DC2026: 18th International Symposium on Dendritic Cells

About This Grant

SUMMARY The 18th International Symposium on Dendritic Cells (DC2026) will be held October 11-14, 2026, at the Kona Kai Resort in San Diego, California. Founded in 1990 by Nobel Laureate Dr. Ralph Steinman, this biennial symposium is the premier international meeting dedicated to dendritic cell (DC) biology and its roles in health and disease. For more than three decades, this conference has served as the central forum for presenting breakthroughs in innate and adaptive immunity, host-pathogen interactions, immune regulation, inflammation, vaccine development, and translational immunology. DC2026 will also mark the 15-year anniversary of Dr. Steinman’s Nobel Prize, providing a milestone opportunity to assess progress, define emerging challenges, and chart future scientific directions. DC2026 will convene approximately 350-400 investigators across immunology, infectious diseases, virology, bacteriology, cancer immunotherapy, mucosal and tissue immunity, systems and computational immunology, and clinical translation. The program will include an Inaugural Keynote, a Closing Keynote, a Ralph Steinman Legacy Symposium, a Translational Immunology Symposium, and five thematic plenary sessions highlighting advances in DC development, tissue specialization, innate sensing, antigen presentation, antimicrobial immunity, tolerance and autoimmunity, tumor immunity, and emerging immunological technologies. The meeting will also feature four parallel thematic symposia, 26 abstract-selected short talks, 10 Flash Poster Spotlight presentations, and two poster sessions with more than 150 presentations. Early-career investigators will constitute at least 60% of all oral presentations, ensuring strong representation of rising leaders in the field. A central mission of DC2026 is to foster trainee development and support the next generation of immunologists. Dedicated activities will include trainee oral and flash presentations, two afternoon poster sessions, a “Meet the Editors” career-development discussion, structured mentorship opportunities, and trainee travel awards selected through blinded review. The meeting will also provide extensive opportunities for informal scientific exchange and collaboration through structured networking and extended discussion periods integrated into the program. DC2026 is committed to cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for all participants and will adhere to all NIH requirements for accessibility accommodations, safety policies, and code-of-conduct procedures. By bringing together diverse experts and trainees to share cutting-edge, unpublished discoveries, DC2026 will accelerate scientific progress, stimulate new collaborations, and advance fundamental and translational understanding of DC biology directly aligned with NIAID’s mission to improve human health by strengthening immunity, host defense, and immune regulation.