EFIS Highlights: Season's Greetings and Community News

As 2025 comes to a close, we are delighted to share recent highlights and upcoming plans within our community.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of EFIS, and at the center of the celebrations was a truly special milestone: the presentation of the inaugural EFIS Lifetime Achievement Award, created to commemorate this anniversary. The award was conferred upon Professor Klaus Rajewsky during a dedicated session at the 19th International Congress of Immunology in Vienna, Austria, this past August. A video with highlights from the ceremony—including Professor Rajewsky’s full presentation—is available on our webpage.

Looking ahead, EFIS will host its 3rd Strategic Retreat in Spring 2026, offering an important opportunity for our community to reflect, exchange ideas, and collaborate on how EFIS can continue to best support European immunology—particularly in light of the evolving challenges facing science today.

In this newsletter, you will also find the announcement of the EJI–Ita Askonas Awardee, updates from our member societies, very exciting news from yEFIS, as well as updates from several EFIS–IL Study Groups.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish our entire immunology community a joyful holiday season and a healthy, inspiring start to the new year.

Warm Season’s Greetings,
Your EFIS Team

The Deadline for Applications for the 2026 ACTERIA Doctoral Thesis Prizes is approaching!

The ACTERIA Doctoral Thesis Prizes, awarded by EFIS, honor the best doctoral theses in immunology and allergology defended at European institutions within the past three years. Winners receive a €30,000 cash award, plus the possibility of up to €50,000/year for three years to fund a research project at a European institution. Application deadline: 31 December 2025. Apply here.

Anna Obenauf receives the 2025 EJI Ita Askonas Prize

Following the recommendation of the EFIS Gender & Diversity Task Force, EFIS is pleased to award Anna Christina Obenauf from the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna with the 2025 EJI Ita Askonas Prize.

Dr. Obenauf's prize will first be recognized at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Austrian Society for Allergology and Immunology (ÖGAI) and then formally conferred during a dedicated awards ceremony at the Eighth European Congress of Immunology (ECI 2027) where she and 2026 and 2027 prize winners will be invited to present their research.

EFIS Task Force News

yEFIS Website is Officially Live!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our newly developed website https://www.yefis.org/
Visit us to explore our activities, our task force members and the young national societies!
We invite you to learn more about the yEFIS network and connect with us.

EFIS Society News

The Immune Alliance - a German-Japanese Cooperation in Immunology Lecture on Dec 17, 2025 | Zoom

We welcome you to the next Immune Alliance Seminar on Dec 17, 2025, 9 am (in Germany) / 5 pm (in Japan), via zoom with Prof. Dr. Elvira Mass (University of Bonn, Germany) and Prof. Dr. Shohei Hori (The University of Tokyo, Japan). Everyone is welcome to join. Registration is free.

Meeting of the Study Group Vaccines - January 14-16,2026 in Braunschweig

With a focus on the scientifically and publicly highly relevant topics of vaccine development and deployment, the meeting will provide a stimulating platform for presenting exciting updates in the field of basic and applied vaccine research. It will facilitate and promote professional exchange and networking between scientists coming from academia, regulatory bodies, and industry. Abstract submission is closed. Registration without abstract is still possible until Dec 31, 2025.

Meeting of the Study Group Dendritic Cells - February 4-6,2026 in Waischenfeld

The deadline for registration has been extended until December 19, 2026. The AKDC focusses on all aspects of antigen-presenting cell biology in health and disease, including ontogeny and characterization of DC and mononuclear phagocytes, pathogenic triggers, immunomodulation, maintenance of tolerance, and vaccine development. The main goal of the annual meeting is to foster collaborations and, in particular, to give young scientists (MD/PhD students and postdocs) the opportunity to present their (unpublished) work in a confidential setting.

AK Biology of B Lymphocytes - The B-Cell Forum 2026 in Königswinter - March 4th to 6th, 2026

The main objective of the “Biology of B Lymphocytes” working group is to establish a network to better coordinate B cell research at the national level and to further consolidate and expand the excellent international reputation of German B cell immunologists. An important instrument of the “Biology of B Lymphocytes” working group is the B Cell Forum, which serves as a platform for the presentation of new groups and projects and for the discussion of current topics in the field of humoral immunity. Register now until Jan 6, 2026!

AK Infection Immunology - Rothenfels Meeting - 16. – 18. March 2026

The aim of the specialist group is to promote discussion and cooperation between groups interested in the molecular structure, organisation and interaction of the individual components of the immune system and their influence on infections. In addition to anthroponoses, the specialist group focuses intensively on zoonoses, as these account for a large proportion of newly emerging infectious diseases. The specialist group provides a platform for infection immunologists who work on various aspects of the immune response (e.g. innate vs. acquired immunity) to different infectious agents (bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses) in preclinical and clinical studies. Register now until Jan 9, 2026!

AK Complement System – Meeting 2026 at Tutzing Castle near Munich March 18- 20, 2026

The main objective of the Complement System Working Group is to further expand existing links and collaborations between individual complement researchers and to establish new collaborations. A medium-term goal is to network and strengthen complement research in Germany, which is already at a high international level in some areas, in such a way that national and international research networks emerge that are visible beyond national borders and can assume an international leadership role in the long term. In particular, young scientists active in the working group are to be involved in this process. Register now until Jan 15, 2026!

Translational Immunology School - June 25-27, 2026, Kongresshotel Potsdam

The Translational Immunology Schools (TIS) up to now were great success stories with participants from both academic research as well as clinical research institutions and industry. The topics covered include developments in diagnostics, new research technologies, modern immune intervention and new immune therapeutic principles. The registration 2026 is open and attendance is limited to 50 participants.

