2026 Immunometabolism in Health and Disease Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar - PROJECT SUMMARY The 2026 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Immunometabolism in Health and Disease will take place from June 13–19, 2026, at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. This will be the third GRC dedicated to the rapidly evolving field of immunometabolism, a cutting-edge, emerging field in immunology which explores how cellular metabolism intersects with immune function in both health and disease. Metabolism has emerged as both a key mechanistic driver and therapeutic target in immune-mediated conditions including infection, allergy, autoimmunity, cancer, obesity, and atherosclerosis. The recognition that nutrient and bioenergetic pathways are reprogrammed during immune responses and repurposed to shape immune function has transformed the field and underscored the need for high-level scientific exchange. The Immunometabolism GRC provides an international forum for the presentation of cutting-edge, unpublished research, with a strong emphasis on extended discussion and informal interactions that foster collaboration across career stages. The conference will examine how nutrient availability, tissue microenvironments, and systemic signals influence immune cell function, bridging fundamental discovery with translational insights into immunotherapy, metabolic disease, infection, and inflammation. The five-day meeting will begin with a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) organized by and focused on trainees and early-stage investigators, featuring scientific presentations and career development opportunities. The main GRC program will include nine oral sessions designed to promote dialogue among established and emerging leaders in the field of immunometabolism, with each session featuring invited speakers and short talks selected from submitted abstracts. The planned sessions are as follows: Session 1 – Foundational Pathways in Immune Cell Metabolism. Session 2 – Nutrient Utilization and Immune Cell Specialization. Session 3 – Lipid Metabolism and Immune Modulation. Session 4 – Obesity, Nutritional Cues, and Immune Regulation. Session 5 – Adaptive Immunity and Tumor Metabolism. Session 6 – Myeloid Cell Metabolism and Inflammation. Session 7 – Aging, Immunosenescence, and Cognitive Decline. Session 8 – ER Stress, Inflammatory Signaling, and Systemic Disease. Session 9 – Host-Pathogen and Environmental Interactions. Additional poster sessions, communal meals, and unstructured afternoon time will provide rich opportunities for informal networking and mentorship. The Specific Aims of the conference are to present novel science, discuss unresolved questions, identify and prioritize unmet needs, stimulate new collaborations, and provide a welcoming platform for early-career investigators to share their work and engage with the broader community. The meeting will be Chaired by Dr. Nancie MacIver, with Vice Chairs Drs. Barbara Nikolajczyk and Russell Jones. Altogether, the 2026 Immunometabolism GRC will advance the frontiers of immunology and metabolism while fostering new connections and research directions that will ultimately improve human health.
