Symposium hosted by the students of the IAI -SHIELD PhD program
March 26 & 27, 2026
Location: Van Swieten Saal, 1090 Vienna
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 autoimmune disease or block therapy.
This symposium will link three key immunological disciplines to inspire future investigations on the fine line between protection and pathology.
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:
Mindfulness session
For every researcher’s success, it is crucial to be able to focus the mind and find a sense of calm in the middle of stressful or overwhelming moments. This ability not only supports productivity in daily tasks but also helps to stay centred during demanding experiments or important presentations. That is why we chose to begin one day of our symposium with an opportunity to strengthen our mindfulness skills — to increase focus and resilience for the challenges of research.
Speaker: Sandra Steinböck
Meet the editor
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.
Panel discussion
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.