British Society for Immunology announces new 2026-2030 strategy

The British Society for Immunology is delighted to present our new five-year strategy! There has never been a more exciting time to be an immunologist, but there has also never been a more complex ecosystem for immunology to navigate. Our strategic plan for 2026–2030 sets our direction and priorities for the next five years and has been developed with input from BSI Trustees, consultation with the Secretaries and committee members, and feedback from our 2025 membership survey.

2026 bioinformatics training for immunologists

The British Society for Immunology is pleased to offer several new dates for 2026. This comprehensive training programme equips wet-lab immunologists, biologists and other life scientists with the skills and confidence to perform their own bioinformatic data analysis, from our popular introductory course for complete beginners to more advanced topics.

SEI celebrates 50th Anniversary!

The Spanish Society for Immunology (SEI) is proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary. Founded in December 1975, just weeks after the end of the dictatorship, SEI has grown in parallel with Spain’s remarkable transformation into a modern, European nation. Over five decades, the development of Immunology in Spain has expanded across education, healthcare, and research, strengthening our integration within the European immunology community. In the coming months, SEI will host its 46th Annual Congress in the historic and beautiful city of Córdoba. We warmly invite all colleagues to join us in celebrating this milestone anniversary.

EFIS on Tour Symposium Hosted for the First Time in Romania

On November 14th, the “Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology and the Romanian Society of Immunology (SIR) hosted the first EFIS on Tour Symposium in Romania. The event gathered over 60 participants from immunology-focused research centres and featured leading European immunologists presenting recent advances in the field. Discussions are expected to lead to future collaborations. The event also helped strengthen the yEFIS initiative and encouraged the involvement of Romanian young immunologists (yRSI). Participants also learned about opportunities offered by EFIS, including bursaries, prizes, and training stages in European immunology institutes. This visit by the EFIS board is expected to further support the development of immunology research in Romania.

Hungarian Society for Immunology: remembering the past, looking to the future

A festive event commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of János Gergely (1925-2008), the founder of modern immunology in Hungary, who established the country’s first independent Department of Immunology at ELTE University in 1973. He actively supported the integration of Hungarian scientists into EFIS, of which he served as president between 1983-1986. In the 1970s, he launched the internationally renowned Signals and Signal Transduction in the Immune System conference series under the umbrella of EFIS.

The University of Szeged inaugurated the Host-Pathogen Interaction Center. This center of excellence was established with the professional mentorship and generous financial donation of 2023 Nobel Laureate Katalin Karikó, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary research. https://u-szeged.hu/news-and-events/2025/advancing-biomedical

27th National Meeting of the Turkish Society for Immunology

The Turkish Society of Immunology is pleased to announce the 27th National Immunology Congress, to be held 26–29 April 2026 in Bursa, a city known for its cultural heritage and vibrant scientific environment. The congress will host leading national and international speakers presenting the latest advances and translational approaches across all fields of immunology. Held at the Prof. Dr. M. Mete Cengiz Congress & Cultural Center in Uludag University, the meeting aims to provide a rich platform for scientific exchange and collaboration while creating the opportunity for 2026 Day of Immunology Celebrations.

EFIS-IL Study Groups News

MAIN Study Group kicks-off!

The Mucosal Airway Immunity Network (MAIN) Study Group had its in-person kick-off meeting on November 12^th in Leiden. We came together with 28 researchers from 12 different institutions and 8 European countries. Most of the day was reserved for presentations of the various groups involved in the study group, showcasing the diversity and impressive complementary work that is covered within the study group. In the afternoon, future plans for the study group were discussed including a position paper/review from the study group, the creation of special issue of immunology letters, potential future collaboration and joint grant applications, a mentoring scheme and the creation of a bimonthly online meeting, organized by early career researchers. After a full day of science and discussions the day was concluded with dinner in the center of Leiden.

Online Immunology Lecture Series

The EFIS/Immunology Letters study group “T-cell Connect Europe” (TCCE) is organizing an Online Immunology Lecture series focusing on T-cell biology. The series was initiated in September 2020 in response to the Corona virus pandemic to facilitate exchange among European T-cell immunologists. These monthly talks (Zoom) always take place on the 1st Tuesday of each month. Two speakers, each having 25 minutes for the presentation followed by a 5-10 minutes discussion.If you interested to listen to the lectures, please visit our website and register.

iiSIAR Symposium at SLB 2025

The iiSIAR-Heel symposium at the SLB meeting in Vancouver was a great success. The symposium,“Immunomodulatory Ligands in Myeloid Inflammation and Autoimmunity”, drew a strong early-morning audience and prompted lively discussions. Participants showed clear enthusiasm for iiSIAR’s mission and ySG activities, and the presentations were warmly received. It was wonderful to see our community so well represented on the international stage!

Mark your calendars: iiSIAR Forum 2026 in Vilnius

Registration is now open for the 3rd iiSIAR Forum which will take place May 11–13, 2026, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Vilnius, Lithuania. Hosted by the Lithuanian Society of Immunology and Vilnius University, forum's program will feature oral presentation from keynote speakers and submitted abstracts welcoming both senior and Junior researchers. Speakers from the Society for Leukocyte Biology, Inflammation Research Association, and Eicosanoid Research Foundation will participate. EFIS-EJI offers travel fellowships of up to €300. Register and submit abstracts: iiSIAR 2026

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