Scientific Committee on Immunology and Host Defense

Committee Roster

Chair
Asha Pillai, MD, PhD  ('26)

Vice Chair
Michael C. Milone, MD, PhD  ('26)

Appointed Members
Nasheed M. Hossain, MD  ('28)
Maksim Mamonkin, PhD  ('26)
Ishac Nazy, PhD  ('29)
Chintan Parekh, MD, MBBS  ('28)
Rebekka Katharina Schneider, MD, PhD  ('29)
Lakmali Munasinghage Silva, PhD  ('28)
Albert C. Yeh, MD  ('26)
Xue-Zhong Yu, MD, MSc  ('27)

Staff Liaison
Alice Kuaban, MS

Committee Mandate

The Immunology and Host Defense Scientific Committee is focused on the areas of hematology that deal with immune system and its responses in health and disease. We aim to better understand the biology of adaptive and innate immune cells. Thus, the focus of this committee will include:

The clinical areas:

  1. Immune response to environmental stimuli including pathogens, vaccines and sterile inflammation
  2. Development, function and persistence of innate and adaptive immune cells
  3. Tumor immunotherapy
  4. Infectious diseases
  5. Humoral and/or cellular immunodeficiency disorders (primary and secondary)
  6. Acute and chronic inflammatory disorders

The methodological aspects:

  1. Evolution and development of the immune system (in vivo and in vitro models)
  2. Differentiation and function of immune cells (in vivo and in vitro biological models of T and B lymphocytes, NK cells, dendritic cells, monocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, basophils, myeloid derived suppressor cells)
  3. Lineage specific molecular aspects (e.g. recognition receptors), transcription factors and signaling pathways critical to activation and/or suppression of the immune response
  4. Immunological mechanisms leading to promotion or suppression of tumor growth
  5. Characterization of effects of inherited genetic changes on the function of the immune system and susceptibility to infection and/or immune dysregulation (i.e. autoimmunity, inflammation)

The emerging areas:

  1. Genome-wide approaches for the study of immune responses (immunomics)
  2. Application of gene reprogramming technologies to the study of immune cells development
  3. New molecular, cellular and gene therapies of immune disorders and immune-mediated treatment approaches of cancer

There is potential overlap with:

  1. Blood Disorders in Childhood – Immunodeficiency syndromes
  2. Lymphoid Neoplasia – Lymphocyte progenitor biology
  3. Myeloid Biology and Myeloid Neoplasia – Myeloid progenitor biology
  4. Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine – Immune cell progenitor biology; Cell therapies
  5. Transplantation Biology – Immune tolerance

Thus, appropriate sessions at the annual meeting may include:

  • Studies or normal immune response in human model systems and murine models
  • Genetic causes of immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, inflammatory disorders
  • Advances in notions of tumor immunology