Organized in partnership with Cell Press

Obesity and its co-morbidities, including atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and diabetes, are a world-wide epidemic.  Inflammation in metabolic tissues has emerged as a universal feature of these chronic metabolic disorders.  While initial work highlighted the contribution of macrophages to tissue inflammation and insulin resistance, recent studies demonstrate that adaptive and other innate immune cells also participate in obesity-induced pathogenesis of these conditions.   However, the molecular and cellular pathways by which the immune system controls tissue and systemic metabolism remain poorly understood.  Furthermore, given the different spheres of science that immunologists and experts in metabolism travel in, there has been limited cross-talk between these two communities, which is needed to accelerate future discoveries in this emerging field.  Thus, the goal of launching this new Aegean Conference, which we have coined ImmunoMetabolism, is to get these two communities to meet in a conference devoted solely to this topic, thereby fostering a deeper connection and fruitful collaborations amongst the experts in these disparate fields.  The meeting will bring together investigators who are at the forefront of immunology or metabolism, and provide opportunities for junior scientists to present posters and discuss ideas with leaders in the developing field of Immunometabolism.