The Immunometabolism in Health and Disease GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.
The 2026 Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Immunometabolism offers a dynamic and collaborative forum for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists to engage deeply with the rapidly evolving field that bridges immunology and metabolism. Designed as a peer-led, discussion-driven gathering, the GRS empowers emerging investigators to present unpublished research, explore cutting-edge tools and methodologies, and exchange ideas in an inclusive and supportive environment. With sessions facilitated by trainee moderators and enriched by a keynote lecture, the seminar is uniquely positioned to foster intellectual growth and community-building among the next generation of leaders in immunometabolism.
Recent discoveries continue to illuminate how metabolic pathways not only supply energy and biosynthetic precursors but also serve as central regulators of immune cell differentiation, activation, and function. At this GRS, participants will examine the role of core metabolic circuits—such as glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation—in orchestrating immune responses. They will also delve into key signaling hubs like mTOR, AMPK, and HIF-1a, which integrate environmental cues to fine-tune cellular metabolism in context-specific ways.
Discussions will further explore how immune cells undergo profound metabolic reprogramming in disease settings, including cancer, chronic infection, and autoimmunity. In these contexts, metabolic adaptation can either drive protective immunity or contribute to immune evasion and dysregulation, revealing novel vulnerabilities for therapeutic targeting. Trainees will have the opportunity to share insights into how immunometabolic alterations shape disease progression and therapeutic responses.
Another focal point of the seminar will be the advancement of tools and techniques enabling deeper interrogation of metabolism within immune cells. Topics such as single-cell metabolomics, metabolic flux analysis, and spatial profiling will highlight the technological frontiers pushing the field forward. Additionally, translational applications—from the development of metabolic inhibitors to the targeting of nutrient transporters—will underscore the potential of immunometabolism to yield clinically relevant breakthroughs.
Finally, the program will emphasize the role of metabolism as a driver of immune cell fate decisions, including T cell activation, memory formation, and myeloid cell plasticity. The interplay between metabolic inputs, epigenetic remodeling, and transcriptional regulation will be examined as a key axis in shaping immune function.
In bringing together early-career researchers to exchange ideas, gain mentorship, and forge new collaborations, the 2026 GRS on Immunometabolism seeks to catalyze the continued growth of this transformative field and prepare young investigators to lead its next chapter.
Application Instructions
The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.
The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by March 8, 2026. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.
Program Format
Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.
