Human Immunology - Genes and Environment

Human immune systems play important roles, either causal or as modifiers of all human diseases. In recent years, new technologies have enabled more accurate descriptions of complex and highly variable human immune systems. This opens up the field to a new approach to investigating immunity directly in human subjects, as a complement to the often-used animal models. By improving the way human immune systems are studied directly and the genetic and environmental basis for disease is accounted for, we will advance all areas of medicine and health given the fundamental importance played by our immune systems.

This new conference aims to bring together researchers from different disciplines of immunology and genetics to address the current state of the field, our current gaps in knowledge around human immune system variation, its underlying basis in the form of genetic and environmental factors of importance and the mechanisms of their action.

This hybrid meeting is intended to foster engagement and networking between researchers and clinicians involved in immunology, genetics and functional genomics. In addition to invited talks by the leaders of the field, the meeting will also feature short oral presentations selected from submitted abstracts, posters and poster pitch talks for a highly interactive meeting.

The conference will start at approximately 12.00 on Wednesday, 22 May and close at approximately 13.00 on Friday, 24 May 2024. All times are in British Summer Time. See the time where you are here.

Discussions will focus on a variety of exciting topics, including:

• Genes to function
• Human immune variation
• Inborn errors of immunity
• Immunometabolism
• Age and sex-differences in human immunity
• Immune system and physiology
• Human immune responses to infection

Scientific programme committee

Petter Brodin
Imperial College, UK/Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Evanna Mills
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, USA

Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu
Imperial College, UK

David Thomas
University of Cambridge, UK

Invited speakers

Dusan Bogunovic
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Alessandro Borghesi
Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Italy

Petter Brodin
Imperial College, UK/Karolinska Institute, Sweden

Mark Febbraio
Monash University, Australia

Mary-Ellen Lynall
University of Cambridge, UK

Isabelle Meyts
KU Leuven, Belgium

Musa Mhlanga
Radboud University, the Netherlands

Evanna Mills
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, USA

Imen Ben-Mustapha
Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia

Cliona O'Farrelly
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Luke O'Neill
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Lluis Quintana-Murci
Institut Pasteur/College de France, France

Carola Vinuesa
Francis Crick Institute, UK

Lisa Wagar
University of California, Irvine, USA

Organisers – Wellcome Connecting Science

Amanda Fletcher, Conference & Events Organiser
Nagehan Ramazanoglu Bahadir, Programme Developer – scientific meetings

Registration deadline: 23 April (in person) | 14 May 2024 (virtual)

The in-person registration fee includes:

• Full access to scientific programme: oral and poster presentations, and networking on campus
• Access to the online conference portal to network with online participants
• Meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have booked onsite accommodation.
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, which will be available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends

Virtual registration fee includes:

• Access to the virtual event portal (Log in details will be emailed a few days before the event starts)
• Live-stream sessions, including posters and online networking channels
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends.

* To promote more inclusive scientific discussions with international colleagues at our conferences, virtual delegates based in Lower and Middle-Income Countries can register for free (see list of countries here).

If you are an editor or journalist, please contact the conference organiser for more information about the discounted fee.

Accommodation
Booked accommodation is for the nights of 22 and 23 May 2024.
Please note: there is limited onsite accommodation and this will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis; therefore, early registration is recommended.

If you wish to book campus accommodation either side of the conference dates, please contact the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre directly.

Accommodation services phishing scam – please be vigilant. More information.

Travel visas
Citizens of many countries can travel to the UK to attend a course or conference without needing a visa. Please check the UK government website for visitor information: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor.

Confirmed attendees requiring a letter to support a visa application should contact the event organiser.

Bursaries

Bursary deadline: 27 February 2024

A limited number of registration bursaries are available to attend this conference in person (up to 50% of the registration fee). Priority will be given to PhD students submitting abstracts who are facing financial barriers.

To apply, please use the dedicated bursary application link on the registration site. Please answer the bursary-related questions and submit an abstract before midnight UK time on the bursary deadline for your application to be considered.

Additional funding opportunities

Visit our support page for information on financial support, including carer grants to help delegates with the costs of caring for children or dependent family members while attending a course or a conference.

Abstract deadline: 2 April 2024

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted. Presenters of oral presentations as expected to be onsite for the duration of the conference, whereas those presenting posters can do so in person or virtually.

Abstracts will only be considered from registered delegates. Please use our online abstract submission system and follow the instructions given to ensure your abstract is submitted correctly. All abstracts must be submitted by the deadline. You can make changes to your submitted abstract before of the deadline by logging into your account and following the instructions

If you have already completed your registration and subsequently wish to submit an abstract, or wish to submit a second abstract, please follow these instructions.

The scientific programme committee will assess your abstract after the deadline has passed and you will be notified whether you have been selected to present an oral or poster presentation.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the conference programme book; poster board numbers will be allocated at the conference. All those accepted for a poster presentation will be given the opportunity to upload a short video describing their work.

If you are interested in supporting this meeting, please contact the sponsorship manager.

See our sponsorship page for information about the benefits.