Show Preview: Immunology 2017--In the interests of immunology

Among the features of Immunology 2017 will be the AAI President’s Program, which includes the AAI President’s Address on Friday, May 12, at 5 p.m., by AAI President Arlene H. Sharpe of Harvard Medical School, titled “Second signals make all the difference.” A couple days later, on Monday, will be the AAI President’s Symposium, “Second Signals: Translating Understanding into Therapy,” from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring the following presentations:

Also of note will be the AAI Distinguished Lectures, beginning on Saturday, May 13, with “Cancer as a disease of the metaorganism” by Giorgio Trinchieri of the National Cancer Institute. On Sunday will be “Factors that determine T cell fate in the thymus” by Ellen A. Robey of the University of California, Berkeley. Finally, Monday will feature “Pathogens, the microbiota, and immunity at the intestinal barrier” by Gabriel Núñez of the University of Michigan.

The first of these sessions at Immunology 2017 will be “International Opportunities in Science” on Friday, May 12, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., chaired by Courtney R. Pinard of the AAI Education and Awards Department and featuring panelists John E. Connolly of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore; Maziar Divangahi of McGill University in Montréal, Quebec; Chen Dong of Tsinghua University in Beijing; Adrian C. Hayday of King’s College London; Hans-Martin Jäck of the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany; and Betty Wu-Hsieh of the College of Medicine at National Taiwan University in Taipei.

As AAI describes the session: Working as a scientist outside of the U.S. requires curiosity, adaptability and open-mindedness, which are valuable qualities important for success in any career. Given the international reach of science, this new session will help immunologists learn about opportunities to gain professional experience beyond the United States.

The panel features scientists employed at academic or research institutions around the globe, and panelists will discuss the postdoctoral fellowship and grant application process; the benefits of international training and employment; the challenges in finding science-related jobs outside of the United States; and the process of moving your lab to another country.

On Saturday is “How to Convert Your CV into a Resumé” from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. with speaker Derek Haseltine, director of the Career Development Center at Baylor College of Medicine. As AAI notes, for anyone seeking a job outside of academia, how you present yourself on paper is critical. A well-prepared resumé can make all the difference in securing that interview. The focus of this session will be on the important elements of a resumé, the differences between a resumé and the standard academic curriculum vitae and the information needed to make a good impression.

Attendees will be instructed in how to transform their CVs into professional resumés, and small breakout sessions for individual consulting will follow until 12:30 p.m.

Also on Saturday is “Publish or Perish? Pearls and Perils in Writing and Reviewing Scientific Manuscripts,” sponsored by the AAI Publications Committee and running from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. As AAI explains, “Your data are good and now it’s time to write the manuscript. What steps are essential to tell the story clearly and convincingly? What is the best way to present your data? Once the manuscript is reviewed, how should you respond to the reviewer comments? What ethical pitfalls should you be aware of in order to avoid possible problems? If you would like to become a reviewer, what do you need to know about how to review a manuscript?”

Addressing these issues will be handled through the following presentations:

That same day, the Immunology Teaching Interest Group will hold a session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. focusing on strategies that instructors can use to successfully convey immunology concepts to students at the undergraduate and graduate level. Topics will include the applications of problem-based learning, the use of digital communication and social media in modern teaching, strategies for teaching laboratory methods and more.

From 11:45 a.m.to 2:15 p.m. on Saturday will be the “Careers Roundtable and Speed Networking Session,” with an eye toward that idea that “Networking skills have never been more crucial to ensure success for early/mid-career scientists, including those traditionally under-represented in biomedical research.” At the roundtable, attendees can take advantage of the opportunity to meet in small-group format with accomplished, senior immunologists to hear how they have handled career challenges—and later practice networking in a relaxed environment offering a structured networking exercise and personalized feedback on communicating one’s scientific interests/objectives most effectively.

In a similar vein, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. will be “Careers in Biotech: Panel Discussion and Networking,” which will feature scientists employed in a variety of positions in industry discussing their career paths and the skills required for success in each. Following the panel discussion, attendees can enjoy casual conversation with the speakers and other scientists from industry at a networking reception.

Sunday from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 a.m. brings “NIH Grants Workshop: Demystifying the Grant Application Submission, Review, and Funding Processes,” which will provide participants with an overview of NIH grant submission, assignment, review and funding opportunities. Emphasis will be given to identification of the most appropriate funding agencies and mechanisms available through NIH, how to make an application “reviewer-friendly” and other strategies that contribute to applications that succeed in obtaining research funding.

