Please join us in person at “Breakthroughs in Innate Immunity and Cell Death”, the 4th annual Symposium hosted by the Center of Excellence for Innate Immunity and Inflammation (CoE-III) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The innate immune system plays a critical role in infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune diseases and cancer. Despite its importance, understanding of how the innate immune system recognizes and responds to diverse pathogens and danger signals remains incomplete. These processes drive host defense, eliminate cancerous cells, regulate cell death pathways, control cytokine production and engage the adaptive immune response. In addition, inborn errors in innate immune genes and dysregulated signaling pathways are key drivers of disease, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, limiting the ability to therapeutically target these processes.
The 2026 symposium will bring together an international group of leading experts to share recent discoveries in innate immunity and cell death. Topics will include the basic biology of innate immunity, interactions with adaptive immunity, the molecular diversity of immune mechanisms, immuno-oncology, neuroimmunology, the pathophysiology of inflammation, therapeutic applications and more.
The CoE-III Symposium will be held in person at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The event will convene the innate immunity research community for discussion and collaboration to advance basic and translational research and support the development of new cures.
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Registration fees:
- St. Jude Employees: Complimentary
- External Attendees:
- Trainees (Students and Postdoctoral Fellows): $35
- All Others (Principal Investigators, Research Staff, Industry Professionals): $100
Registration deadline: October 23, 2026
Please Note: Capacity is limited. Registration will close once maximum capacity is reached.
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Event Presenter and Title Time Location Breakfast
7:45 – 8:50 AM
MTC lobby
Welcome Speech
8:50 – 9:00 AM
MTC auditorium
Session 1: Title TBD
Speaker 1
9:00 – 9:30 AM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 2
9:30 – 10:00 AM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 3
10:00 – 10:30 AM
MTC auditorium
Coffee break
10:30 – 11:00 AM
MTC lobby
Session 2: Title TBD
Speaker 4
11:00 – 11:30 AM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 5
11:30 – 12:00 PM
MTC auditorium
Lunch
12:00 – 1:30 PM
MTC lobby, Board RM
Session 3: Title TBD
Speaker 6
1:30 – 2:00 PM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 7
2:00 – 2:30 PM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 8
2:30 – 3:00 PM
MTC auditorium
Coffee break
3:00 – 3:30 PM
MTC lobby
Session 4: Title TBD
Speaker 9
3:30 – 4:00 PM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 10
4:00 – 4:30 PM
MTC auditorium
Speaker 11
4:30 – 5:00 PM
MTC auditorium
Closing Speech
5:00 – 5:15 PM
MTC auditorium
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- Vishva Dixit, MD
- Genentech
- Kate Fitzgerald, PhD
- UMass Chan Medical School
- Gil Mor, MD, PhD
- Wayne State University
- Jenny Ting, PhD
- The University of Noth Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Ezra Burstein, MD, PhD
- UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Cornelia M. Weyand, MD, PhD
- Mayo Clinic
- Michael Gale, Jr., PhD
- University of Minnesota
- Laurence Morel, PhD
- UT Health San Antonio
- Vojo Deretic, PhD
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences
More speakers to come!
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Marlo Thomas Center Auditorium
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105 -
- For your convenience, we have curated a selection of hotel options placing you in the heart of Memphis. Please note, these properties offer/require valet parking.
- While these recommendations provide a range of accommodations to suit different preferences, guests are not limited to these options.
Marriott
- The Westin Memphis Beale Street
- Courtyard Memphis Downtown
Hyatt
- Hyatt Centric
- Caption by Hyatt
Hilton
- Canopy by Hilton Memphis Downtown
- Hilton Garden Inn Memphis Downtown
Privately-owned
- The Peabody Memphis
- Hotel Napoleon
