Career Awards
Each year, AAI recognizes the extraordinary professional achievements and career promise of its members. The following are the recipients of the 2026 Career Awards being presented at IMMUNOLOGY2026™.
AAI Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation
Wednesday April 15, 2026
5:00 PM
Chair: Ulrich H. von Andrian, Harvard Med. Sch., USA, AAI President
Presented to: Jenny P.-Y. Ting, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
This award recognizes a member for a remarkable career of scientific achievement and contributions to AAI and the field of immunology. Dr. von Andrian will introduce the awardee and present the award immediately prior to the President’s Address.
Distinguished Fellows of AAI Class of 2026 Acknowledgment
Wednesday April 15, 2026
5:00 PM
Chair: Ulrich H. von Andrian, Harvard Med. Sch., USA, AAI President
The Distinguished Fellows of AAI annually recognizes members for distinguished careers and outstanding scientific contributions as well as their service to AAI and the immunology community. It honors active, long-term members (25 or more years) who have demonstrated one or more of the following: excellence in research accomplishment in the field of immunology; exceptional leadership to the immunology community in academia, foundations, nonprofits, industry, or government at a national or international level; notable distinction as an educator.
See the DFAAI Class of 2026.
Dr. von Andrian will acknowledge the honorees prior to the start of the President’s Address.
AAI ASPIRE Awards Symposium
Thursday, April 16, 2026
8:00–9:30 AM
These awards recognize early career research accomplishments and professional promise in the field of immunology.
Chair: Joan Goverman, Univ. of Washington, USA, AAI Secretary/Treasurer
Speakers:
- Tobias V. Lanz, Stanford Univ., USA, The link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis – molecular mimicry and beyond
- Anna-Maria Globig*, Allen Inst. for Immunol., USA, Sympathetic nerves regulate T cell differentiation in viral infection and cancer
- Michael Wheeler, Harvard Med. Sch., Brigham and Women’s Hosp., USA, Peripheral immune signatures that orchestrate complex behavior
*2025 recipient with lecture deferred to 2026
AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award Presentation and Lecture
Generously supported by BD Biosciences
Thursday, April 16, 2026
3:30–4:30 PM
This award recognizes an individual for noteworthy early career achievement in immunology research.
Chair: Stephen C. Jameson, Univ. of Minnesota Med. Sch., USA, AAI Past President
Presented to: Ping-Chih Ho, Univ. of Lausanne, CHE
Spatial and metabolic guidance on tailoring anti-tumor immunity
AAI Lancefield Mid-Career Achievement Award Presentation and Lecture
Sponsored by the AAI Committee on the Status of Women
Thursday, April 16, 2026
4:45–5:45 PM
This award recognizes a mid-career woman investigator for outstanding research and leadership.
Chair: Claudia Kemper, NHLBI, NIH, USA, AAI Committee on the Status of Women Chair
Presented to: Carla V. Rothlin, Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA
Mechanisms of restraint: From immune homeostasis to immunoresilience
AAI ASPIRE Awards Symposium
Friday, April 17, 2026
8:00–9:30 AM
These awards recognize early career research accomplishments and professional promise in the field of immunology.
Chair: Stephen C. Jameson, Univ. of Minnesota Med. Sch., USA, AAI Past President
Speakers:
- Camila H. Coelho, Icahn Sch. of Med., Mount Sinai, USA, Discovery and targeting of human B cell epitopes to counter emerging threats
- Sadiya Parveen Nesson, Louisiana State Univ. Hlth., Shreveport, USA, Harnessing host glutamine metabolism for host-directed tuberculosis therapy
- Brandon J. DeKosky*, Ragon Inst. of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, USA, Scalable platforms to study and engineer immune receptors
*2025 recipient with lecture deferred to 2026
AAI Distinguished Service Awards Presentation
Friday, April 17, 2026
10:00–11:30 AM
This award recognizes AAI members for outstanding service to the AAI community and the field of immunology.
