Advanced Laboratory Training Course

June 7 – 18, 2009 Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka Rijeka, Croatia

Organizers: Astrid Krmpotic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia; Stipan Jonjic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia; Ofer Mandelboim, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Course faculty: William Britt, University of Alabama, USA; Marc Dalod, Center for Immunology of Marseille-Luminy, France; James Di Santo, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France; Hartmut Hengel, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany; Branka Horvat, INSERM, Lyon, France; Stipan Jonjic, University of Rijeka, Croatia; Frank Kirchhoff, University of Ulm, Germany; Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren, Karolinska Institute, Sweden; Ofer Mandelboim, Hebrew University of Jeruzalem, Israel; Martin Messerle, Hannover Medical School, Germany; Mathias Müller, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria; Bojan Polic, University of Rijeka, Croatia; Matthias Reddehase, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany; Geoffrey Shellam, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia; Birgit Strobl, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria; Silvia Vidal, McGill University, Canada; Wayne Yokoyama, HHMI Investigator, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA

The Course is aimed to provide intensive theoretical and practical overview of viral regulation of innate and acquired immune response. In addition to viruses that are relevant human pathogens, the workshop will also cover the recent results obtained in animal models of viral diseases. The following topics will be included: viral evasion of NK cells and host escape mechanisms, viral interference with cytokines and chemokines, viral interference with antibody-dependent antiviral response, viral subversion of antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells, the significance of herpesviral immunoevasins during chronic / latent infection, virus-induced immunosuppression with respect to the host susceptibility to other pathogens, the role of host and viral microRNAs in the regulation of immune response, viral interference with dendritic cells and immunogenetics of mouse NK cell receptors with respect to resistance to herpes viruses. In addition to keynote lectures that will be given by the leaders in the field, the practical workshop will take place in the laboratories of the Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka. The course will be conducted in English. The course is aimed at Ph.D. and postdoctoral level students. Up to 21 applicants will be selected to attend. The candidates from European countries are particularly encouraged to apply. Accommodation and meals will be provided for all students. There is no registration fee. All candidates must cover their own roundtrip travel expenses to Zagreb Airport or Rijeka Airport in Croatia.

The application is available at: http://www.hhmi.org/croatia/index.php?initpage=login. Deadline for applications is April 2^nd, 2009.