In April 2026, I attended the American Association of Immunologist’s annual Immunology conference. This page is a summary list of the sessions I attended, principally for my BIOL 302 Introductory Immunology students.

Wednesday, Apr 15

• Neutrophil NETosis and cell-free DNA suppress T cell responses in glioblastoma (Katayoun Ayasoufi)
• Monocyte-Derived ADA2 Regulates Myeloid-T Cell Crosstalk and Drives Pro-Inflammatory Responses Linked with Intestinal Inflammation in Crohn’s Disease (Silpa Tiwari-Heckler)
• Immune resilience after pediatric cancer treatment (Smrithi Sugumaran Menon)
• Stem-like and effector peripheral helper T cells orchestrate distinct local immune responses in rheumatoid arthritis (Yuki Masuo)
• President’s Address: Immunology in Space and Time (Ulrich von Andrian)

Thursday, Apr 16

• Reduced BCMA Signaling Disrupts the BAFF/APRIL Axis and Promotes Inflammatory Cytokine Production by B Cells in Multiple Sclerosis (Gaurav Kumar)
• The antigen-specific immunotherapy, AKS-107, selectively depletes anti-insulin B lymphocytes in the pancreas and reduces insulitis in T1D-prone mice (Tyler Jenkins)
• Functional dichotomy of GC-Derived Memory B Cells in Lupus: A Role for FCRL5+ MBCs in ASC Differentiation (Ajitanuj Rattan)
• A Six-month Ketogenic Diet Alters The Immune And Metabolic Landscape In Multiple Sclerosis (Wesley Godfrey)
• Impact of a Modernized Immunology CURE on Undergraduate Student Learning and Scientific Literacy (Jesus Segovia)
• Contemplating immunology: using contemplative pedagogy practices to build critical thinking skills and confidence in data analysis and interpretation (Natalie Steinel)
• Powering health literacy with STEAM: Using an infographic project to teach the public about complex topics in immunology
• Bridging the Gap in Flow Cytometry Training: A Practical Workflow for Teaching Autofluorescence Management in Immunology (Alina Moriarty–FROM ODU/EVMS)
• Skull bone marrow is an early source of antiviral CD8 T cell priming and expansion during neurotropic virus infection (Asma Hassani)
• HSV-2 Infection Induces Lasting Transcriptional and Functional Changes in Vaginal Tissue NK Cells (Sarah Vick)
• A Tonsil Organoid Model for Epstein-Barr Virus-Host Immune Interactions in Germinal Centers (Yizhe Sun)
• Immune Cell Derived 1,25(OH)2D3: A Critical Defense Against Influenza Infection (Nicole Froelich)
• Regulatory maturation of cDC1 accelerates effector CD8 T cell contraction after severe influenza A virus infection (Xinran Wang)
• Antigen-specific CD8 T cells are primed in the bone marrow by migratory myeloid DCs bringing antigen from the brain following inflammatory injuries (Eliese Moelker)

Friday, Apr 17 (this was my day for tourism)

• AAI-Recommended Immunology Content Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education in the U.S.A. (Aimee Pugh-Bernard)
• Beyond Memorization: Active and Adult Learning Strategies in Undergraduate Immunology (Nurcan Kilic)
• Computer-Based Models to Teach Immunology from the Undergraduate to Professional and Graduate Level (Louis Justement)
• Immunology and Infection Biology in Cinema: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Course (Raffaella Ghittoni)
• Immunology Integration and Team-Based Learning (TBL) Enhance Comprehension in a Foundations to Medicine Module (Ivo Boudakov)
• [Breakout session] 3D – Design, Discover, Decipher: Integrating Experimental Design in Didactic Immunology Teaching (Parameswaran Ramakrishnan)

Saturday, Apr 18 (this was my neuroimmunology day)

• Sensory interogan neuroimmune circuits (Brian Kim)
• Neuro-immune circuits regulate mucosal inflammation (David Artis)
• The enteric nervous system shields colon cancer from immunosurveillance (Ademi Zhakyp)
• Neuronal control of cutaneous inflammation (Daniel Kaplan)
• Tumor-innervating nociceptors drive immuno-suppressive differentiation to prevent T cell-mediated anti-cancer immunity (Pavel Hanc)
• Neuroimmune circuits in allergy immunity (Caroline Sokol)
• From the lab to FDA-approval: clinical translation of the inflammatory reflex (Kevin Tracey)
• Systemic CXCL13 as a possible sex-dependent biomarker to identify neuroinflammation in subclinical food allergies (Dilini Ekanayake)
• In Vivo Dynamics of Memory CD8+ T Cell Activation using a Fluorescent Timer Protein of TCR Signaling (John Cintron)
• Oxysterol-Mediated Modulation of NF-kB-Linked Systemic Inflammatory Response in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Intestinal Perforation (Aswathy Sailaja)
• Double positive (DP) developing thymocytes regulate the development of neuronal cell bodies within the thymus (Katayoun Ayasoufi)
• Adrenergic Signalling Drives Accumulation of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells in the Liver During Stress (Agetha Mahendran)
• Kupffer cell identity, phenotype, and function rely on continual hepatic sympathetic nerve output (Raymond Shim)
• AAI Education: Recommended Immunology Learning Objectives for MedEd, Sponsored by the AAI Edu. Comm.
• President’s Symposium: Going Places: The Multi-Step Adhesion Cascade-35 Years and Counting
  • The many steps to an understanding of leukocyte homing (Eugene Butcher)
  • Integrin agonists: new tools for organoids (Timothy Springer)
  • Linking T cell differentiation and trafficking (Federica Sallusto)
  • Recruitment of immune cells from vascular and avascular sites to altered tissues (Paul Kubes)
• Counting to 9: the amazing adventures of the 9th interleukin (Mark Kaplan)