Oveview of 2023 Session
The 2nd International School on Advanced Immunology from 17 to 21 September 2023 was jointly organized by the Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) and ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn and was the first school in this series to be held in Maria Laach, Germany.
Forty-seven outstanding PhD students and junior postdocs from 19 different countries were competitively selected from 103 international applicants. The format of the school, with short oral and poster presentations by all participants, encouraged the exchange of ideas and the establishment of new networking opportunities at a high level. Fifteen of the world’s leading immunologists gave presentations with a particular focus on clinical and translational research during this four-day intensive course and engaged in lively discussions with participants. In addition, all participants had the opportunity to visit the ImmunoSensation2 research groups on September 22, and 41 young researchers took part in this tour.
ImmunoSensation2 offered travel support for partial airfare or train costs for all participants (300 EUR for within Europe, 600 EUR for participants from overseas) and covered accommodation in comfortable double rooms and excellent meals in the Seehotel Maria Laach and the surrounding area. Participants paid a participation fee of 150 EUR.
With the COVID-19 restrictions finally lifted after previous years, we were able to offer various opportunities for intensive exchange during the school, e.g. during lunch discussions, and during short excursions in smaller groups to the nearby Caldera Lake, the grounds of Maria Laach Abbey, the lava dome or a geyser.
ImmunoSensation2 is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC2151 – 390873048. The School organizers cordially appreciate additional financial support by the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Foundation and the JSPS Core-to-Core Program (JPJSCCA202110008). The visit to ImmunoSensation2 laboratories was supported by the Henriette Herz Prize by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Date and Venue
17 – 22 September, 2023
Seehotel Maria Laach, Glees/Maria Laach, Germany
22 September 2023
ImmunoSensation2, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Participants were given the opportunity to visit ImmunoSensation2 on the University Hospital Bonn campus in Bonn, Germany.
Application and Selection
Participants were selected by the 2023 International School Selection Committee through a competitive screening and selection process based on submitted application materials: Curriculum vitae, a personal statement describing their motivation for attending the program, an abstract of the applicant’s presentation, and a recommendation letter.
- 49 applicants were successfully selected from 103 applicants. Because three participants had to cancel on short notice, 46 participants of 19 nationalities attended.
- 27 participants were female (59%) and 19 participants were male (41%).
- 31 participants were PhD students (67%) and 15 were early postdocs (33%)
- Average age of participants was 30.0 ± 3.7 years old.
- Participants were originally from Europe (10), Asia (20), Oceania (5), Northern America (5), South America (2) and the Middle East (4).
- Participants belong to institutes located in Europe (18), Asia (14), Oceania (4), Northern America (7), South America (1) and the Middle East (2).
2023 Program
The scientific program comprised participants’ short presentations, poster sessions, and 15 guest lectures. Each participant presented during a poster session and gave a short oral presentation as well. In addition to the scientific talks and poster sessions, the program contained excursions in the area of Maria Laach, a secluded place with exciting historic and geographic features, a welcome reception, a dinner at the Vulkan Brewery and a farewell in a friendly atmosphere after dinner.
Lecturers (17 – 22 September, 2023)
Zeinab Abdullah University Hospital Bonn, ImmunoSensation2 (Germany)
Julie Magarian Blander Weill Cornell Medicine (USA)
Zhijian ‘James’ Chen UT Southwestern Medical Center (USA)
Marco Colonna Washington University School of Medicine (USA)
Katherine A. Fitzgerald UMass Chan Medical School (USA)
Matthias Geyer University Hospital Bonn, ImmunoSensation2 (Germany)
Raphaela T. Goldbach-Mansky National Institutes of Health – NIAID/DIR (USA)
Naoki Hosen IFReC, Osaka University (Japan)
Masaru Ishii IFReC, Osaka University (Japan)
Ann Marshak-Rothstein UMass Chan Medical School (USA)
Kazuyo Moro IFReC, Osaka University (Japan)
Joachim L. Schultze University of Bonn and DZNE, ImmunoSensation2 (Germany)
Hans Stauss UCL Institute of Immunity & Transplantation (UK)
Brigitta Stockinger Francis Crick Institute (UK)
Kiyoshi Takeda IFReC, Osaka University (Japan)
Presentation Award Laureates
Awards were given to the following participants for their excellent presentations.
Magdalena Dubik University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
Harshita Mishra Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Germany
Maleika Osman The Peter Doherty Institute, Australia
Francesco Pileri European Institute of Oncology, Italy
Julie Rebejac Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, France
Sebastian Wellford Duke University School of Medicine, USA
Organizing Committee
ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence, University of Bonn, Germany
Gunther Hartmann (Committee Director)
Eva Bartok
Elvira Mass
Waldemar Kolanus
Christian Kurts
Katrin Paeschke
Andreas Schlitzer
Joachim Schultze
Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Japan
Tomohiro Kurosaki
Hisashi Arase
Sho Yamasaki
Naoki Hosen
Kazuhiro Suzuki
Wataru Ise
James Badger Wing
School Office
Catherine Drescher, Michaela Weidenbach, Klaus Wunderling, Chantal Alfter, Jennifer Schumacher
Gallery
