Annual Immunology Retreat

Each year the Division of Immunobiology and the Immunology Graduate Program (ImmGP) host a research retreat. This retreat is an excellent opportunity for all ImmGP students and Post-doctoral Fellows to showcase their research projects to their colleagues and peers, from within the ImmGP, and the broader immunology research community at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (UCCOM) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Starting in 2014 the retreat was expanded to a two-day, overnight, off-site venue to accommodate the expansion of the Division of Immunobiology and the Center for Systems Immunology at Cincinnati Children's. This venue offers an outstanding opportunity for students to engage with faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and their peers, giving them a broad overview of available research opportunities.

Included in the retreat are a series of talks from our pre- and post-doctoral trainees, as well as from selected new faculty members and faculty from the larger immunology community at both the UCCOM and Cincinnati Children's (see the 2015 retreat program). The retreat also features a poster session, a BBQ dinner, and a social mixer. Trainee posters and speakers are judged by the faculty and awards are given to the top two in each category. In 2015, the retreat had over 170 attendees and was held at Deer Creek State Park Lodge and Conference Center, approximately 90 miles east of Cincinnati. This cozy, friendly, and casual environment of the lodge and surrounding park provided a perfect atmosphere to foster interaction, scientific exchange, and new collaborations. It also provided an ideal venue for a family weekend, as several faculty and trainees brought their families, staying an extra day to enjoy the scenery and the fall colors.