ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Immunological Memory: Innate, Adaptive
and Beyond, organized by Drs. Rafi Ahmed, Susan M. Kaech and Joseph C. Sun. The conference will be held
February 25 – March 1, 2018 in Austin, Texas.
This symposium will primarily focus on integrating current knowledge concerning the cellular and molecular
regulation of memory T and B cell responses with their role in mediating protection against infections. In
addition to the significant impact these cell populations have on vaccination, emphasis will be placed on their
therapeutic and pathogenic roles in cancer, autoimmunity and chronic infection. The innate immune response
has a profound influence on the regulation of effector and memory T and B cell responses, and recent
discoveries in this area bring forth a greater understanding of the major signals that govern both the formation
and the long-term maintenance of these populations. These conceptual advancements will be a major part of
the symposium. Recently, it has become clear that there is marked phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of
T cell responses; how this affects immunological protection will be discussed. Finally, this symposium will
include discussion of recent advances in assessing memory T and B cell responses in a sensitive manner in
human and non-human primates, as well as murine systems, to enable better elucidation of the state of the
immune response during infection and vaccination, which will lead to more rationale vaccine design.