We’re still building our final program.
All listings subject to change.
Friday, May 14, 2021 10:00 am – 11:00 am
AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award Presentation and Lecture
Generously supported by BioLegend
Chair:
- Jeremy M. Boss, Emory Univ. Sch. of Med., AAI President (2019–2020)
Award Recipient:

Susan K. Pierce
NIAID, NIH
Regulators and influencers of B cell affinity discrimination
Recognizes an individual who has made exemplary research contributions to the field of B cell biology
Friday, May 14, 2021 10:00 am – 11:00 am
How to Convert Your CV into a Résumé
Speaker:
- Derek Haseltine, Hertz Foundation
For anyone seeking a job outside of academe, how you present yourself on paper is critical. A well prepared résumé can make all the difference in securing that interview. The focus of this session will be on the important elements of a résumé, the differences between a résumé and the standard academic curriculum vitae, and the information needed to make a good impression. In this special career development session, attendees will be instructed in how to transform their CVs into professional résumés.
Friday, May 14, 2021 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Block Symposia
Friday, May 14, 2021 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
COVID-19 and the Science of Pandemics—Lessons Learned
Chairs:
- David Masopust, Univ. of Minnesota, AAI Program Committee Chair
- M. Michele Hogan, Executive Director, AAI
Speakers:

Anthony S. Fauci
Director
NIAID, NIH

Linda J. Saif
Distinguished University Professor
The Ohio State Univ.
Friday, May 14, 2021 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Major Symposium E: Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Immunity
Chairs:
- Thomas E. Gajewski, Univ. of Chicago
- Lisa H. Butterfield, Parker Inst. for Cancer Immunotherapy
Speakers:
- Thomas E. Gajewski, Univ. of Chicago, Mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy efficacy vs. resistance
- Lisa H. Butterfield, Parker Inst. for Cancer Immunotherapy, Cancer vaccines and what does and doesn't matter
- Weiping Zou, Univ. of Michigan, Metabolic impact on cancer immunity and therapy
- Jennifer A. Wargo, Univ. of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Ctr., The role of the microbiome in response and toxicity to therapy
- Arlene H. Sharpe, Harvard Med. Sch., Discovery of new immuno-oncology targets leveraging CRISPR
Friday, May 14, 2021 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Major Symposium F: Engineering Immunity
Chairs:
- Dennis Burton, Scripps Res.
- Benjamin A. Youngblood, St. Jude Children’s Res. Hosp.
Speakers:
- Dennis Burton, Scripps Res., Neutralizing antibodies, neutralization, and vaccines
- Laura M. Walker, Adimab, LLC, Broad and potent neutralizing antibodies to combat viral threats
- Darrell J. Irvine, MIT, The impact of vaccine kinetics on humoral immunity
- Alexander Marson, Univ. California, San Francisco, Reprogramming human T cells with CRISPR
- Benjamin A. Youngblood, St. Jude Children’s Res. Hosp., Epigenetic reprogramming of CD8+ T cell differentiation potential
- Anjana Rao, La Jolla Inst. for Immunology, Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in anti-tumor responses
Friday, May 14, 2021 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
How to Write a Scientific Paper, Respond to Reviews, and Disseminate Your Findings
Sponsored by the AAI Publications Committee
In this session sponsored by the AAI Publications Committee, experienced editors and authors will provide valuable insights to the processes of preparing a manuscript, responding to reviewers’ comments, and how to use social media to spread the word about your work. In addition, the Editor-In-Chief of The Journal of Immunology will speak on the career benefits of publishing in The JI.
Chairs:
- Tania H. Watts, Univ. of Toronto, Canada, AAI Publications Committee Chair
- Eugene M. Oltz, The Ohio State Univ. Col. of Med., Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Immunology
Speakers:
- Tania H. Watts, Univ. of Toronto, Canada, What’s your punchline? How to write a compelling manuscript
- Gail A. Bishop, Univ. of Iowa, What to do when reviews arrive
- Akiko Iwasaki, Yale Sch. of Med., How to use Twitter to promote your publication
- Eugene M. Oltz, The Ohio State Univ. Col. of Med., Why you should publish in The JI – and ImmunoHorizons too!
Friday, May 14, 2021 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Immunology Teaching Interest Group: Enhancing Your Immunology Teaching
Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee
Chairs:
- Edith Porter, California State Univ., Los Angeles
- Michelle A. Swanson-Mungerson, Chicago Col. of Osteopathic Med., Midwestern Univ.
Are you looking for new ideas or strategies to enliven and improve your teaching? If so, please join us for this special interest group which will focus on strategies that instructors can use to successfully convey immunology concepts to students at the undergraduate and graduate level. The session will explore the use of test-based learning, animated visual models, active learning strategies, and more through talks and structured breakout discussion groups. Current educators, new faculty, and trainees with an interest in teaching are welcome.
Speakers:
- Edith Porter, California State Univ., Los Angeles, Undergraduate curriculum guidelines
- Michelle A. Swanson-Mungerson, Chicago Col. of Osteopathic Med., Midwestern Univ., Student application of immunology concepts and mechanisms through test-based learning on Canvas
- Gerald L. Buldak, Loyola Univ. Chicago, Toward an animated visual model for teaching immunology
- Pierette M. Appasamy, Chatham Univ., Avoiding the “can’t see the forest for the trees” problem in teaching immunology
Breakout Session Leaders:
- William H. Carr, Medgar Evers Col., CUNY, A hands-on workshop on using H5P as an active learning tool to build content-based critical thinking skills
- Sharon A. Stranford, Pomona Col., Active learning strategies
- Natalie C. Steinel, Univ. of Massachusetts, Lowell, and Abby L. Geis, Arkansas Col. of Osteopathic Med., Medical education
- Julie M. Jameson, California State Univ., San Marcos, Virtual teaching strategies