Viral Immunity (A2)

The most exciting recent advances in viral immunity include the increased understanding of the role of innate immune mechanisms, interaction between innate and adaptive immunity, pathogen manipulation of host responses, activation of immune responses and immune effector functions. Despite these advances, basic mechanisms of anti-viral immunity are poorly characterized for many acute infections and less well understood for chronic infections. Efforts are also required to exploit recent research advances to improve vaccine design and therapeutic intervention. This meeting will include both innate and adaptive immunity and juxtapose animal models with human studies as it attempts to foster collaborative efforts between attending viral immunologists working in disparate systems and models. Expert talks in plenary sessions will encompass the latest advances in critical areas of viral immunity. Workshops and additional presentations will cover provocative and cutting-edge results from attendees. The overall meeting objective is to accelerate progress in understanding and manipulating anti-viral immunity to improve human health.