The purpose of this international conference is to present current developments in human and translational immunology in a setting that fosters discussion and networking. The international conference will bring together leading scientists from all over the world in a meeting with no more than 100 participants to maximize scientific exchange.

Despite dramatic progress in prevention and treatment of HIV, the pandemic continues, and two million people are newly infected each year. Thus, the need for a preventive vaccine for HIV is as urgent as ever. Intensive research in basic immunology and virology as well as empirical clinical trial data continues to yield insights that inform vaccine efforts.

For many years, the only way that scientists could study cells was at the population level, averaging together many types of cells. While averaging is a useful measure, it’s inexact. This is why experimental biologists, computer scientists, and physicists have created a powerful new suite of genomic tools that can accomplish what averaging can’t — reveal the inner life of specific cells. Using “single-cell analysis,” scientists can understand which genes are turned on and off in individual cells, and even determine how this relates to diseases such as cancer.

The Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was established to facilitate research in vaccine development. The VRC is dedicated to improving global human health through the rigorous pursuit of effective vaccines for human diseases. Established by former President Bill Clinton as part of an initiative to develop an AIDS vaccine, the VRC is a unique venture within the NIH intramural research program.