Neuroimmunology
19-20 November 2026, Antwerp, Belgium
The conference is sold out.
Neuroimmunology
Neuroimmunology
The conference is sold out. For inquiries, contact trainingandconferences@vib.be.
Keep me postedAdd to calendarNeuroimmunology stands at the exciting intersection of neuroscience and immunology, investigating the dynamic interactions between the nervous and immune systems and how these determine function and disease. Ongoing advancements are reshaping our understanding of the field and opening new avenues for research and therapeutic innovation.
This conference brings together leading experts and rising voices to explore the latest insights on:
- Innate immunity in CNS health & disease
- Barrier systems & peripheral-CNS crosstalk
- Adaptive immunity in CNS health & disease
- New therapeutic agents to modulate neuroimmunity
Join us for dynamic discussions and collaborative opportunities to drive forward the future of neuroimmune research.
Abstract submissions
Submit your abstract for a poster and/or oral presentation before the deadline of 17 September 2026. All accepted poster submissions will have a chance to win the Neuron Poster Prize!
Travel grants
We offer travel grants to international junior scientists, which reimburse travel costs up to 400 Euros. The deadline to apply is 27 August 2026.
Host City: Antwerp
Want to know more about the host city of this conference? Find out where the best restaurants, bars, or last-minute print shops are. Check the city page here.
Confirmed speakers
Valerio Chiurchiù
Valerio Chiurchiù
Institute of Translational Pharmacology and IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, IT
Daniela Latorre
Daniela Latorre
IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital & Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, IT
Ari Waisman
Ari Waisman
University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz & Institute for Molecular Medicine, DE
Program
Day 1 - Thursday, 19 November, 2026
08:20
08:50
Registration & welcome coffee
08:50
09:00
Opening remarks
09:00
12:35
Session 1: Adaptive immunity in CNS health & disease
09:00
09:30
Immune-mediated responses modifying neuronal fate and network states
Frauke Zipp
Mainz University, DE
Keynote speaker
09:30
10:00
Ari Waisman
University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz & Institute for Molecular Medicine, DE
10:00
10:15
Clozapine suppresses pathogenic autoantibodies that drive psychosis-like behaviour in mice
Le He
The Francis Crick Institute, GB
Selected from abstracts
10:15
10:20
Presenter TBA
-
Sponsored talk
10:20
10:50
Coffee break
10:50
11:20
Autoreactive T cells in inflammatory peripheral neuropathies
Daniela Latorre
IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital & Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, IT
11:20
11:50
Caroline Sokol
Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, US
11:50
12:05
PD-L1 blockade protects dopaminergic neurons by reshaping T cell–microglia crosstalk in experimental Parkinson’s disease
Clara Vidaurre
Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Pamplona, Spain, ES; Cima-Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, ES
Selected from abstracts
12:20
12:35
OC flash talks
12:35
13:20
Lunch
13:20
14:20
Poster session
14:20
17:55
Session 2: Barrier systems & peripheral-CNS crosstalk
14:20
14:50
Immune regulation of brain development via the choroid plexus
Aleksandra Deczkowska
Institut Pasteur, FR
14:50
15:20
Brain clearance as a key aspect of neuroimmunology
Jonathan Kipnis
Washington University, US
15:20
15:50
Mapping leukocyte dynamics during neuroinflammation identifies meningeal monocyte-derived macrophages as drivers of progressive disease
Sarah Mundt
University Hospital Zurich, CH
15:50
16:05
Microglia replacement during human aging
Julia Belk
Stanford University, US
Selected from abstracts
16:05
16:10
Presenter TBA
-
Sponsored talk
16:10
16:40
Coffee break
16:40
17:10
Sensory circumventricular organs decode immune signals to generate sickness behaviors.
Jessica Osterhout
University of Utah School of Medicine, US
17:10
17:40
Revisiting neuroimmune privilege through T cell engineering
Andrew Yang
Gladstone Institute & UC San Francisco, US
17:40
18:10
Francisco Quintana
Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, US
18:10
19:30
Reception
19:30
22:00
Conference dinner
Day 2 - Friday, 20 November, 2026
08:30
09:00
Welcome coffee
09:00
12:30
Session 3: Innate immunity in CNS health & disease
09:00
09:30
Innate immune programs shaping neurodegeneration
Marco Colonna
Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, US
Keynote speaker
09:30
10:00
Decoding microglia through the lens of early brain development
Sonia Garel
Collège de France; IBENS, FR
10:00
10:30
Monocyte-derived Macrophages – when origins can matter
Steffen Jung
Weizmann Institute of Science, IL
10:30
10:45
C9orf72 repeat expansion affects immune response in a xenografted microglia mouse model
Laura Fumagalli
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, BE; University of Antwerp, Biomedical Sciences, BE
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
11:45
Tracking reactive microglial state across the lifespan
Tristan Qingyun Li
Washington University, US
11:45
12:15
Uncovering microglial biology via targeted replacement and perturbation screening
Kiavash Movahedi
VUB, BE
12:05
12:20
OC flash talks
12:20
13:20
Lunch
13:20
14:20
Poster session
14:20
17:50
Session 4: New therapeutic agents to modulate neuroimmunity
14:20
14:50
Resolving the unresolved: impaired resolution of inflammation disrupts immune crosstalk in neurodegenerative diseases
Valerio Chiurchiù
Institute of Translational Pharmacology and IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, IT
14:50
15:20
Mapping and targeting neuroinflammation with tissue clearing and AI
Ali Ertürk
iBIO; LMU Munich; Deep Piction GmbH, DE
15:20
15:50
B cell directed therapies and neuroinflammation - Exploring Mechanisms of Action
Jennifer Gommerman
University of Toronto, CA
15:50
16:05
An IL-10 Immunocytokine Targeting CNS-Infiltrating Myeloid Cells Attenuates Neuroinflammation
Elias Elias
Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University,, IL; Sagol Center for Regenerative Medicine, Tel Aviv University, IL
Selected from abstracts
16:05
16:35
Coffee break
16:35
16:50
Anti-CD40L prevents meningeal B cell aggregates and mitigates progressive autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Sofia Tyystjärvi
Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Technical University of Munich School of Medicine and Health, DE
Selected from abstracts
16:50
17:20
Autoantigen mRNA-LNP Vaccination Drives Therapeutic Efficacy in Preclinical Models for Autoimmunity
Bieke Broux
Hasselt University, BE
17:20
17:50
Brain-resident regulatory T cells
Adrian Liston
University of Cambridge, UK
17:50
18:00
Closing remarks
Organizing committee
Menna R Clatworthy
University of Cambridge, UK
Sebastiaan De Schepper
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, BE
Niels Hellings
UHasselt, BE
Renzo Mancuso
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, BE
Emanuela Pasciuto
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, BE
Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke
VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, BE
Lisa Thyrion
VIB Training & Conferences, BE
Abstracts
Poster information
The format for your poster should be: A0 (841 x 1189 mm / 33.1 x 46.8 in), portrait orientation. All accepted poster submissions will have a chance to win the Neuron Poster Prize!
The full list of abstracts will be available on 05-11-2026 until 19-02-2027
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Attendees
The full list of attendees will be available on 05-11-2026 until 19-02-2027
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Sponsors
Silver
Silver
Silver