Chair: Loretta L. Doan, AAI Chief Executive Officer
Presented to:
- Deepta Bhattacharya, Univ. of Arizona, USA, For outstanding service as chair and member of the AAI Public Communications Committee, 2022-2024
- Mark H. Kaplan, Indiana Univ. Sch. of Med., USA, For outstanding service as editor-in-chief of ImmunoHorizons, 2020-2024
AAI President Ulrich von Andrian will present the awards during the AAI Business Meeting.
AAI ASPIRE Awards Presentations
Friday, April 17, 2026
10:00–11:30 AM
These awards recognize early career research accomplishments and professional promise in the field of immunology.
Chair: Loretta L. Doan, AAI Chief Executive Officer
Presented to:
- David A. Braun,Yale Univ., USA
- Camila H. Coelho, Icahn Sch. of Med., Mount Sinai, USA
- Alex Gitlin, Mem. Sloan Kettering Cancer Ctr., USA
- Tobias V. Lanz, Stanford Univ., USA
- Sadiya Parveen Nesson, Louisiana State Univ. Hlth., Shreveport, USA
- Michael Wheeler, Harvard Med. Sch., Brigham and Women’s Hosp., USA
AAI President Ulrich von Andrian will present the awards during the AAI Business Meeting.
AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award Presentation and Lecture
Generously supported by BioLegend
Friday, April 17, 2026
12:45–1:45 PM
This award recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of immunology in the area of B cell biology.
Chair: Avery August, Cornell Univ., USA, AAI Vice President
Presented to: Facundo Batista, Ragon Inst. of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, USA
A life with B cells: From activation to antibody responses
AAI Meritorious Career Award Presentation and Lecture
Friday, April 17, 2026
3:30–4:30 PM
This award recognizes a mid-career scientist for exceptional research contributions to the field of immunology.
Chair: Avery August, Cornell Univ., USA, AAI Vice President
Presented to: David Masopust, Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA
Memory CD8+ T cells: Quantity, quality, & location
AAI Vanguard Award Presentation and Lecture
Friday, April 17, 2026
4:45–5:45 PM
This award recognizes research achievement and exemplary career success.
Chair: Harlan P. Jones, Univ. of North Texas Hlth. Sci. Ctr., USA, AAI Minority Affairs Committee Chair
Presented to: Curtis J. Henry, Univ. of Colorado Cancer Ctr., USA
Never working a day in your life: Turning your passions into a career
AAI ASPIRE Awards Symposium
Saturday, April 18, 2026
8:00–9:00 AM
These awards recognize early career research accomplishments and professional promise in the field of immunology.
Chair: Avery August, Cornell Univ., USA, AAI Vice President
Speakers:
- David A. Braun, Yale Univ., USA, Determinants and augmentation of effective anti-tumor immunity in kidney cancer
- Alex Gitlin, Mem. Sloan Kettering Cancer Ctr., USA, Insights into VEXAS syndrome: How the cell death machinery unleashes inflammation
AAI-Steinman Award for Human Immunology Research Presentation and Lecture
Saturday, April 18, 2026
12:45–1:45 PM
This award recognizes an individual for significant, sustained achievement in immunology research pertinent to human disease pathogenesis, prevention, or therapy.
Chair: Joan Goverman, Univ. of Washington, USA, AAI Secretary/Treasurer
Presented to: Alessandro Sette, La Jolla Inst. for Immunol., USA
Adaptive T cell immunity in infection, vaccination and neurodegeneration
AAI Excellence in Mentoring Award Presentation
Saturday, April 18, 2026
3:45 PM
This award recognizes a member for exemplary career contributions to a future generation of scientists.
Chair: Ulrich H. von Andrian, Harvard Med. Sch., USA, AAI President
Presented to: Olivera J. Finn, Univ. of Pittsburgh Sch. of Med., USA
Dr. von Andrian and Dr. Tullia C. Bruno, Univ. of Pittsburgh Sch. of Med., USA, will introduce the awardee and present the award immediately prior to the President’s Symposium.
