EFIS Congress 2026
Sex Differences in Immunity

8–9 October 2026

For questions, contact: efisconference-hamburg@uke.de

About the Congress

The EFIS Congress: Sex Differences in Immunity will take place on 8-9 October 2026 at the Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) located at the Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld in Hamburg, Germany.

Co-organized by the Research Unit 5068 Sex differences in immunology and supported by European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS), the congress will bring together international experts to explore how sex and gender shape immune responses in health and disease.

Biological sex is a fundamental determinant of immune responses, influencing susceptibility to infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and responses to therapeutic interventions and vaccines. Despite substantial progress in the field, important mechanistic questions remain unresolved. This congress will provide a focused platform to advance understanding, foster rigorous discussion, and strengthen the integration of sex-informed approaches into immunological research and clinical practice.

The scientific program will address key themes including:

  • Gender and sex differences
  • Immunity across age and sex
  • Mucosal and tissue immunology
  • Evolutionary immunology
  • Translational immunology
  • Neuroimmunology

The meeting is proudly supported by DFG-funded Research Unit 5068 “Sex Differences in Immunology” and the European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS).

Keynote Speakers

Sabra L. Klein is an internationally recognized expert in sex differences in immune responses and Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on the biological mechanisms underlying sex differences in immunity, including the roles of sex hormones, genetics, and aging in shaping susceptibility to infectious diseases and responses to vaccines.

Lab website

Lars Forsberg is a molecular geneticist at Uppsala University whose research focuses on genetic mechanisms underlying sex differences in disease and immunity. His work has highlighted the importance of mosaic loss of the Y chromosome in blood cells, an age-related mutation associated with altered immune function and increased disease risk in men.

Lab website

Darragh Duffy leads the Translational Immunology Unit at the Institut Pasteur. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in immune responses, combining systems immunology, population cohorts, and clinical studies in infection and autoimmunity. His work integrates genetic, environmental, and immunological data to improve patient management and precision approaches to immune-mediated diseases.

Lab website

Congress Program

Program pending…

Day 1

9:00 to 16:00

Day 2

9:00 to 12:00

Venue

CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology
Notkestraße 85, Building 15
22607 Hamburg

To Hamburg Altona station.
Continue by bus line 1 (direction Schenefelder Holt) directly to the main entrance of DESY (bus stop Zum Hünengrab/DESY), traveling time approx. 25 min.
Or continue by S-Bahn (local city train) line S1 or S11 (direction Blankenese/Wedel) to Othmarschen. Then go on with bus line 1 (direction Schenefelder Holt). On foot: leave the city train station at the Waitzstrasse exit, turn right at the bottom of the stairs, turn left onto Waitzstrasse, right onto Gross Flottbeker Strasse and follow that road directly to DESY, walking time approx. 25 min.

Optional: taxi, traveling time approx. 15-20 min.

From the Hamburg airport Fuhlsbüttel:
Continue with city train line S1 (direction Blankenese/Wedel) to Othmarschen station. Then go on with bus line 1 (direction Schenefelder Holt) to the main entrance of DESY (bus stop Zum Hünengrab/DESY).

Optional: taxi traveling time approx. 40-50 min.

Exit the Autobahn (A7) at HH-Bahrenfeld. Arriving in Hamburg from the South: turn left onto the main road (Osdorfer Weg). Arriving in Hamburg from the North: turn right onto the main road (Osdorfer Weg). After approx. 1.5 km, turn right onto Notkestraße. The main entrance of DESY is the second road on the left.

CSSB - Centre for Structural Systems Biology
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607 Hamburg

Registration and Abstract Submission

Due to limited capacity, registration will close once the maximum number of participants has been reached.

Registration and abstract submission are now open until June 15th, 2026.

Registration inquiries: efisconference-hamburg@uke.de

Congress Committee

Conference Chair
Marcus Altfeld, Leibniz Institute of Virology / University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany

International Scientific Committee
Camila Consiglio, Lund University, Sweden
Darragh Duffy, Institut Pasteur, France
Molly Ingersoll, Institut Pasteur, France
Cliona O’Farrelly, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Tal Pacht, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Germany
Tal Shay, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Helena Soares, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal

Local Organizing Committee
Michael Brehler, University of Hamburg, Germany
Lara Buer, Research Center Borstel (Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center), Germany
Silke Giesemann-Jansen, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Germany
Barbara Honecker, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Germany
Anja Lindemann, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Germany
Maria Pujantell Graell, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Germany
Bianca Schneider, Research Center Borstel (Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center), Germany
Kati Tillack, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany

Sponsors