Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Chinese Society for Immunology (CSI) Symposium

Long Noncoding RNA and cGAS Regulation of the Immune Response

Chairs:

• Bing Sun, Chinese Acad. of Sci., China
• Rachel R. Caspi, NEI, NIH

Speakers:

• Yuting Ma, Chinese Acad. of Med. Sci. & Peking Union Med. Col., China, Stress–glucocorticoid–TSC22D3 axis compromises therapy-induced antitumor immunity
• Erwei Song, Sun Yat-Sen Univ., China, NKILA lncRNA promotes tumor immune evasion by sensitizing T cells to activation-induced cell death
• Mian Wu, Univ. of Sci. and Technol. of China, China, The lncRNA Neat1 promotes activation of inflammasomes in macrophages
• Tao Li, Natl. Ctr. of Biomed. Analysis, China, Acetylation blocks cGAS activity and inhibits self DNA-induced autoimmunity
• Baoxue Ge, Tongji Univ. Sch. of Med., China, Nuclear cGAS suppresses DNA repair and promotes tumorigenesis

Morning Yoga

Generously supported by Life Diagnostics, Inc. 

Join us every morning for a 30-minute yoga-and-mindfulness session. We experience distractions and stressors that pull our attention in many directions. This class will relax you and prepare you to be fully present before engaging in your selected sessions during the day ahead.

Zoonotic Pandemics—Immune Factors Contributing to Pathogenesis and Protection

Sponsored by the AAI Veterinary Immunology Committee

Chairs:

• Crystal L. Loving, USDA, ARS, Natl. Animal Dis. Ctr., AAI Veterinary Immunology Committee Chair
• Jodi McGill, Iowa State Univ. Coll. of Vet. Med.

Speakers:

• Ilhem Messaoudi, Univ. of California, Irvine, Mechanisms of filovirus disease pathogenesis and protection mediated by rVSV vaccination strategies
• James E. Crowe, Vanderbilt Univ. Med. Ctr., Paramyxovirus zoonotic viruses transmitting from bats to humans
• Cody Jay Warren, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Identification of a primate hemorrhagic fever virus fully competent for replication in human cells
• Juliet Morrison, Univ. of California, Riverside, Cellular drivers of recovery from influenza virus infection

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unfortunate example of the negative impacts of a novel, zoonotic virus on human health. Recurring filovirus outbreaks and emergence of novel zoonotic viruses from animal reservoirs continues to pose a threat to human health. Investigation into animal sources of novel viruses and the role of the immune system in protection against re-emerging pathogens are critical to preparedness when outbreaks occur. The symposia will highlight different zoonotic viruses and highlight key immune factors playing a role in either pathogenesis or protection.

Panel Discussion: Minority Scientists’ Experience: Challenging and Overcoming Barriers to Enhancing Diversity and Career Advancement

Sponsored by the AAI Minority Affairs Committee

Chairs:

• Tonya J. Webb, Univ. of Maryland Sch. of Med., AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair
• Harlan P. Jones, Univ. of North Texas Hlth. Sci. Ctr.

Panelists:

• Cherié L. Butts, Biogen, The importance of fostering a health equity mindset across the biomedical research ecosystem
• Mireia Guerau-de-Arellano, The Ohio State Univ., How to be an ally in front of microaggressions
• Harlan P. Jones, Univ. of North Texas Hlth. Sci. Ctr., Creating self-efficacy and persistence by engaging in a community of practice
• Luis J. Montaner, Wistar Inst., Does the minority status help or hurt in career advancement? My experience from student to chaired professor
• Luis A. Sanchez-Perez, Tune Therapeutics, Be mentored, be present, be a leader… How becoming a leader promotes diversity and career advancement in academia or industry

Today’s urgent national attention on race and racism challenges institutions and individuals, including scientists, to contribute their voices and actions to ending the toll racism takes on society and science careers. In this important and timely discussion, panelists will draw from their experiences and share their perspectives on strategies for dealing with barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion that persist in society and science. This session, open to all meeting attendees, is intended to provoke dialogue on the part of all participants about the individual and institutional actions—and inaction—that perpetuate barriers to career advancement.

International Complement Society (ICS) Symposium

Complement: Alive and Kicking!