The workshop will also provide information on how to understand the peer review system, which is essential to competing successfully for funding, with a focus on recent changes to the review process. NIH review and program staff will provide a broad array of expertise and encourage questions from seminar participants.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. is the “Careers in Science Roundtable,” a usually popular session that will provide the opportunity to meet with scientists at one’s own career stage and with more experienced scientists to explore specific career issues important to people in science today.

Monday’s career development offering is “Secrets for a Successful Postdoctoral Fellowship” from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. As AAI described it: “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.”

Richard J. Hodes of the National Institute on Aging will receive the AAI Lifetime Achievement Award at Immunology 2017—the highest honor bestowed by the AAI Council upon an AAI member. This award recognizes a deserving member for a career of scientific achievement and for contributions to AAI and fellow immunologists.

The AAI Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes an individual for outstanding service to AAI and the immunology community, will go to Eugene M. Oltz of the Washington University School of Medicine for his outstanding service as a member and as chair of the AAI Publications Committee from 2012 to 2016.

Also, Lewis L. Lanier of the University of California, San Francisco, will receive the AAI Excellence in Mentoring Award, which recognizes exemplary career contributions to a future generation of scientists.

But the awards aren’t only about award presentations—some of them come with lectures attached as well. One of these will be the AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award, which recognizes an early-career investigator who has made outstanding contributions to the field of immunology. Recipient Jonathan C. Kagan of Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital will present “Initiation and regulation of innate immunity.”

The AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award, which recognizes outstanding research contributions to the field of immunology in the area of B cell biology, will go to Michel C. Nussenzweig of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University, whose presentation is titled, “The HIV vaccine problem.”

Yasmine Belkaid of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will receive the AAI-Thermo Fisher Meritorious Career Award, which recognizes a mid-career scientist for outstanding research contributions to the field of immunology, and she will present “Microbiota control of tissue immunity: context and consequences.”

Bestowed upon Diane J. Mathis of Harvard Medical School will be the FASEB Excellence in Science Award, which honors a woman in biological science whose outstanding research achievements have contributed significantly to understanding a specific discipline. Her presentation is titled “Treg flavors.”

Finally, the AAI-Steinman Award for Human Immunology Research goes to Jean-Laurent Casanova of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University, whose talk will be “Toward a genetic theory of childhood infectious diseases.” The AAI-Steinman Award for Human Immunology Research recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the understanding of immune processes underlying human disease pathogenesis, prevention or therapy.

For over 100 years, the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) has been the world’s leading forum for researchers dedicated to advancing the field of immunology through the elucidation of the basic principles of immune function. AAI is dedicated to fostering the interchange of ideas and information among investigators, and addressing the translation of this information into clinical practice. AAI serves its nearly 8,000 members and the global community through its annual meeting, summer courses, awards and fellowship programs, career development opportunities, and the publication of The Journal of Immunology.

Major Symposium A: Mechanism-Guided Therapy of Immunologic Diseases

Major Symposium B: Immune Regulation of Adipose Tissue Homeostasis

Major Symposium C: T and B Cell Tolerance: Old Subject, New Insights

Major Symposium D: Immune Restriction or Antagonism at the Host-Virus Interface

Major Symposium E: Communication across Barriers at the Skin and Mucosal Surfaces

Major Symposium F: Neutrophil Function in Autoimmunity, Infection, and Cancer

Major Symposium G: Many Shades of Grey: Multifaceted Nature of Immune Suppression in Cancer

Major Symposium H: Germinal Centers: Islands of Diversity

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Symposium

BRD4, a Central Player in Cancer and Immune Responses

Monday, May 15, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

National Institute on Aging (NIA) Symposium

Innate Immunity and Aging

Sunday, May 14, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Symposium

The New Frontier: Diverse Mouse Models for the Advancement of Human Immunology

Saturday, May 13, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Symposium

B Cell Responses to Environmental Exposures

Sunday, May 14, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.

National Institutes of Health Immunology Interest Group (IIG) Symposium

The Rising Face of NIH: New Investigators in the NIH Intramural Program. A Tribute to Bill Paul.

Monday, May 15, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.