2026 CIMR International Symposium for Immunology was successfully held in Beijing on July 17, 2026. Co-organized by Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR), Beijing, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Beijing Key Laboratory of Autoimmune Disease Mechanism Research and Novel Drug Development, and Wiley, the symposium brought together global immunologists, clinical researchers, and industry innovators. The symposium focused on fundamental immune mechanisms and cutting-edge clinical translation, featuring in-depth discussions on key areas such as tumor immunology, autoimmune diseases, infection immunity, and novel immunotherapeutic technologies.

Approximately 400 experts and scholars attended the symposium in person. Participants represented dozens of domestic and international universities, research institutes, and affiliated hospitals, including Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changping Laboratory, Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing University, Tianjin University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University, University of Turku (Finland), Macau University of Science and Technology, and Capital Medical University. Attendees spanned multiple fields, including basic research, clinical medicine, and industrial translation. Simultaneously, the symposium was live-streamed on CIMR's WeChat Video Channel, DXY, Wiley, and KouShare academic platforms, attracting nearly 20,000 online viewers. Through multidimensional academic dialogues and high-level presentations of achievements, the symposium not only showcased the latest breakthroughs in basic research but also committed to accelerating the translation of scientific results into clinical practice, charting a course for the future development of immunology.

Dr. Shao-Cong Sun, Distinguished Investigator and Director of Chinese Institute for Immunology, CIMR, delivered the opening welcome address. On behalf of CIMR, he extended a sincere welcome to the global experts and scholars in attendance. Dr. Sun highlighted that CIMR, as a new-type R&D institution deeply integrated with Capital Medical University, leverages top-tier medical education systems and extensive clinical resources to promote the seamless connection between basic research and clinical application. As the organing committee representative and Director of Chinese Institute for Immunology, Dr. Sun introduced the core structure and research layout of the Institute. Led by eight Principal Investigators (PIs), the Institute focuses on six frontier directions: mechanisms of immune tolerance and regulation, discovery of immune modulators and drug development, tumor immunology and immunotherapy, autoimmune diseases and therapeutic strategies, infection and immunity, and neuroimmunology. Finally, Dr. Sun emphasized that CIMR always upholds an open and collaborative scientific spirit, actively building a global research cooperation network. He invited participating scholars to engage in deep exchanges and intellectual collisions to jointly explore the frontiers of life sciences.

During the symposium, renowned scientists from various countries shared their latest research findings.

Xuetao Cao (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China): Harnessing Innate Immunity to Potentiate Cancer Immunotherapy

Weiping Zou (University of Michigan, USA): Ferroptosis in tumor immunity and immunotherapy

Charles W. M. Roberts (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, USA): Chromatin, development and cancer: from mechanisms to emerging therapies

Li Tang (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland): Does Type 2 Immunity Hold the Key to Cancer Cure? A Journey from Bench to Bedside and Back

Bing Su (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China): MEKK2/3 signaling in vascular and immune function

Manolis Pasparakis (University of Cologne, Germany): Cell death and its role in inflammation

Youhai Chen (Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, China): New Cancer Immunotherapy and Al-Driven Drug Development

Talal Chatila (Harvard Medical School, USA): Molecular Programs for Regulatory T Cell Subversion in Tissue Inflammation

Sun Hur (Harvard Medical School, USA): Innate immune mechanism for self vs. non-self RNA discrimination

Florent Ginhoux (Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France): Biology of Tissue Resident Macrophages

Arthur Liesz (University Hospital LMU Munich, Germany): Immune-mediated secondary comorbidites after ischemic stroke

Heping Xu (Westlake University, China): Enteric Motor Neurons Sustain Microbiome Homeostasis for Gut Immunity

Xiaoming Zhang (Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China): Dysregulated B cell response in lupus and immune resetting following CD19/BCMA dual-targeting CAR-T therapy

Xu Tan (Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, China): The making of YFV-17D: one of the most successful vaccines

Xiangjun Chen (Westlake University, China): An Immunometabolic Brake on B Cells: A Checkpoint Safeguarding Against Autoimmunity

The symposium featured a dedicated poster presentation session, which attracted enthusiastic participation from researchers at numerous universities, medical institutions, and research institutes. A total of 38 posters were displayed, showcasing cutting-edge scientific achievements from both domestic and international sources. All posters underwent anonymous review by invited experts, resulting in the selection of eight award winners.

At the closing ceremony, Professor Lin Mei , Distinguished Investigator & Director of CIMR and Chair Professor at Capital Medical University, delivered the closing remarks. On behalf of CIMR, he expressed gratitude to all speakers, attendees, and the organizing committee, and congratulated everyone on the successful conclusion of the conference. Professor Mei highlighted that the event brought together leading scholars from China, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States, as well as peers from various cities across China and participants from Finland and Russia who contributed to the poster presentations. He further noted that despite being established less than three years ago, CIMR has grown into a highly internationalized research institution, comprising seven research institutes, with six non-Chinese PIs and trainees and staff coming from more than 11 countries or regions. Finally, Professor Mei wished all attendees a pleasant stay in Beijing and a safe travel back, encouraging them to integrate the new insights gained from the conference into their own research endeavors.