FOCIS is proud to announce the awards recipients below. They will be recognized at the FOCIS Annual Meeting.
Congratulations to the nominees and recipients for their achievements!
Award Recipients
Clinical Immunology Award
Together with FOCIS, Clinical Immunology has established the Clinical Immunology Trainee Award for a colleague in training (student or fellow) to be selected among those who submit abstracts to the FOCIS Annual Meeting. Clinical Immunology Trainee Award recipients are eligible to receive up to $2,500 to cover expenses related to their meeting participation.
2025 Recipient
Erin Theisen, MD, PhD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Abstract: “Granzyme K Drives a New Pathway of Complement Activation That Contributes to Disease Pathology”
C. Garrison Fathman Fellows Fund (CGFFF) Award
The C. Garrison Fathman Fellows Fund was established to enable trainees and fellows to attend FOCIS Annual Meetings, educational courses, and to participate in exchange programs that advance human health through immunology. Award recipients receive a $500 reimbursement of travel expenses related to their FOCIS Annual Meeting participation.
2025 Recipient
Margaux Verdon, PhD Student
Nantes University, INSERM 1302 INCIT, Nantes, France
Abstract: “Human Microbiota-Reactive DP8a Regulatory T Cells Protect Against Transplantation-Related Disorder”
British Society for Immunology (BSI) Poster Prize Award
In partnership with the British Society for Immunology (BSI), FOCIS has established the BSI Poster Abstract Prize, recognizing the high quality of the recipient’s abstract submitted for presentation. Award recipient receives up to £250 reimbursement of travel expenses related to their FOCIS Annual Meeting participation.
2025 Recipient
Yuki Masuo, MD
Kyoto University
Abstract: “Stem-like Peripheral Helper T Cells Seed Their Effector Counterpart in Rheumatoid Arthritis”
FCE Award
This award recognizes trainees affiliated with an FCE, are FOCIS members, and submit an abstract to the FOCIS Annual Meeting. FCE Directors nominate their trainees for this award and the FCE Committee selects award recipients on a competitive basis. Award recipients receive complimentary registration to the FOCIS Annual Meeting to present their research.
2025 Recipients
- Alenka Djarmila Behsen, The University of Oslo
Engineering NK Cells for Metabolic Resilience in the Tumor Microenvironment of Glioblastoma Multiforme - Amir Abdelmoumen, University Medical Centre Utrecht
Proteomic Signatures Distinguish Common Variable Immunodeficiency with Immune Dysregulation from Related Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases - Andrea Mastrangelo, CHUV-UNIL
Lymph Node HIV-specific CD8 T Cells of HIV Controllers Harbour a Specific Transcriptomic Signature - Bhupesh Kumar Thakur, Toronto Human Immunology Network
Dietary Fibre Counters the Oncogenic Potential of Colibactin-Producing Escherichia coli in Colorectal Cancer - Brandon Hilliard, University of Colorado
Dissection of the Mechanisms That Drive Loss of B Cell Anergy During Development of Autoimmunity - Camillo Bechi Genzano, Columbia University
Thymic Selection of Multiple T1D-Associated HLA Class II-Restricted Human T Cells - Can Liu,Yale Human and Translational Immunology Program
Integration of Systems Immunology and Serology to Decipher Maternal Predictors and Determinants of Antibody Transfer in Mother-Infant Dyads - Diego Delgado-Zaldívar, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
TGF-β3 Induces Oral Tolerance by Imprinting Gut-Homing Capacity in Regulatory T Cells - Dora Ogbonna, University of California, San Francisco
Base Editing Treg Cells to Avoid Teplizumab Binding to Enable Combination Therapy - Gabrielle Z. Yize Smith-Rockne, FCE Seattle
Nasal Transcriptome Changes in Response to Acute Respiratory Viral Infections in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis - Harris Avgousti, Northwestern University
Nasal Transcriptome Changes in Response to Acute Respiratory Viral Infections in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis - John Sowerby, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Heterogeneity, Persistence, and Clonal Relationships of B Cell-helper T Cells in Lupus - Joshua Tobin, Washington University in St. Louis
Enhancer Hijacking of IgH Locus Leading to Antibody Deficiency and Invasive Streptococcus Pneumoniae Infection - Lei Huang, Columbia University
Glutamine Metabolism and mTOR Signaling Defects in CARD11-Mutant T Cells: Implications for Allergic Disease Treatment - Megan Hanlon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
SPP1+ Macrophages Are Pro-inflammatory and Pro-glycolytic in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Margaux Verdon, Margaux Verdon
SPP1+ Macrophages Are Pro-inflammatory and Pro-glycolytic in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Meryl H Attrill, UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation (IIT)
Expression of the Co-receptors TIGIT and CD226 on Tregs and Their Role in Autoimmunity - Monica Andrea Farias Leon, Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy
Exploring the Role of Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Lipid Metabolic Alteration in Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 - Sarai G De Leon, Mexican Translational Immunology Research Group
cDC1 and Tissue-Resident Exhausted CD8 T Cells Drives Disease Control and Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma - Simran Samra, BC Children’s Hospital
X-MAID Disease Caused by a Novel Synonymous MSN Variant That Disrupts mRNA Splicing - Sotaro Nakajima, Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medicine, at The University of Tokyo
Complex Pathogenesis of Axial Spondyloarthritis: Involvement of Type 1 Interferon Revealed by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing - Tatsuki Abe, Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medicine, at The University of Tokyo
Complex Pathogenesis of Axial Spondyloarthritis: Involvement of Type 1 Interferon Revealed by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing - Yair Aron Chocobar Torres, Centro de Inmunologia Clinica de Cordoba (CICC)
Chronic Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Compromises Semen Quality, Which in Turn Disrupts the Immunoregulation of the Female Genital Tract and Affects Fetal Development
FOCIS Research Award
This award is presented to FOCIS members who are presenting authors of abstracts accepted for oral presentation during the FOCIS Annual Meeting
2025 Recipients
- Adam Elhofy, Ammar Alsheikh, Andrea Mastrangelo, Carly Tymm, Chelsea Campbell, Chiara Rigamonti, Christopher Cardinale, Christopher Garris, Diego Delgado-Zaldivar, Dinesh Babu Uthaya Kumar, Erin Theisen, Eynav Klechevsky, Farshid Fathi, Grace Loeser, Havva Marzban, Hervé Lebrec, Jae Seung Moon, Jamie Harden, Jin Liu, John Sowerby, Joshua Tobin, Kalani Ratnasiri, Kirstin Tamucci, Lauren Tracy, Lennard Ostendorf, Leonardo Ferreira, Lincoln Brown, Lisa Westerberg, Lisa Westerberg, Lynn Hassman, Manel Juan, Manuel Podestà, Marc Martinez-Llordella, Marc Martinez-Llordella, Margaux de Seilhac, Mariasilvia Colantuoni, Matthew Stier, Nam Le, Nathan Camp, Nora Lakes, Norman Drzeniek, Nuruddeen Lewis, Omar Vallejos, Philipp Rommel, Pinar Gur Cetinkaya, Prabesh Khatiwada, Pranita Sarangi, Prasanti Kotagiri, Rachel Rock, Rachelly Normand, Reiner Mailer, Samantha Bucktrout ,Sandra Curras-Alonso, Sarai De Leon, Shruti Swamy, Simran Samra, Siyan Cao, Susan DeWolf, Taehyun Kim, Valentina Consoli, Vitor Aguiar, Xin Zhen, Yair Chocobar, Yuki Masuo, Yukinori Okada, Zuzana Tobiasova