Chairs:

• Claudia Kemper, NHLBI, NIH
• Trent M. Woodruff, Univ. of Queensland, Australia

Speakers:

• Trent M. Woodruff, Univ. of Queensland, Australia, From the beginning to the end: the complement system in neural development and degeneration
• Lubka T. Roumenina, Cordeliers Res. Ctr., France, Context-dependent roles of complement in cancer
• Diana Karpman, Lund Univ., Sweden, Complement-mediated kidney diseases
• Marina Noris, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, Italy, Complement, endothelial injury, and thrombosis in COVID-19 patients

American Society of Transplantation (AST) Symposium

Immune Tolerance: New Mechanisms and Barriers

Chairs:

• Jonathan S. Bromberg, Univ. of Maryland Sch. of Med.
• Olivia M. Martinez, Stanford Univ. Sch. of Med.

Speakers:

• Dan Kreisel, Washington Univ. Sch. of Med., Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue and lung tolerance
• Joren C. Madsen, Massachusetts General Hosp., Differential organ-specific susceptibility to tolerance
• Anita S. Chong, Univ. of Chicago, Pregnancy-induced T cell tolerance and B cell sensitization
• Mandy L. Ford, Emory Univ. Sch. of Med., Facilitating transplantation tolerance via FcγRIIB

European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) Symposium

Adaptation of T Cells to Chronic Inflammation

Chairs:

• Andreas Radbruch, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, Germany
• Pablo Engel, Univ. of Barcelona, Spain

Speakers:

• Federica Sallusto, Univ. della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland, T cell dysregulation in chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis
• Winfried F. Pickl, Med. Univ. of Vienna, Austria, Th-IL-2 cells: Characterization and role of a new T helper cell type in allergic immune reactions
• Cornelia M. Weyand, Stanford Univ. Sch. of Med., Mitochondria and lysosomes in proinflammatory T cells
• Klaas P.J.M. van Gisbergen, Univ. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Leaving home: a role for tissue-resident memory T cells in systemic immunity
• Francesco Siracusa, Univ. Med. Ctr. Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, CD4⁺ T cells dynamically respond to short-term exposure to feast diets

Distinguished Lecture—Dario A.A. Vignali

Generously supported by Bio X Cell

Chairs:

• David Masopust, Univ. of Minnesota, AAI Program Committee Chair
• Troy D. Randall, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham

Speaker:

Dario A. A. Vignali
Univ. of Pittsburgh Sch. of Med.
Immune inhibitory mechanisms in cancer

The Obesity Society (TOS) Symposium

Immune Infiltrates and Adipocyte Crosstalk in the Microenvironment of Breast and Ovarian Cancers

Chairs:

• Gerald V. Denis, Boston Univ. Sch. of Med.
• Robin E. Bachelder, Duke Univ.

Speakers:

• Robin E. Bachelder, Duke Univ., Fat matters: contributions of adipose stromal cells to breast cancer progression
• Naser Jafari, Boston Univ. Sch. of Med., BET bromodomain protein regulation of immune exhaustion in triple negative breast cancer
• Laurie H. Sanders, Duke Univ., LRRK2 and inflammation in breast cancer
• Ernst Lengyel, Univ. of Chicago, The role of activated adipocytes in tumor metastasis

Block Symposia

Innate Mechanisms in Autoimmunity

Generously supported by Sony Biotechnology

COVID and FRIENDS

Generously supported by Miltenyi Biotec

Immune Effects of Anti-cancer Therapies

Generously supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific

T Cell Memory and Differentiation

Generously supported by Bio-Rad Laboratories

Mucosal Infection and Inflammation

AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award Presentation and Lecture

Generously supported by BD Biosciences

Chairs:

• Jenny P.-Y. Ting, Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AAI President (2020–2021)
• Jeremy M. Boss, Emory Univ. Sch. of Med., AAI President (2019–2020)

Award Recipient:

Erika L. Pearce
Bloomberg-Kimmel Inst. for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins Univ.
Metabolic regulation of T cell function

Recognizes an early-career investigator who has made outstanding contributions to the field of immunology

Exhibitor Workshop

Sony Biotechnology

Exhibitor Workshop

BioLegend

2021 AAI President’s Symposium

The Impact of Immunology on Health and Diseases: As Far as the Eye Can See

Generously supported by Miltenyi Biotec

Chair:

