AAI was proud to support awards for 10 young investigators at the 27th Annual Upstate New York Immunology Conference this year. The meeting took place in Oswego, New York, October 27–30. It was anchored by a keynote address by longtime AAI member Dario A.A. Vignali, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
In addition to both podium and poster presentations, the conference included a workshop on scientific communication. Speakers shared insights on how to present research both in person and to journals, including the importance of an “elevator pitch.”
We asked several of the trainees who received awards sponsored by AAI about their experiences.
What got you interested in immunology research?
McKenzie Van der Veer (Albany Medical College): I got interested in immunology after working in a clinical lab processing specimens. I would research the tests ordered by providers and most of them had to do with immunology. Immunology has connections with all areas of health and disease!
Akinkunmi Lawal (SUNY Upstate Medical University): Viruses and the immune system have a dynamic, co-evolutionary relationship. I am interested in understanding how viruses evade/manipulate the immune system in order to persist.
Miles Stekfo (University at Buffalo): The notion of getting to work at the forefront of an ever-changing field that meshes into so many different domains. I want to pursue a path in medical research that focuses on the aged population. Immunology research provided an ideal space for me to work specifically with this population in mind. Additionally I get to collaborate with engineering and microbiology focused labs in the process.
Why did you choose to attend this conference?
Stefko: The Upstate New York Immunology Conference was extremely trainee friendly and oriented. As an undergraduate researcher, I was able to engage in massive amounts of meaningful dialogue. NYIC 2025 offered the chance to explore some of the other amazing research being done in and out of the state.
Van der Veer: Multiple faculty members at Albany Medical College help run this conference. Therefore, it is a well-known conference within the Immunology and Microbial Disease department at Albany Med. It is a small conference which is nice for networking and receiving feedback about your work.
What was the highlight of the conference for you?
Stefko: Getting the chance to deliver my first ever podium talk was certainly the highlight! We spend so much time focused on actually conducting the research, that it’s easy to forget how rewarding and productive getting to share findings with others in the field is. I was able to take home a plethora of new ideas for my project based on questions I was asked and conversations I had following my talk.
Do you have a favorite fun immunology fact that more people should know?
Lawal: We all have ancient viral DNA from past viral infections in our genome and it plays a role in fighting cancerous cells.
