IMMUNOLOGY2025™

May 3–7, 2025 | Honolulu, Hawai’i, USA

Career Development Sessions

Sunday, May 4 | 11:45 – 13:45 | Ballroom A

Career Roundtables and Speed Networking Session (ticketed event)

Sponsored by the AAI Minority Affairs Committee

Career building and networking skills have never been more crucial to ensure success for trainees and early career scientists, including those traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research. At the session, while enjoying lunch, take advantage of the opportunity to meet in small-group format with established immunologists and others to hear how they have handled the career challenges you now face and learn what they believe will work for you today. Then practice networking in a relaxed environment offering a structured networking exercise and personalized feedback on communicating your scientific interests/objectives most effectively. Scientists and trainees of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend! 

Chair:

  • Beth Tamburini, Univ. of Colorado Sch. of Med. USA, AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair

Table Topics: Grad Student: Finding a Mentor, Setting Sights on Postdoc Training; Navigating Challenges Unique to International Grad Students and Postdocs; The Physician-Scientist Career Path; Postdoc: Finding a Mentor, Setting Sights on a Faculty Position; Junior Faculty: Preparing for Promotion and Tenure; Academia or Industry: How to Decide (or Switch Sides); Government Agency Careers (including Grant Review); Beyond the Bench Science Careers: Entrepreneurship; Nonprofits/Foundations; Science Consulting; Science Policy; Scientific Patent Law/Technology Transfer; and Scientific Publishing/Science Writing

Monday, May 5 | 7:00 – 9:00 | Room 316B

Immunology Teaching Interest Group: Enhancing Your Immunology Teaching

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee

Are you looking for new ideas or strategies to enliven and improve your teaching? If so, please join us for this special interest group which will focus on strategies that instructors can use to successfully convey immunology concepts to students at the undergraduate and graduate level. The session will explore teaching strategies through talks and structured breakout discussion groups. Current educators, new faculty, and trainees with an interest in teaching are welcome.

Chairs:

  • Melanie R. Gubbels Bupp, Randolph-Macon Col., USA
  • Jasty Singh, Univ. of Toronto, CAN

Speakers:

  • Nicholas A. Pullen, Univ. of Northern Colorado, USA, Establishing AAI-recommended immunology content guidelines for medical education in the USA
  • Matthew Woolard, Louisiana State Univ. Hlth. Sci. Ctr, USA, Using AI software to enhance games to teach immunology to medical students
  • Elizabeth Delery, Marian Univ. Wood Col. of Osteopathic Med., USA, Tools for teaching immunology: using DrawItToKnowIt in graduate and medical education
  • John K. Cusick, California Northstate Univ., USA,Using popular media to introduce immunology to students
  • Jennifer Manilay, Univ. of California, Merced, USA, Innovative approaches in teaching developmental immunology: integrating inclusive practices, group work, and AI tools

Breakout Session Leaders:

  • Amanda M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Southern California, USA, Stay CALM and research on: teaching human subjects and laboratory research to undergraduates through fully independent projects
  • Maurizio Costabile, Univ. of Southern Australia, AUS, Simulations as a tool for advancing undergraduate immunology student laboratory education
  • Edith Porter, California State University, Los Angeles, USA, Integrating AI Tools to Enhance Immunology Learning and Preparing Students for Their Careers  
  • Shannon Z. Jones, Univ. of Richmond, USA, Immunology education fueled by social justice: Asthma Alley

Monday, May 5 | 9:15 – 10:30 | Room 316B

Unlocking the Future of Medical Immunology: Revealing and Refining Learning Objectives

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee

The AAI Medical Immunology Curriculum Task Force was established to develop recommendations for the immunology content taught in U.S. medical schools. The primary audience for this effort is the medical education community, with downstream effects on medical students throughout their pre-clinical and clinical training. This effort is driven by iterative, grassroots surveys of medical immunology educators. As of April 2024, faculty from all U.S. medical schools (both M.D. and D.O. programs) were invited to participate in the initial research survey. Approximately 30% of the invited participants responded, with 25% from D.O. programs and 75% from M.D. programs, which reflects the population distribution of these schools. This session will follow presentation of our initial findings, including the core content identified by the participating faculty, along with various demographic and opinion-based metrics, at the Immunology Teaching Interest Group. Based on these initial findings, the Task Force developed specific learning objectives (LOs) for each core area of content. A secondary survey focused on the refinement of the LOs will be distributed nationwide for feedback. During this session, we will present the LOs and solicit input from the audience to collaboratively advance this educational endeavor.

