This past October 2023, the IMP community gathered once more to bond and share ideas at the annual scientific retreat - this time at a new, beautiful location in Vernon, New Jersey. Nestled among the autumnal foliage at the edge of the Appalachian Mountains, Crystal Springs Resort provided the amenities and ample space for over 230 students, post-docs, and faculty to listen to a spectrum of excellent talks, engage in lively discussions, and connect with future collaborators.
A strength of the IMP community is the multi-institutional network, and this program-wide retreat provided a platform for scientists from Weill Cornell, Cornell Ithaca, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Hospital for Special Surgery to present their work and get a sense of the breadth and depth of the research being conducted across these campuses. This year proved to be another jam-packed session of fascinating talks, ranging from regulation of immune responses epigenetically, spatiotemporally, and clinically; delving into all immune cells including pDCs, ILCs, phagocytes, and NK cells; examining a multitude of inflammatory and pathogen-driven diseases such as IBD, SLE, HIV, and malaria. There was no shortage of thought-provoking data and stimulating audience Q&A discussions.
During the afternoon break, IMP members enjoyed connecting outside of science through a variety of activities including hiking, swimming, soccer, farm animal visits, giant Jenga, and more! With a refreshed mindset, IMP reconvened for the evening session which commenced with the keynote speaker, our very own Dr. Sabine Ehrt! She captured us with 3 different stories, each focusing on a different aspect of M. tuberculosis genetics that has the potential to treat or prevent this globally infectious disease. Afterwards, an energetic “blitz”-style poster presentation took place of the traditional 3-Minute-Thesis, during which trainees gave rapid-fire and humorous 1-minute overviews of their project to advertise their poster in the following session.
The lively poster session paved the way for the social activities for the night, leading into dinner and dancing. This year brought back the traditional 1st-year student karaoke round, which then inspired other cohorts and labs to partake. The animated evening was a great reminder of what a wonderful, close-knit community IMP has created. The next morning, the retreat closed out with more brilliant talks followed by awards based on student and faculty votes. We returned home tired and inspired, and are already looking forward to next year’s retreat!
Keynote
Applying bacterial genetics to understand, treat and prevent tuberculosis
Sabine Ehrt, PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Co-Chair of the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program
IMP Awardees
Joseph Gladstone, Sonnenberg Lab
Amanda Chen, Diehl Lab
Shireen Khyat, Glickman Lab
Adriana Mujal, Sun Lab
Simon Grassman, Sun Lab
Katherine Sanidad, Zeng Lab
Tiago Zilch, Fowell Lab
Noemi Linden, Jones Lab
Oluwafemi Francis Adu, Parrish Lab
Greana Kirubakar, Russel Lab
Anthony Michaels, Rudensky lab
Louise Leyre, Jones Lab
Benjamin Winer, Huse Lab
Rebecca Delconte, Sun Lab