ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Neuroimmune Interactions: Nervous System
and Immune Cell Heterogeneity in Health and Disease, organized by Drs. Nicola Allen, Anna Victoria Molofsky
and Francisco Quintana. The conference will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico from June 3-6, 2024.
Interactions between the nervous system and the immune system are increasingly recognized as being essential
to health throughout the human lifespan and are known contributors to dysfunction in neurological disorders.
This Keystone Symposia conference explores emerging topics in neuroscience, immunology and
neuroimmunology to present the latest cutting-edge research across these increasingly connected disciplines.
Technological advancements are defining the heterogeneity of immune cells and their targets in the central
nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), as well as across states, so this conference
program was designed to explore these intersections. Additional sessions will explore how this heterogeneity
impacts both organismal health and behavior, as well as the function of the immune system itself. Other topics
included on the program will focus on neuroimmune interactions in disease; impact of pathogens on brain
function; immune regulation of behavior; glial interactions in neuroimmune signaling; brain-periphery
interactions; and microglia function. Finally, this conference on Neuroimmune Interactions will be paired with
another Keystone Symposia conference on Neurodegenerative Diseases, which will be held jointly at the same
location and with overlapping programming. This topical pairing is ideal due to the strong involvement of immune
pathways in multiple neurodegenerative disorders and the joint meeting format will enable attendees to learn
about the latest research in both fields, through attendance of joint sessions and informal interactions at meals,
poster sessions and conference activities.
