EFIS Marks Milestone at IUIS 2025 with Celebratory Events and Scientific Highlights
The 19th International Congress of Immunology (IUIS 2025) concluded with resounding success, bringing together leading minds in the field from around the world. The European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS) played a central role in this year’s congress, commemorating the 50th anniversary of its founding through a rich program of events and activities.
The centerpiece of these celebrations was the EFIS Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony, honoring Professor Klaus Rajewsky. Following the conferral of his award, Professor Rajewsky delivered an inspiring lecture that traced his remarkable journey and pioneering contributions to immunology. The lecture hall was filled with colleagues, collaborators, former students, and young scientists alike, who gave him a prolonged standing ovation. The emotional and uplifting ceremony was followed by a celebratory reception, where many attendees seized the opportunity to personally congratulate Professor Rajewsky.
Klaus Rajewsky and Bojan Polic
Federica Sallusto, Bojan Polic, Klaus Rajewsky, Gunnur Deniz and Carsten Watzl
Klaus Rajewsky
Another major highlight was the EFIS Guest Symposium, which this year focused on the rapidly evolving field of innate immunity. Esteemed European experts Chiara Romagnani, Jenny Mjösberg, and Bruno Silva Santos delivered insightful presentations that sparked lively discussion and engagement from the audience.
Chiara Romagnani
Audience from the symposium
Jenny Mjösberg
Bruno Silva Santos
Bojan Polic and Gunnur Deniz
The congress also hosted the ACTERIA–EFIS 2025 Early Career Research Prizes Award Ceremony, celebrating outstanding young investigators. Laureates Jan Dobeš and Paul Engeroff, together with ACTERIA alumnus Nicolas Gaudenzio, presented their innovative research to a highly engaged audience.
Bojan Polic, Anne Hosmalin, Jan Dobes, Ilja Stritz
Federica Sallusto, Paul Engeroff, Bojan Polic, Anne Hosmalin
Throughout the congress, the EFIS booth served as a vibrant hub of networking and community-building. EFIS members, yEFIS representatives, and colleagues from the European Journal of Immunology gathered regularly during coffee breaks, making the booth a lively meeting point. To further engage participants, yEFIS—together with the EFIS Diversity Task Force—promoted the ongoing “Immunology Insights Survey.” The congress provided an excellent opportunity to boost participation, and those who completed the survey were entered into a raffle, with lucky winners receiving science themed sweatshirts and other goodies.
Colleagues from ÖGAI
Colleagues from TSI
EJI Get-together
Colleagues from SPI
EFIS Team with booth visitors
Lucky Raffle Winners
EFIS also contributed to the scientific program with two well-attended satellite meetings. The EFIS–IL B Cell Network Study Group meeting drew strong interest from the B cell biology community, while the EFIS Education Task Force used its gathering to launch an ambitious new roadmap to guide its future initiatives.
EFIS Education Task Force Meeting
With its dynamic presence at IUIS 2025, EFIS not only celebrated a historic milestone but also reinforced its role at the forefront of advancing immunology in Europe and beyond.
Thank you all who joined us at IUIS 2025 and stay tuned for upcoming EFIS activities!
EFIS Task Force News
A yEFIS webinar for interest to the general EFIS community
Balancing caregiving and academic travel? Join Dr. Laura Pallett for "The Dual Demands of Academic Travel and Caregiving" on September 25th at 15:00 CEST, webinar hosted by the yEFIS Improving Academia working group. Registration link:https://tinyurl.com/yefis2025-ia2
NextGen Immuno Journal Club is here
NextGen Immuno Journal Club is a platform that puts the spotlight on the rising stars of immunology. In this series, first-time first authors present their own work and engage in discussions moderated by early-career scientists, with a strong commitment to diversity, visibility, and community in immunological research. Hosted by the EFIS Gender and Diversity Task Force, the yEFIS Equity and Diversity Working Group and yEFIS Immune Collaborators. Are you interested in presenting your published work to a broad network of immunologists? Or do you wish to moderate an online JC? Apply here.
Share your experiences in immunology!
