Abstract submission is now open for IMMUNOLOGY2027™ in Los Angeles! Whether this will be your first AAI Annual Meeting, or you’ve been presenting your research for years, the abstract submission process can sometimes seem opaque. We sat down with AAI Director of Scientific Affairs Bryna Burrell, PhD, to demystify the path from data collection to presenting at the meeting.
Tailoring your abstract
The first thing a prospective presenter should know is that the submission process is not a cutthroat business. Most abstracts will be accepted if they describe quality and novel science. Look at your set of data and find a short story in it—brief enough to fit on a poster or in the bounds of a 15-minute podium presentation. It should be new research or a significant addition to a previous project and must not have been previously published.
The audience for your abstract will be immunologists, but include definitions for any particularly specialized or new terms—immunology is a broad science with many areas of research.
As the first author, it is your responsibility to make sure that all middle authors and your senior author review and approve the abstract you submit.
Where does your research fit?
All IMMUNOLOGY2027™ abstracts are categorized into topic categories. You will need to select the single category that best fits your research. Additionally, graduate student and postdoctoral fellow AAI trainee members submitting and abstract that wish to be considered for inclusion in a Major Symposium must select one or more Major Symposium sessions that match the topic of their research.
All submitters may also opt to have their abstract considered for a podium presentation in one of the meeting’s Block Symposia.
When you click “Submit”
The first step in the review process is a check by AAI staff to ensure that you included all the necessary pieces. Next, it goes to one of 27 teams of abstract reviewers. These experts in your subfield will review the quality of the science described in the abstract, verify that it is unique and unpublished, and in the correct topic category. Your abstract may get moved to a different topic category, but don’t worry – it will still be reviewed as if it had originally been submitted in the new category.
The abstract review teams assign about 20% of submissions to be podium presentations in Block Symposia. They also recommend trainee submissions to the chairs of the Major Symposia.
Invitations to present accepted abstract will be extended on January 20, 2027. But what if you complete some research after regular abstract submissions close on November 17?
The late-breaking abstract submission period will be open January 13–27 and operates similarly to the regular submission period with the same teams of expert reviewers. The biggest difference you will notice is that late-breaking abstracts are only considered for poster presentations—except for those selected for Findings in 5 sessions. Introduced at IMMUNOLOGY2026™, these rapid-fire sessions in the AAI Booth Theater give late-breaking presenters five minutes at the podium. Informal but lively discussion always follows.
At the Annual Meeting
Now it’s time to prepare for your presentation. Regardless of format, your job is to get the important details of your findings across in a few minutes.
Poster presenters
Make sure your poster tells a clear story, and that it’s readable from about five feet away. Avoid text-heavy poster layouts; figures can communicate more information in this fast -paced situation. You’ll be there to describe your research during your assigned poster session, but also consider how to make your findings clear to anyone who might view it the rest of the day. Practice describing your research in a couple minutes and be ready to go into further detail when attendees have questions.
Your poster must be put up on your assigned board the morning of your session, whether you are presenting in the morning or afternoon. Refer to your confirmation email for your poster board number, as well as your session day and time.
Podium presenters
Most podium presentations will be allotted 15 minutes, but aim to complete your talk in about 7 minutes to allow time for questions from the audience. If you’re presenting at a Findings in 5 session, you’ll fill your entire five minutes as there is no Q&A period following these presentations.
You can upload your slides ahead of the meeting or once you’re at the meeting. Regardless, be sure to visit the Speaker Ready Room the day before your session to make sure your slides are uploaded and confirm that everything is in order. The staff there will assist you with the process.
All presenters
Relax: no one knows your research better than you! The AAI Annual Meeting is not a hostile environment for researchers. Other attendees will be interested to hear about your findings and discuss how they move the field forward.
After the meeting
All abstracts presented at IMMUNOLOGY2027™ will be printed in a special supplement to The Journal of Immunology after the meeting. You are also invited to expand your abstract into a full-length manuscript and submit it to The JI for a special collection of research from the meeting.
The benefits of membership
AAI members receive complimentary abstract submission during the regular submission period, and a discounted rate for late-breaking abstracts! If you’re not a member yet, join now for this benefit as well as reduced registration fees for IMMUNOLOGY2027™.
