Month: January 2024

Mark Wilson, PhD Executive Director, Inflammation Amgen
Members on the Move

Mark Wilson formerly of Genentech is now Executive Director, Inflammation at Amgen

January 31, 2024

After enjoying 7 years at Genentech, ICIS Industry Member, Mark Wilson has moved from Genentech (Distinguished Scientist) to Amgen, (Executive Director), only a few blocks down the road in South San Francisco. Dr. Wilson, who is always open to discussing and sharing his career and experience in industry, co-chaired the following session at Cytokines 2023, and was joined by a rich array of old and new colleagues in beautiful Athens. Catch up with him at Cyokines 2024 in Seoul, Korea. [READ MORE]

Members on the Move

Congratulations to Signals+ Editorial Board Member Saurabh Chattopadhyay on his New Position

January 31, 2024

Associate Professor Chattopadhyay has moved from University of Toledo to the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. [READ MORE]

Members in the News

Congratulations to Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti 2024 AAI-Thermo Fisher Meritorious Career Award

January 31, 2024

Congratulations ICIS member and former Council Member, Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, PhD, for being awarded the 2024 AAI-Thermo Fisher Meritorious Career Award for her research identifying fundamental mechanisms and establishing new scientific paradigms connecting innate immunity, cell death, and disease. [READ MORE]

ARINJAY BANERJEE, PhD (he/him)
New Member Mini-Bios

ARINJAY BANERJEE, PhD

January 30, 2024

Research within Dr. Banerjee’s laboratory focuses on three main themes that are inspired by the One Health ideology, (1) virus-host interactions in wildlife reservoir species, such as bats, (2) virus-host interactions in spillover species, such as humans, and (3) viral vaccine development. Dr. Banerjee’s laboratory is a member of Canada’s Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network (CoVaRR-Net), and as part of this network, his laboratory investigates emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Research within Dr. Banerjee’s laboratory is funded by NIAID/NIH, CIHR, NSERC, SHRF and CoVaRR-Net. [READ MORE]

Cytokine Careers

Two Faculty positions at Aarhus University, Denmark – Molecular Medicine and/or Molecular Cell Biology

January 29, 2024

Dear Colleagues

Our department is looking for two new faculty members within the area of Molecular Medicine, as a part of a general strengthening of this area at the department. Note that Immunology and virology are focus area. Denmark offers attractive living conditions and competitive funding via large private Danish foundations (the novo Nordic foundation is now one of the worlds largest foundation and supports Danish science). [READ MORE]

New Leadership at Signals+: Dr. Di Yu and Dr. Daniella M. Schwartz Take the Helm
Society News

New Leadership at Signals+: Dr. Di Yu and Dr. Daniella M. Schwartz Take the Helm

January 27, 2024

In the ever-evolving realm of scientific communication, Signals+ has been a beacon for the International Cytokine & Interferon Society (ICIS) community since its inception in 1994. Founded by the esteemed Howard Young, the newsletter has been a source of insightful news, history and updates of cytokine discoveries, and even culinary delights to nourish the minds in laboratories worldwide. Last October, Signals+ underwent a significant transformation, transitioning to a semi-monthly publication under Howard’s guidance. Now, as Howard steps down, we are thrilled to introduce the new Co-Editors-in-Chief, Dr. Di Yu and Dr. Daniella M. Schwartz. [READ MORE]

The first Global Immunocourse, a sister initiative of Global Immunotalks, was held in IISc, Bengaluru. Global Immunotalks is an online, archived seminar series available on YouTube, featuring preeminent immunologists (www.globalimmunotalks.org).
Members in the News

ICIS Council Member Carla Rothlin Takes the Global ImmunoCourse to India

January 27, 2024

The first Global ImmunoCourse, a sister initiative of Global Immunotalks, was held in IISc, Bengaluru. Global Immunotalks is an online, archived seminar series available on YouTube, featuring preeminent immunologists (www.globalimmunotalks.org). Global ImmunoCourse is designed to introduce the fundamentals of immunology in an engaging manner and foster a global community of passionate [READ MORE]

Di Yu with Lego Surfer
Member Highlights

Member Highlight Interview with new Signals+ Co-Editor-In-Chief Di Yu

January 25, 2024

My research is dedicated to the investigation of T cell functional subsets, especially follicular helper T cells, and to develop therapeutic strategies to modulate T cell function, including cytokine-based immunotherapies. More recently, my team has been interested in “systems immunology” to understand heterogeneous T cell functional states and assess variable individual immune phenotypes.

What is the best life/career advice you’ve ever received? I like a Chinese saying. Its English translation can be read as “Knowledge is important, but the importance of the path is no less than the knowledge itself”. This is similar to the English saying “Knowledge is power, but wisdom is the right use of knowledge.” [READ MORE]

Daniella Schwartz (left) and daughters
Member Highlights

Member Highlights Interview with Signals+ Co-Editor-in-Chief Daniella Schwartz

January 24, 2024

I like to think of myself as bivalent – kind of like the COVID vaccine. A big chunk of my lab’s work focuses on the regulation of IL-9 and the functions of IL-9 in the context of autoimmune and autoinflammatory (rheumatic) diseases. But I also have a growing program studying the genetic architecture of autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions, based on rare/monogenic variants. This includes managing one of the only coordinated adult-pediatric autoinflammatory diagnosis/treatment programs in the US.  [READ MORE]