• Jenny P.-Y. Ting, Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, AAI President (2020–2021)

Speakers:

Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI) Symposium

The Bone and Sinew of the Cell: Cytoskeletal Processes in Immunity

Chairs:

• Judith N. Mandl, McGill Univ., Canada
• Michael R. Gold, Univ. of British Columbia, Canada

Speakers:

• Spencer A. Freeman, SickKids Res. Inst., Canada, Solute flux and fluid dynamics in the endocytic pathway of macrophages
• Thomas T. Murooka, Univ. of Manitoba, Canada, 3D cellular dynamics during HIV infection
• Judith N. Mandl, McGill Univ., Canada, From cell migration to T cell responses: what could go wrong?
• Emily M. Mace, Columbia Univ., Novel cytoskeletal requirements for human NK cell migration and function
• Valentin Jaumouillé, Simon Fraser Univ., Canada, Mechanical coupling of complement receptors to the cytoskeleton drives phagocytosis

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH Symposium

Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Chairs:

• Chao Jiang, NIAID, NIH
• Shane Crotty, La Jolla Inst. for Immunology

Speakers:

• E. John Wherry, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Immune profiling of COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
• Bali Pulendran, Stanford Univ. Sch. of Med., Systems immunology of COVID-19 infection and vaccination
• Ignacio Sanz, Emory Univ. Sch. of Med., B cell responses in COVID-19 infection
• Shane Crotty, La Jolla Inst. for Immunology, Immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

Exhibitor Workshop

Journal of Experimental Medicine

Block Symposia

B Cell Regulation and Responses

Generously supported by Sony Biotechnology

Novel Technologies to Interrogate Anti-Tumor Immunity and Therapy Response

Generously supported by Miltenyi Biotec

Molecular and Metabolic Control of Innate Immunity

Generously supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific

Novel Therapeutic Approaches for the Modulation of Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases

How to Have a Successful Postdoctoral Experience

Chair:

• Mary T. Litzinger, AAI

Speaker:

• Lori Conlan, Office of Postdoctoral Services, NIH

A postdoctoral fellowship is the time to develop research skills you will need to succeed as an independent scientist. It is, however, just as important to realize that you need to prepare for a career path at the same time. This session will highlight ways of getting the most out of your postdoctoral fellowship, relating successfully with your mentor, and understanding how to use the resources available to you to ensure that your training prepares you adequately for a seamless transition into the next phase of your career.

Poster Sessions

Tregs and Tolerance in Autoimmunity

Immunology Education

Autoimmunity and Primary Immune Deficiency

Novel Therapeutic Approaches for the Modulation of Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases

Tissue Resident Immune Cells

Understanding and Modulating Lymphocytes in Tumor Immunology

Tumor Microenvironment and Anti-Tumor Immunity

Novel Strategies for the Vaccination and Immunotherapy against Infectious Diseases

Engineered T Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy

Chinese Society of Immunology, Taiwan (CSIT) Symposium

Inflammation and Immunity

Chairs:

• Huey-Kang Sytwu, Natl. Hlth. Res. Inst., Taiwan
• Shie-Liang Hsieh, Academia Sinica, Inst. of Biomedical Sci., Taiwan

Speakers:

• Ya-Jen Chang, Academia Sinica, Inst. of Biomedical Sci., Taiwan, Regulation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells by microbial-derived products
• Li-Chung Hsu, Natl. Taiwan Univ., Taiwan, A novel terminal uridyltransferase controls TLR4-triggered inflammation
• Nien-Jung Chen, Natl. Yang-Ming Univ., Taiwan, TREM2-mediated iNOS induction regulates inflammation in diseases
• Huey-Kang Sytwu, Natl. Hlth. Res. Inst., Taiwan, Blimp-1 counterbalances c-Maf-driven IL-21 in an autoregulatory circuit

Brew Bash

Raise a glass and join this virtual brew-tasting experience led by a certified Cicerone. Enjoy a discussion of the beer-making process and specific nuances and traits of each style of beer. Plus, you'll be able to ask the Cicerone anything from craft beer trends to food pairing!

(A beer list will be provided to participants in advance. Please drink responsibly.)