15–20 min. online survey – part of a large-scale, collaborative project among members of EFISGender and Diversity Task Force, yEFIS & University of Exeter. This is an important time for getting a clear picture of what's happening in our field, so please share your insights.
More info is provided at the beginning of the survey.
Excellent! The DGfI awards six scientific prizes 2025
During the DGfI satellite symposium Highlights of German Immunology in Vienna on August 18, (IUIS 2025 - 19th International Congress of Immunology), the DGfI conferred six scientific awards 2025. The DGfI Career Prizes 2025 were awarded to Dr. Ali M. Afzali, Dr. Camilo Faust Akl, Dr. Julia Esser-von Bieren, Prof. Dr. med. Kaan Boztug and Prof. Dr. med. Evelyn Ullrich. Dr. Philippa Meiser and Dr. Adam Wahida received the DGfI Thesis Prizes 2025.
Further information about the prize winners and prizes (in German only):
Rebecca Kutscherauer (née. Massanetz) from DGfI-YIs conducted interviews with the prize winners. The full articles are in the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology (EJI) - very inspiring! The answers address questions such as: What drives your curiosity and passion for immunology? How do you deal with failure or setbacks in your research? Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self as a scientist?
Save the date: Annual Meeting of the DGfI, Sept 15-18, 2026 in Munich
The Congress of the German Society for Immunology, taking place in September 2026 in Munich/Germany, brings together scientists and clinicians interested in better understanding the overarching principles that apply to immunity to infection, immuno-oncology, immunotherapy, autoimmunity, and transplantation and that determine organ-specific protective and pathological immune responses. More information, see https://www.immunology-conference.de/
In 2025, the Spanish Society of Immunology (SEI) co-organized the European Phagocyte Workshop, and held its 45th National Congress in Santander, coinciding with its 50th anniversary, which gathered 600 experts and strengthened international collaboration. The VIII School of Immunology and Immunotherapy also took place, addressing basic immunology, vaccines, novel therapies, and diagnostics. SEI also offered its collaboration to the Ministry of Health and the regions to enhance the national vaccination strategy with a multidisciplinary perspective.
XV Georgian Anniversary Congress on Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, organized by GAACI, will be held between the dates of May 4-7, 2026 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
EFIS - IL Study Groups News
The first in-person meeting of the Innate Lymphoid Cells Collaborative Network (ILCollnet) was held on April 25, 2025, at the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” in Belgrade, Serbia. Researchers from across Europe shared insights on ILC phenotypic markers, isolation protocols, and applications in organoid models. This effort to standardize ILC research will be supported by the COST grant CA24117 - the European quest for innovative cancer prognosis and immunotherapy (ILCquest), launching November 1, 2025.
IUIS 2025 Congress: Just a few days to go! Join EFIS at IUIS 2025 in Vienna EFIS is proud to play an active role marking its 50th anniversary at IUIS 2025, taking place in Vienna, Austria from August 17 to 22, 2025. Join us as we celebrate five decades of supporting immunological research and collaboration across Europe and beyond. As part of the scientific program, EFIS will host a guest symposium titled "Immunity Mediated by Innate Lymphocytes" on Wednesday, August 20 at 13:45 in Hall N....
IUIS 2025 Congress: Just a week to go! Join EFIS at IUIS 2025 in Vienna EFIS is proud to play an active role marking its 50th anniversary at IUIS 2025, taking place in Vienna, Austria from August 17 to 22, 2025. Join us as we celebrate five decades of supporting immunological research and collaboration across Europe and beyond. As part of the scientific program, EFIS will host a guest symposium titled "Immunity Mediated by Innate Lymphocytes" on Wednesday, August 20 at 13:45 in Hall N. This...
Join Us at IUIS 2025 in Vienna The International Congress of Immunology is your chance to be at the forefront of global immunology. With over 3,000 attendees, world-class speakers, cutting-edge science, and incredible networking opportunities, it promises to be an unforgettable experience — all set in the beautiful, culture-rich city of Vienna. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the global immunology community! Scroll down to see what EFIS is planning mark its 50th anniversary with a...
