Breakthroughs in Innate Immunity and Cell Death

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 and autoimmune diseases and cancer. Despite its importance, our 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 event will facilitate discussion and collaboration to advance basic and translational research and support the development of new cures.

• Vishva Dixit, MD, Genentech
• Kate Fitzgerald, PhD, UMass Chan Medical School
• Gil Mor, MD, PhD, Wayne State University
• Jenny Ting, PhD, The University of North 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, University of Texas at San Antonio
• Vojo Deretic, PhD, University of New Mexico Health Sciences

More speakers to come!