Chairs:

  • Nicholas A. Pullen, Univ. of Northern Colorado, USA, AAI Education Committee Chair
  • Aimee Pugh-Bernard, Univ. of Colorado Anschutz Med. Campus, USA

Monday, May 5 | 11:45 – 14:15 | Ballroom A

Careers in Science Lecture and Roundtables (ticketed event)

Sponsored by AAI Committee on the Status of Women

At this popular session, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with experienced scientists to explore specific career issues important to today’s scientists. Gain insights into issues you are confronting in your own career. Topics include international opportunities in science, succeeding in graduate school, tips on grant writing, considerations for scientists in M.D.-Ph.D. careers, and exciting careers beyond the bench. Topics include building productive mentor/mentee relationships; overcoming self-doubt; and tackling gender biases in recruitment, research, and leadership; and navigating work/life issues, such as balancing careers with family and transitioning from specific career stages, which may be relevant to any work environment (academic research, biotech industry, governmental agencies, nonprofit). Don’t miss this great opportunity! 

Chair:

  • Louise D’Cruz, Associate Director, Scientific Affairs, BD

Table Topics: New PI (mentoring effectively, recruiting students and postdocs, preparing for promotion, early career self-promotion); Succeeding in Graduate School; Graduate Student to Postdoc; Postdoc to PI; Work/Life Balance; Building Networking Skills; Biotech and Industry; Careers in Science Policy; Grant Writing for PIs; Grant Writing for Fellowships; Research from the M.D., Ph.D. Perspective/The Physician Scientist; Careers in Veterinary Immunology; International Opportunities; How to Build Productive Mentor/Mentee Relationships; Balancing Teaching Responsibilities with Research; Opportunities for Teaching and Research/ predominantly undergraduate institutions; How to Negotiate for Better Self-Promotion; Challenges for Women Mentors and PIs; Academia versus Industry; Tackling Gender Biases in Recruitment, Research, and Leadership; Careers in Government Agencies; Scientific Publishing; and Opportunities for Scientists in Non-profits/Foundations

Sunday, May 4 | 8:00 – 9:00 | Room 316B

How to Have a Successful Postdoctoral Experience

A postdoctoral fellowship is the time to develop research skills you will need to succeed as an independent scientist. It is, however, just as important to realize that you need to prepare for a career path at the same time. This session will highlight ways of getting the most out of your postdoctoral fellowship, relating successfully with your mentor, and understanding how to use the resources available to you to ensure that your training prepares you adequately for a seamless transition into the next phase of your career

Speaker:

  • Vipul Sharma, Univ. of Chicago, USA

Sunday, May 4 | 9:30 – 10:30 | Room 316B

How to Convert Your CV into a Résumé

For anyone seeking a job outside of academe, how you present yourself on paper is critical. A well-prepared résumé can make all the difference in securing that interview. The focus of this session will be on the important elements of a résumé, the differences between a résumé and the standard academic curriculum vitae, and the information needed to make a good impression. In this special career development session, attendees will be instructed in how to transform their CVs into professional résumés. Small breakout sessions for individual consulting will follow. Bring your CV!

Speaker:

  • Derek J. Haseltine, Hertz Fndn., USA

Sunday, May 4 | 11:45 – 14:15 | Room 322A

How to Convert Your CV into a Résumé: Individual Consulting

Coaches:

  • Derek J. Haseltine, Hertz Fndn., USA
  • Vipul Sharma, Univ. of Chicago, USA

Monday, May 5 | 9:30 – 10:30 | Room 317AB

Interviewing for a Job

This session will be focused on tips and techniques to help you successfully navigate the interview process. Emphasis will be on how you can present yourself in the best possible light. You will also learn how to respond to unexpected questions. This session is open to anyone but is especially intended for student and postdoctoral attendees.

Speaker:

  • Derek J. Haseltine, Hertz Fndn., USA

Tuesday, May 6 | 8:30 – 10:30 | Ballroom A

Careers in Biotech: Panel Discussion and Networking (ticketed event)

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee

Many opportunities exist in industry for scientists with advanced degrees. There are positions in laboratory research, program management, business development, regulatory affairs, clinical trials oversight, medical liaison, and more. This panel features scientists employed in a variety of positions in industry discussing their career paths and the skills required for success in each. Following the panel discussion, enjoy casual conversation with the speakers and other scientists from industry at a networking reception.

Chair:

  • Kiyomi Komori, Uniquity Bio, USA

Panelists: 

  • Hemant Joshi, Senior Scientist, Amgen
  • Alan Maderazo, Vice President, Regulatory and Clinical Affairs, GenMark Diagnostics, USA 
  • Deborah Nguyen, Operating Partner, Red Tree Venture Labs, USA 
  • Katiria Soto Diaz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Genentech, USA

Tuesday, May 6 | 11:45 – 13:15 | Ballroom A

Sip and Learn: Networking with Immunology Educators (ticketed event)

Sponsored by the AAI Education Committee and ImmunoHorizons

Network with immunology educators at IMMUNOLOGY2025™. This session, sponsored by the AAI Education Committee and AAI’s open access journal, ImmunoHorizons, provides the opportunity to network and learn about immunology teaching careers and strategies. In this two-part session, registrants will join table leaders to discuss immunology education from different perspectives and then have the opportunity to network in a more relaxed format.

Chair:

  • Nicholas A. Pullen, Univ. of Northern Colorado, USA, AAI Education Committee Chair

Speaker: 

  • Bonnie N. Dittel, Editor-in-Chief, ImmunoHorizons