11-14th May, 2017
Svatý Jan pod Skalou
Czech Republic
In May, 2017, a new event in the long-standing tradition of collaborative meetings focused on primary immunodeficiencies took place in Svatý Jan pod Skalou new Prague, Czech Republic. This year, it was organized in the vein of „by students, for students“.
The JMF Junior Camp 2017 was a small and informal gathering of 12 young researchers working in the field of primary immunodeficiencies, who gathered to exchange ideas, share information about ongoing and future projects and create international cooperations under the supervision of two faculty members, Sven Kracker and Marta Rizzi. The participants arrived from many countries around Europe, including Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and Belarus, as well as the hosting Czech Republic.
Over the duration of three days, extensive talks and presentations were given, spanning many different aspects of immunity, immunodeficiency and immune dysregulation. Some participants shared patient-centered clinical research data, while others focused on more basic science. The topics included PI3K signalling and modulation, B-cell development, T-cell receptor dynamics, as well as ALPS diagnostic assays, novel therapeutic approaches to PIDs, influence of thymus on immune tolerance and many others.
The faculty sparked and steered the discussion, while also providing valuable scientific input. Numerous social events and rich programme throughout the meeting, as well as the cozy and friendly atmosphere of the venue facilitated networking and discussions in an informal, yet highly productive manner.
The event was greatly appreciated by all participants and faculty and will hopefully be a basis for many more in the years to come.
We would like to thank all participants and faculty for coming and making the event as successful as it was, but also those, who made it possible through financial contribution, in particular Octapharma, Shire, the Jeffrey Modell Foundation and the European Society for Immunodeficiencies.
Dr. Adam Klocperk
Prof. Anna Šedivá
Department of Immunology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague
Prague
Czech Republic