Autophagy is one of the quickest developing fields in biological sciences, due to the increasing emergence of groundbreaking discoveries linking this fundamental process to human health. The NAS conference “Autophagy mechanisms, physiology and beyond” will provide a unique opportunity to keep Denmark and the neighboring Nordic and European countries at the forefront of the autophagy field. By bringing together top research groups and prominent invited speakers, the conference will facilitate a forum for scientific discussion and exchange of ideas, promote new synergies and unique networking opportunities, inspire collaborations across disciplines and foster and train the next generation of young autophagy scientists.