Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Location matters in the development of an effective immune response and where the body meets the external environment is a critical location. We now know that immunity at the interface with the environment is influenced by the microbiome, the commensal bacteria living at barriers like the skin, lung and gut. Change the composition of the microbiome and you change the development of the immune system, altering the susceptibility to chronic and autoimmune diseases including allergy, asthma, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Since showing that environmental factors like the microbiome, location and exposure to pathogens strongly influence the developing immune system, there is there is much interest in broadening these studies to other aspects of immunity. This topic will be the focus of the opening address and a major symposium at the Canadian Society for Immunology spring meeting in 2017. This meeting brings together trainees and established scientists from across Canada to share knowledge and expertise. We are requesting support for the Keynote speaker, Dr. David Artis, Weill Cornell Medical College, a leader in the field of the microbiome in immune cell development. We are also requesting support for a symposium on Immunologic memory to be chaired by Dr. Martin Richer (McGill University) and Dr. Nathalie Labrecque (University de Montreal). These events will be complemented by two other symposia, each touching on important immune mechanisms that can be exploited to improve human disease outcomes. A series of workshops and poster sessions will allow trainees to present their emerging data in the field, and a session for trainees exploring career opportunities will also be held. The meeting will provide an outstanding opportunity for trainees and new investigators entering the field to meet with leaders in the field, to explore new ways to move this important field forward.