ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Translational Systems Immunology
organized by Drs. Sally John, Soumya Raychaudhuri, Michael Vincent and Mark M. Davis. The conference will
be held January 28 - February 1, 2018 in Snowbird, Utah.
Advances in large-scale data acquisition, immune phenotyping and computational biology are transforming
immunology research and allowing unprecedented insights into the networks, pathways and systems that
influence human health and disease. This meeting will cover the exciting technology advances that are
enhancing our ability to elucidate human immune function and networks as well as practical applications in
drug and biomarker discovery and patient stratification. The meeting begins with a look at progress in human
genetics and the use of sequencing to assign functional mutations to rare human immune phenotypes. The
impact of common variants on immune function requires larger sample sizes, and speakers will cover how
genome-wide high-throughput genomics in combination with detailed phenotyping and physiologically relevant
perturbations are providing foundational data sets that allow an unbiased view of immune function in cells and
tissues. Also discussed will be emerging computational and analytical methods that enable integration and
interpretation of high-content molecular data. The meeting will then move on to look at the application of these
technological advances, expanding investigation to study the immune response in tissues and organs to
enable a deeper understanding of interaction between immune and non-immune cells and their respective
roles in disease states. Critical to clinical progress is the translation of systems immunology research into novel
therapies and diagnostic or prognostic tests. Sessions themed around infectious disease and vaccine
development advances in immune-oncology and patient stratification in complex disease and treatment
response aim to provide depth from foundational science to clinical translation. Finally, a key goal is fostering
collaboration across disciplines and the development of novel ideas. The meeting will be relevant for
immunologists, computational biologists and clinicians with an interest in molecular characterization of the
immune system.