Committee-Sponsored Sessions

Back to School: A Review of Four Fast-Moving Fields

Sponsored by the AAI Program Committee

Chairs

• Cathryn R. Nagler, Univ. of Chicago, AAI Program Committee Chair
• Chandrashekhar Pasare, Cincinnati Children’s Hosp. Med. Ctr.

Speakers

• Judith A. James, Oklahoma Med. Res. Fndn., Cross-reactive B cells
• Chandrashekhar Pasare, Cincinnati Children’s Hosp. Med. Ctr., Mechanisms of microbial and non-microbial (sterile) innate inflammation
• Timothy E. O’Sullivan, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CRISPR-Cas9 tools and technology in immunity
• Golnaz Vahedi, Univ. of Pennsylvania Perelman Sch. of Med., Advances in single-cell analysis

Human Immunological Diseases and Pathologies: Current Standard of Care, Mechanisms of Action, and Unmet Needs

Sponsored by the AAI Clinical Immunology Committee

Chair

• Erica L. Stone, GigaGen, AAI Clinical Immunology Committee Chair

“My Lab is Recruiting Postdocs:” Policy Approaches to Address the Needs of Today’s Biomedical Research Workforce

Sponsored by the AAI Committee on Public Affairs

Chair

• Peter E. Jensen, Univ. of Utah, AAI Committee on Public Affairs Chair

Immunology Teaching Interest Group: Enhancing Your Immunology Teaching

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee

Chairs

• Sumali Pandey, Minnesota State Univ., Moorhead
• Damian L. Turner, Williams Col.

Speakers

• Viviane Boaventura, Oswaldo Cruz Fndn., Fed. Univ. of Bahia, Brazil, ImmunoAlvo board game for dynamic teaching of immunology
• William H. Carr, Medgar Evers Col., CUNY, Easing the pain of group work with an ice-breaker activity: "A Case in Point: From Active Learning to the Job Market"
• Nadeem Fazal, Chicago State Univ. Col. of Pharm., A case for teaching basic immunology through scientific journalism: lesson taught by a coronavirus went viral!
• Lindsey D. Hughes, Yale Sch. of Med., A perfect fit: 3D-printed kit to teach students principles of antigen-antibody recognition and herd immunity

Breakout Session Leaders

• Vitaly V. Ganusov, Univ. of Tennessee, and Edith Porter, California State Univ., Los Angeles, Use of the AAI curriculum recommendations in an undergraduate immunology course
• Tomas Helikar, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, Louis B. Justement, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, Sumali Pandey, Minnesota State Univ., Moorhead, and Rebekah T. Taylor, Frostburg State Univ., Modeling immunological networks in an educational setting using Cell Collective
• Aimee Pugh-Bernard, Univ. of Colorado Anschutz Med. Campus, The use and creation of analogies as a teaching tool for understanding immunology
• Rebecca Rivard, Gwynedd Mercy Univ., Immune Battle: use of a board game to help improve student understanding of immune function

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.

This session will explore teaching strategies through talks and structured breakout discussion groups. Current educators, new faculty, and trainees with an interest in teaching are welcome.

Careers Roundtables and Speed Networking Session

Sponsored by the AAI Minority Affairs Committee
Generously supported by the Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine

Chair

• Tonya J. Webb, Univ. of Maryland Sch. of Med., AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair

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 session, take advantage of the opportunity to meet in small-group format with accomplished, senior immunologists and others to hear how they have handled the career challenges you now face and learn what they believe will work for you today. Then, practice networking in a relaxed environment offering a structured networking exercise and personalized feedback on communicating your scientific interests/objectives most effectively. Scientists and trainees of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend!

Registration Fee: $30 (Includes lunch)

Discussion Topics

• NEW! Navigating the Transition from HBCUs and MSIs to PWIs
• Grad Student: Finding a Mentor, Setting Sights on Postdoc Training
• Navigating Challenges Unique to International Graduate Students and Postdocs
• Postdoc: Finding a Mentor, Setting Sights on a Faculty Position
• Junior Faculty: Preparing for Promotion and Tenure
• Maintaining Research Productivity at a Primary Undergraduate Teaching Institution
• Academia or Industry: How to Decide (or Switch Sides)
• Government Agency Careers
• Non-Bench-Research Careers:
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Grants Review
  • Nonprofits/Foundations
  • Research Technology
  • Science Policy
  • Scientific Patent/Trademark Law
  • Scientific Publishing

