Call for Papers
Call for Papers
We invite you to join us for the Sixteenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society, the annual meeting of the Health, Wellness & Society Research Network, taking place 10–11 September 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico and online, in partnership with our host institution, the University of Guadalajara. The Network is brought together by a shared concern for human health and wellness, and the many social, cultural, ecological, and policy conditions that shape them. We welcome proposals across disciplines and sectors that explore the intersections of physiology, psychology, public health, and social life, and that address how wellbeing is created, sustained, or undermined in diverse communities and environments.
In 2026, our special focus “Nourishing Societies: Bridging Nutrition, Wellness, and Sustainability for a Healthier Future” examines the deep, systemic connections among what we eat, how we live, and the planetary systems that sustain us. Nutrition, wellness, and sustainability are not separate concerns: they are interwoven through cultural practices, economic structures, ecological cycles, and community identities. Nutrition is far more than nutrients on a plate—it is a cultural practice embedded in tradition, identity, and social meaning, while also having profound physiological consequences. Wellness extends beyond the absence of disease to include mental, emotional, and social flourishing. And sustainability links these domains through the recognition that degrading environmental systems undermines long-term human wellbeing.
The special focus invites work that bridges these intertwined domains. Proposals may explore how traditional foodways meet cutting-edge nutritional science; how Indigenous agroecological methods and community knowledge intersect with contemporary public-health initiatives; or how access to nutrient-rich foods, green spaces, and supportive social networks contributes to reductions in chronic stress, lifestyle-related illnesses, and mental-health challenges. We also welcome studies examining food systems themselves—how soil degradation, water depletion, greenhouse-gas emissions, and inequitable distribution shape human health over time. Regenerative agriculture, circular production models, and equitable distribution mechanisms point toward a future in which ecological restoration and human wellbeing reinforce one another.
Alongside this special focus, we welcome proposals addressing the Network’s annual themes: The Physiology, Kinesiology & Psychology of Wellness; Interdisciplinary Health Sciences; Public Health Policies & Practices; and Health Promotion & Education.
Knowledge Experience and Format
The conference is organised as a hybrid knowledge experience, integrating in-person and online participation in a unified scholarly environment. All accepted proposals become Presentation Pages on CGScholar Event (KX), where presenters upload abstracts, media, and reflections and where delegates engage in discussion before, during, and after the event.
In-person presentations, live online sessions, and asynchronous contributions are woven into one integrated program. Regardless of participation mode, delegates have access to the full schedule, session media, and a growing digital archive. Across all formats, the emphasis is on reciprocal, human-scale exchange—conversation, reflection, and collaborative inquiry rather than one-directional presentation.
Publication Pathways
Presenters are invited to develop their work for possible publication in The International Journal of Health, Wellness, & Society, which explores issues at the intersection of human physiology, epidemiology, public policy, and the cultural associations of wellbeing, or in the Health, Wellness & Society Book Imprint, which publishes monographs and edited collections advancing interdisciplinary approaches to health and wellness. Both outlets offer options for traditional and Open Access publication.
Membership and Community
We welcome new and returning members to the Health, Wellness & Society Research Network. By purchasing a Presenter Pass, you automatically become—or renew as—a Network Member for the year, with benefits that span both our online environment and our in-person programs. Membership places you inside our online Knowledge Experience, a shared space that connects the full cycle of our work—and your work: preparation, presentation, reflection, and publication. Scholar-led and inclusive by design, it functions as a living commons for reciprocity, rigor, and continuity. Online, you can access everything in one place—conference updates and media, calls for papers, programs, archives, and journal and book content—and use it to share your ideas and ongoing projects. All member posts undergo peer-facilitated community review before being added, strengthening collective knowledge and community.
Alongside this online experience, membership is also activated through our in-person conferences and events, where participants meet, exchange ideas, and build collaborations with our host partners and global community. Membership sustains the Research Network, ensuring continued access to programs, archives, journals, and books—and keeping ideas in motion over time, where belonging is defined by contribution and care.
Join Us
We warmly invite you to submit a proposal and to join us—either in Guadalajara or online—for this year’s annual meeting of the Health, Wellness & Society Research Network. Together, we will explore how nourishing societies—biologically, socially, and ecologically—can support healthier, more resilient, and more equitable futures.
The 2026 conference is convened by Dr. Louise Dalingwater (Research Network Chair, English), Dr. Angélica Avendaño Veloso (Research Network Chair, Spanish), Dr. Ixtlilxochitl Flores Fong (Local Conference Chair, University of Guadalajara), and the broader Network community.