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About the symposium
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.
Speakers
- 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, The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Vojo Deretic, PhD, University of New Mexico Health Sciences
- Adrian T. Ting, PhD - Mayo Clinic
- Dmitry M. Shayakhmetov, PhD – Emory University
More speakers to come!
Overview
Event: Breakthroughs in Innate Immunity and Cell Death
Location:
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Event hosts:
Center of Excellence for Innate Immunity and Inflammation
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, PhD
Director, Center of Excellence for Innate Immunity and Inflammation
Vice Chair and Member of Immunology
Rose Marie Thomas Endowed Chair
Event contact:
CoE-III_Symposium@StJude.org
Agenda
| Time | Event/Presenter | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. | Breakfast | MTC atrium | |
| 9:15 – 9:30 a.m. | Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, PhD | Welcome address | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| Session 1: Innate Immune Drivers in Disease | |||
| 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Laurence Morel, PhD | Metabolic and microbial determinants of lupus pathogenesis | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Cornelia M. Weyand, MD, PhD | Panoptotic macrophages: A new paradigm in rheumatoid arthritis | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. | Gil Mor, MD, PhD | Mechanisms of immune regulation in ovarian cancer | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Dmitry M. Shayakhmetov, PhD | “Reparative call” response limits the efficacy of virotherapy of lung cancer | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch | MTC atrium, Board Room | |
| Session 2: Cell Death and Innate Immune Sensing | |||
| 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. | Adrian T. Ting, PhD | Pathogen-restriction hypothesis: How T cells carry out paracrine killing of antigen-less targets in a discriminatory manner | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Kate Fitzgerald, PhD | Small molecule control of inflammasomes: From mechanism to therapeutic modulation | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Jenny Ting, PhD | Importance of innate immune receptors in inflammatory diseases | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 2:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Break | MTC atrium | |
| Session 3: Innate Immune Mechanisms Regulating Inflammation | |||
| 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. | Vojo Deretic, PhD | Membrane atg8ylation and its role in immunity | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 3:30 – 4:00 p.m. | Ezra Burstein, MD, PhD | Commander: endolysosomal regulation meets innate immunity | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. | Michael Gale, Jr., PhD | Mapping a crossroad of innate immunity and inflammation | James R. Downing Auditorium |
| 4:30 – 4:45 p.m. | Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, PhD | Closing remarks | James R. Downing Auditorium |
Registration deadlines & fees
Registration deadline: October 26, 2026
Capacity is limited. Registration will close once maximum capacity is reached.
Fees:
- St. Jude employees and trainees: Free
- Non-St. Jude trainees (students and postdoctoral fellows): $35
- Non-St. Jude principal investigators, research staff, industry professionals: $100
Accommodations
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.