As 2023 winds to a close, there are lots of exciting events on the Cytokine Society horizon. First, plans are firming up for the 2024 ICIS meeting in Seoul, Korea, which will be held in partnership with the Korean Association of Immunologists (KAI). We are thrilled to report that one of the Keynote Lecturers will be Dr. Drew Weissman, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2023/weissman/facts). Acceptances are pouring in with over 80% positive response rate so far (click here to view confirmed speakers as of today). This is shaping up to be a fantastic conference, and kudos to Drs. You-Me Kim and Sang-Il Lee, the lead organizers.
Some of you will have noticed that we have instituted a new feature in Signals+, member news “Member Highlights.” These short and enjoyable Q&A interviews highlight the professional (and to some extent the personalities) of our members. As most are well aware, ICIS is more than just an ordinary professional organization – we are an unusually close-knit and friendly community, which is clearly reflected in these mini-biographies. We are learning about the many interesting hobbies and passions of our members (for example, rock climbing, scuba diving, cooking), as well as what books they are reading and movies/TV shows they are watching (spoiler alert, Luke O’Neill’s bio reveals key plot points of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, so be warned!).
Speaking of Signals+, we are sad to report that the founder and longtime editor of this newsletter, Dr. Howard Young (National Cancer Institute), has stepped down as its editor. His witty and insightful articles will be hard to live up to. We thank him for his unparalleled service in ICIS (and its predecessor organization, the International Society of Interferon and Cytokine Research, ISICR). We are always looking for new contributions to this publication, so if you have something you want to write about, whether it’s about a new cytokine-related scientific article that particularly strikes you, or a new resource that our community might find interesting, a clinical trial that we ought to know about, or even a story/poem/joke/essay/recipe / cartoon, please send it to joefner@cytokinesociety.org.
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Wishing everyone a happy, safe and peaceful new year.