The Cornell Center for Immunology leverages Cornell University’s unique strengths and builds synergistic collaborations across the University’s campuses, schools, departments, and disciplines to enhance research capacity and scientific discovery in immunologic sciences.


Intercampus Immunology
Work-In-Progress Series
Fall 2025

 

Tuesday, September 30, 2025    12:00-1:00 PM

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University
Assistant Professor of Immunology in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medical College

 
Tuesday, October 28, 2025  12:00-1:00 PM

Barbara McClintock Professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University
Assistant Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology, Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medical College
Assistant Member, Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 
Tuesday, November 18, 2025  12:00-1:00PM

Associate Professor, Mong Family Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellow in Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Physician-Scientist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 
Tuesday, December 16, 2025  12:00-1:00 PM

Associate Professor, Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Molecular Biology, Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medical College
Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 

Zoom links for the WIPS will be announced via the center email list.

 


2025 Multidisciplinary Seed Grant Awardees

The Cornell Center for Immunology is pleased to announce three innovative projects that have been awarded 2025 Multidisciplinary Seed Grants in Immunology. These grants demonstrate our commitment to supporting multidisciplinary investigative teams as they collaborate on complex questions in immunology and develop innovative, discovery-driven technologies.

2025 Grant Projects:

Sarah Caddy and Meng Wang
Sarah Caddy and Meng Wang

Sarah Caddy, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Meng Wang, Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the College of Human Ecology

“Evaluating the effect of endogenous formaldehyde on immune responses to viruses” $50,000

In this work, the researchers will explore how a common genetic variant found in millions of people might naturally enhance the immune system’s ability to fight viruses. Their research focuses on how elevating a naturally produced metabolite in the body, formaldehyde, could play a role in activating immune cells. Understanding this process could lead to better vaccines and new ways to strengthen the body’s natural defenses against infections and even cancer.

Tobias Doerr and Brian Lazzaro
Tobias Doerr and Brian Lazzaro

Tobias Doerr, Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, and Brian Lazzaro, Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the College of Arts and Sciences

“Role of dynamic interactions between innate immunity and bacterial stress responses in shaping infection outcomes”$50,000

This work will investigate the interplay between the body’s natural immune functions and bacterial responses, and how this relationship determines infection outcomes. Using fruit flies and a common disease-causing bacterium (Enterobacter cloacae), the work will study how the immune system and bacteria interact to determine the course of an infection. Their findings could help improve treatments for bacterial infections by better understanding how the body’s natural defenses and bacteria’s survival strategies influence disease outcomes.

Andrew White and Colleen Lau
Andrew White and Colleen Lau

Andrew White, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Colleen Lau, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Harnessing Cytokine-Induced Memory-Like Natural Killer Cells to Synergize with BRAF/MEKi Therapy in Melanoma”$50,000

Combining immune-boosting strategies with targeted cancer therapies, this research will explore ways to help the immune system fight melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. Testing a special type of immune cells, the researchers are working to see if these cells can work alongside existing treatments to eliminate residual cancer cells and prevent relapse. Their ultimate goal is to develop more effective treatments for patients with melanoma.

Support for this grant mechanism is provided by the Cornell Center for Immunology, Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation and Cornell Research and Innovation