Immunological Approaches to (Re)emerging and Global Zoonotic Threats

Sponsored by the AAI Veterinary Immunology Committee

Chair

• Janice C. Telfer, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, AAI Veterinary Immunology Committee Chair

Spotlight on AAI Journals

Sponsored by the AAI Publications Committee

Chairs

• Daniel J. Campbell, Benaroya Res. Inst., AAI Publications Committee Chair
• Eugene M. Oltz, Ohio State Univ. Col. of Med., Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Immunology

Speakers

• Nitya Jain, Harvard Med. Sch., RXRA regulates the development of resident tissue macrophages
• Todd Bartkowiak, Vanderbilt Univ., Systems immunology analyses of STAT1 gain-of-function immune phenotypes reveal heterogeneous response to IL-6 and broad immunometabolic roles for STAT1
• Tiffany Taylor, Univ. of Pittsburgh
• Joshua J. Obar, Geisel Sch. of Med. at Dartmouth, Alveolar macrophages: controllers of the antifungal interferon response
• Zhichao Fan, UConn Hlth., CFTR in regulating monocyte recruitment and integrin function
• Vanessa Espinosa, Rutgers Univ.

A symposium featuring talks highlighting papers recently published in The Journal of Immunology and ImmunoHorizons.

Careers in Science Lecture and Roundtables

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee and AAI Committee on the Status of Women

Chair

• Dorina Avram, Moffitt Cancer Ctr., Committee on the Status of Women Chair

Speaker

• Gwendalyn J. Randolph, Washington Univ. Sch. of Med. in St. Louis, Bystander intervention—a tool to help others and yourself be a strong scientist

At this popular session, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with experienced scientists to explore specific career issues important to today's scientists. Gain insights into issues you are confronting in your own career. Topics include international opportunities in science, succeeding in graduate school, tips on grant writing, considerations for scientists in M.D.-Ph.D. careers, and exciting careers beyond the bench. Topics include building productive mentor/mentee relationships; overcoming self-doubt; and tackling gender biases in recruitment, research, and leadership; and navigating work/life issues, such as balancing careers with family and transitioning from specific career stages, which may be relevant to any work environment (academic research, biotech industry, governmental agencies, non-profit). Don’t miss this great opportunity!

Discussion Topics

• A Conversation about Bystander Intervention
• New PI (mentoring effectively, recruiting students and postdocs, preparing for promotion, early career self-promotion)
• Succeeding in Graduate School
• Graduate Student to Postdoc
• Postdoc to PI
• Work/Life Balance
• Building Networking Skills
• Biotech and Industry
• Tackling Gender Biases in Recruitment, Research, and Leadership
• Careers in Government Agencies
• Scientific Publishing
• Opportunities for Scientists in Non-Profits/Foundations
• Careers in Science Policy
• Grant Writing for PIs
• Grant Writing for Fellowships
• Research from the M.D., Ph.D. Perspective/ The Physician Scientist
• Careers in Veterinary Immunology
• International Opportunities
• How to Build Productive Mentor/Mentee Relationships
• Balancing Teaching Responsibilities with Research
• How to Negotiate for Better Self-Promotion
• NEW! Science Communication, Popular Science Writing, Editing

Sip and Learn: Speed Networking with Immunology Educators

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee and ImmunoHorizons

Are you interested in immunology education? Join the editors of ImmunoHorizons and the AAI Education Committee for a networking event for current and future immunology educators! The first part of this session will be short one-on-one meetings, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet others with an interest in immunology education. Then attendees can continue their conversations in a relaxed setting over coffee. All are welcome! Scientists and trainees of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend.

Registration Fee: $15

Careers in Biotech: Panel Discussion and Networking

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee
Generously supported by BD Biosciences

Chair

• Kiyomi Komori, Kinevant

Many opportunities exist in industry for scientists with advanced degrees. There are positions in laboratory research, program management, business development, regulatory affairs, clinical trials oversight, medical liaison, and more. This panel features 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, enjoy casual conversation with the speakers and other scientists from industry at a networking reception.

AAI Vanguard Award Presentation and Lecture

Sponsored by the AAI Minority Affairs Committee
Generously supported by BD Biosciences

AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair Tonya J. Webb will introduce the awardee and present the award immediately prior to Dr. Binder’s lecture.

Chair

• Tonya J. Webb, Univ. of Maryland Sch. of Med., AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair

Speaker

The AAI Vanguard Award recognizes an underrepresented member investigator noted for significant scientific achievement and exemplary career success.