/UC Louvain): Quantum Information Meets Collider Physics
• Konstantin Matchev (U Alabama): AI & ML for Particle Physics 
• Matt Reece (Harvard): New Developments in Particle Theory
• Nicholas Rodd (LBNL): Dark Matter Indirect Searches and Astroparticle Physics 
• Yuhsin Tsai (Notre Dame): Particle Physics at the Cosmic Frontier 
• Yifang Wang (IHEP): Neutrino Experiments 

Mini Reviews: 

• Sergei Gleyzer: (U of Alabama): Deep Learning in HEP
• Update on ... 

Special Events: 

• Conference Welcome Reception: Sunday, May 10, 6:30 PM.
• Early Career Forum: Monday, May 11, 1:00 - 2:00 PM. Presenter: Gil Paz (Wayne State University)
• Conference Banquet: Tuesday, May 12, 7:00 - 9:30 PM.

Student Travel Awards:

With support from the NSF and DOE, there are a number of awards (up to $300 each) available to domestic graduate students for travel and accommodation to Pheno 26. A student applicant should send an updated CV and a statement of financial need, indication of the talk submission to Pheno 26, and arrange for a short recommendation letter sent from their thesis advisor, by email to pittpacc@pitt.edu with the subject line "Pheno 26 travel assistance". The decision will be based on the academic qualification and the financial need. The deadline for the application is April 13, and the winners will be notified by April 17.  (Each research group may be limited to one awardee. Winners in the previous years may have lower priority for consideration. Winner institutes and names will be announced at the Symposium banquet on Tuesday, May 12.)

"Conversation Desks":

To further facilitate conversations among the participants, we will set up a few desks hosted by experienced physicists at the conference welcome reception, Sunday evening. They are:

...

Conference Venue 

All Plenary / Parallel Sessions: University of Pittsburgh David Lawrence Hall
3942 Forbes Ave.  Pittsburgh, PA 215260

Career Forum: William Pitt Union, Ballroom
3959 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Across the street from David Lawrence Hall

Sunday Welcome Reception: William Pitt Union, Lower Lounge
3959 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Dinner Banquet: University Alumni Hall, Connolly Ballroom
4227 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260

PHENO 2026 Local Organization Committee: 

Brian Batell, Kun Cheng, Christopher Condon (Technical Support), Arnab Dasgupta, Ayres Freitas, Joni George (Contact), Gracie Gollinger (Technical Support), Tao Han (chair), Sam Homiller, Adam Leibovich, Zahra Tabrizi

PHENO 2026 Program Advisors:

Vernon Barger, Lisa Everett, JoAnne Hewett, Tae Min Hong, Arthur Kosowsky, James Mueller, Vittorio Paolone, Tilman Plehn, Laura Reina, Vladimir Savinov, Lian-Tao Wang, Andrew Zentner.