The 4th Annual Meeting of the International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS) will be held in San Francisco, California at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from October 16 - October 19, 2016. This international conference will bring together leading investigators in the fields of cytokine signaling and biology, immunology, cancer research, metabolism, and infectious diseases. The Co-Chairs for this meeting are Dr. David Artis (Cornell University), Dr. John O'Shea (NIH), Dr. Erika Pearce (Max Planck); together, these scientists cover a broad spectrum of scientific expertise relevant to the interests of the ICIS, and have an excellent working relationship as a group. A major goal of the meeting will be to promote the interactions between scientists focusing on cytokine signaling and function in diverse areas of biology, such as host-microbiota interactions, innate immunity, host defense, immune regulation of whole body metabolism, cellular metabolism in immune cells, primary immunodeficiencies, and epigenetics ? and how these translate into emerging therapies. Another goal of this meeting is to facilitate interactions between young investigators and trainees with established researchers in the interferon and cytokine field. Outstanding junior investigators, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate/medical students will be encouraged to participate, and awards will be given to young researchers in each of these categories, as described in the body of this proposal. In addition to approximately 34 invited speakers (some slots remain open for late-breaking speakers) scheduled for Plenary Sessions and Symposia, a number of abstracts submitted by registrants will be selected for oral presentations in Special Topics Sessions. Particular attention will be paid to giving junior investigators an opportunity to present their work during these sessions. Up to 300 participants are welcome to present a poster and will be given the opportunity to discuss their work during their poster session. The program includes scientists from academic institutions, as well as from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. We have paid special attention to ensure a program that is well-balanced by gender, ethnicity, seniority and geographic location. A special effort will be made to support the career development of under-represented minorities and women, and an important part of the 2016 meeting is to have 2 workshops and a special reception exclusively for trainees and young (1st year) faculty, designed to foster these interactions. It is the firm belief of the Co-Chairs and Scientific Organizing Committee (composed of 17 scientists from 8 countries including 7 females and two URMs) that, by bringing together leaders, junior investigators, and trainees in these diverse areas of cytokine research, this meeting will inspire important new avenues of investigation and will be of great benefit to the career development of promising young investigators and trainees in the cytokine field.
This application is seeking financial support for the 4th Annual Meeting of the International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS) that will be held in San Francisco, California at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from October 16 - October 19, 2016. A cytokine is a secreted protein that regulates normal physiological processes, with particularly important functions in the immune system. Cytokines play critical roles in a number of human diseases, including allergies, atherosclerosis, autoimmunity, cancer, and infectious diseases, and manipulation of cytokine levels and functions can be of tremendous clinical benefit. The overall objective of the 2016 ICIS meeting is to promote stimulating interactions between scientists focusing on cytokine and interferon signaling and function in diverse areas of biology, such as host-microbiota interactions, innate immunity, host defense and immune regulation of whole body metabolism and how these translate into emerging therapies for patients. Another goal of this meeting is to facilitate interactions between young investigators and trainees with established researchers in the interferon and cytokine field. Outstanding junior investigators, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate/medical students will be encouraged to participate, and awards will be given to young researchers in each of these categories. This meeting promises to be the leading cytokine-related conference anywhere in the world in 2016.
