Intro
VIB Conferences was very pleased that after 2 postponed editions because of the covid-19 pandemic the conference on Translational Immunology took finally place on 22-23 Nov 2021. Over 250 scientists gathered in the Bijloke, an architectural marvel in the historic center of Ghent. The site combines a 13th-century grand hall with modern architecture. With the pandemic still raging, the organizers had to be flexible in terms of speaker line-up and organization.
With the first edition of this conference, VIB tried to bridge the translational gap in immunopathology, bringing together clinicians, research scientists and industry partners to discuss prominent advances from the bench to the clinic.
Alain Fischer (AP-HP Hôpitaux de Paris, FR) opened the conference with his keynote talk ‘From inborn errors of immunity to (physio)pathology and therapy. The case of « SCID-X1 »’. During the two conference days the audience learned from 20 top scientists in translational immunology, including Carolyn Calfee (UCSF, US); Fiona Powrie (University of Oxford, UK), and many more. Despite all last-minute changes and the strict covid-19 measures, we look back at a successful event which was reflected in the feedback we received from the attendees and conference reporters below.
Thanks again to all sponsors and the Organizing Committee!
We are looking forward to the 2nd edition and an upcoming conference on Type-2 Immunity.
Quotes from the attendees
Laurien Van Dyck - VIB Grand Challenges program
"The Translational Immunology conference took place in the beautiful scenery of the Bijloke (Ghent). The excellent line-up included experts of various disciplines in the field. These experts discussed immune regulation principles in health and in different diseases, zooming in on specific tissues. Complementary, the application of this knowledge for interventional- and drug purposes was covered during the more translational sessions, with a special focus on the essential COVID-19 research. This exciting science was alternated with networking moments during the poster sessions and (coffee/lunch/reception) breaks."
Lauren Herron - IRC-UGent, BE
"The speakers of the conference were an excellent selection. While united under the umbrella of translational immunology, topics were diverse and displayed great advancements in the field. Jenny Mjösberg gave an enlightening talk on tissue- and inflammation-dependent imprinting on innate lymphoid cells. This represented a major advancement in our understanding of ILC biology. Dimitrios Mastellos presented the potential of the complement system, specifically regarding C3 inhibition, in anti-inflammation therapies while debunking a variety of myths. Florent Ginhoux illustrated the effect of macrophage heterogeneity in cancer development in different organs.
The speakers were all very well chosen and the Translational Immunology conference was an excellent learning experience by providing information on some crucial advances to the field."
Astrid Gadeyne - Science Communications & External relations – VIB
"With the SARS-CoV-2 virus raging again and causing a fourth wave of COVID-19 worldwide, this conference highlighted the societal importance of translational immunology. The invited speakers included both medical doctors and scientists and approached the topics as seen from their experiences. Having heard both sides of the story really convinced me that collaboration between the lab and the clinic is critical to the development of treatments relevant to patients. In those two days, the attendants got submerged into the latest technologies and research discoveries causing various inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, and of course, the past and current efforts to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus. More alliances were created among the attendees during the meeting and I look forward to seeing the outcome at the next conference edition."
Other feedback from attendees
- "Interesting talks & inspiring speakers. High quality conference in a small-scale set up, which facilitates networking & interaction with other scientists.“
- "Inspiring conference with top immunologists from all over the world and exciting new data presented.“
- “So enjoyable, both in terms of pure science in the lectures - complete stories and discoveries with translational context, and interactions with people - finally an in-person meeting. Plus, I think diversity of topics was a huge success - even though I am a mostly T cell person, lectures on ILCs/ macrophages/ microbiome/ stromal cells were just as exciting and helped me improve/develop.“