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SHIELD symposium - Where Protection Ends and Destruction Begins

March 26 & 27, 2026 | Van Swieten Saal

SHIELD Symposium 2026

Registration deadline: 10th March 2026 Register now

This symposium is hosted by the students of the IAI-SHIELD PhD program.


How close are we to understanding immunity’s turning point?

The immune system is both guardian and aggressor. Immune cells defend the body against pathogens and cancer — yet the same cells can trigger immune-mediated inflammatory diseases or block therapy.

This symposium will link three key immunological disciplines to inspire future investigations on the fine line between protection and pathology.

Thematic blocks

How does the immune system detect, respond to, and eliminate cancer? Our speakers will present the newest scientific advances in immune surveillance, tumor evasion, and immunotherapy.

Speakers:

What cellular and molecular mechanisms govern host immune responses to infectious agents? The talks will focus on the new insights gained in immune regulation, spanning both innate and adaptive pathways in host–pathogen interactions.

Speakers:

What causes the breakdown of immune tolerance?  In this session the speakers will share their discoveries on the mechanisms driving immune-mediated pathology, and emerging therapeutic approaches to restore or sustain immune balance.

Speakers:

Special sessions

Editors are more than journal gatekeepers — they see the bigger picture of our field. With insight from hundreds of manuscripts, they can tell where fields are moving, what questions remain unanswered, and where researchers often stumble.
In this session we will find out what will make our papers convincing, where our research is prone to go wrong, and how to improve our research approach.

Speaker: Lucie Laurien

Behind every publication lies a story of challenges, failures, and persistence. Many researchers have faced unexpected turns, moments of doubt and lessons learned the hard way.
In this panel, we will look beyond academic success to explore the experiences that shaped the journeys of accomplished scientists, offering inspiration for our own paths as researchers.

Gold sponsor

Silver sponsors


Location


SHIELD - Securing Host Immunity: Eliminaton versus Destruction

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Write us: shield-phd@meduniwien.ac.at