In 2016, the International Congress of Immunology came to Melbourne and VIIN was there!  Held between 21 and 26 August and convened by Prof. Jose Villadangos of the Doherty Institute, this major international conference featured 100+ invited speakers and more than 800 oral presentations, with immunologists visiting from all over the world.

While a large number of VIIN scientists gave talks and presented posters, VIIN managed the exhibition booth of the Victorian Government in the exhibitor hall.

Over the week-long conference, over 30 staff and students from VIIN contributor organisations and Victorian peak bodies, clinical trials capabilities and SMEs in the biotech / pharmaceutical sector volunteered to staff the exhibition booth.

Rebecca Delconte from WEHI at the VIIN - Victorian Government booth at ICI.  Photo credit: Rebecca Delconte

This was a great opportunity for VIIN to be an ambassador for Victorian immunology research, to renew its ties with representatives from the Victorian Government, to network and exchange ideas with Victorian clinical trials capabilities and SMEs in the biotech / pharmaceutical sector, and to promote VIIN, our research capabilities, the Lorne Infection and Immunity Conference and our valued contributor organisations, who hosted a number of ICI Engagement Tours at the Burnet Institute, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Doherty Institute and the Monash Health Translation Precinct, involving both the Hudson Institute and Monash University. 

It also provided an opportunity for a number of Victorian clinical trials capabilities and SMEs to promote their businesses and services to the large delegation of international visitors to Melbourne.  We thank the following companies and organisations who volunteered to staff the booth:

·         360biolabs

·         affinityBio

·         Biomedical Research Victoria

·         Clinical Trials Centre, Translational Research Facility, Monash Health Translation Precinct

·         Genera Biosystems

·         Immuron

·         Monash Health

·         Neuroscience Trials Australia

·         St Vincent’s Clinical Trials Facility

and the following VIIN contributor organisations:

·         Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity

·         Hudson Institute of Medical Research

·         Monash University

·         Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

·         University of Melbourne

·         Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

For more information about the congress: http://ici2016.org/