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News
MISM Annual Meeting 2026
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On January 20, 2026, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, hosted the Multiscale Immune Systems Modeling (MISM) Annual Meeting, bringing together over 70 researchers, program officers, advisors, and collaborators from Duke University, NIAID, The Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), UNC, NC State, Stanford, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Harvard, University of Michigan, UCLA, Penn State, and other top-tier institutional partners. Welcoming attendees both in-person and virtually, this multidisciplinary gathering reflected the MISM community’s growing national footprint.
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The agenda featured scientific presentations, strategic discussions, and community‑building activities. Following remarks from MISM leadership and NIH program officers, keynote speaker Dr. James Glazier, Ph.D. (Indiana University Bloomington) addressed virtual‑tissue modeling and the emerging role of digital twins in immunology research. Project leads and early‑stage investigators then presented updates across MISM’s three Research Projects, highlighting advances in computational modeling, data integration, and experimental collaborations. Moses Sekaran, Ph.D. (Duke University) and Jiazheng Miao (Duke University) represented Research Project 1: “From Antibody to Repertoire”. Kevin Flores, Ph.D. (North Carolina State University) and Mieke van der Mescht, Ph.D. (Duke University) presented for Research Project 2: “From Cell to Lymph Node”. Finally, Bruce Rogers, Ph.D. (Duke University) and Jake Burchard, Ph.D. (Duke University) represented Research Project 3: “From Individual to Population”.
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Afternoon sessions shifted toward broader strategic conversations, including a panel on directing the future of MISM based on the NIAID’s Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET) roadmap, community‑engagement discussions, and the introduction of new MISM Workgroups in Team Science and AI. Featured speakers included: Reed Shabman, Ph.D. (Acting Director, NIH/NIAID ODSET), Jason Arnold, Ph.D. (Assistant Director, Duke Microbiome Center), Jessilyn Dunn, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke), Nrupen Bhavsar, Ph.D. (MISM Modeling and Data Science Core Co-Lead, Duke), Ashok Krishnamurthy, Ph.D. (MISM Modeling and Data Science Core Co-Lead, UNC), Jason Li, Ph.D. (MISM Modeling and Data Science Core Co-Lead, Duke), Justin Pollara, Ph.D. (MISM Community Development and Education Core Co-Lead, Duke), Gina-Maria Pomann, Ph.D. (MISM Community Development and Education Core Co-Lead, Duke), Jichun Xie, Ph.D. (MISM AI and Human-Computer-Interaction Workgroup Lead, Duke), and Kristine Glauber, Ph.D. (MISM Team Science Workgroup Co-Lead, Duke).
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Characterized by high energy and active engagement, scientific sessions were especially well‑received, showcasing notable progress across Research Projects and reflecting significant momentum as the MISM community continues to coalesce. Several priorities for future efforts were identified, including immune digital twins, AI‑ and machine‑learning–driven modeling, FAIR data standards and interoperability, and the integration of the microbiome, wearables, and other emerging data streams into multiscale modeling frameworks. Participants explored how synthesis across MISM’s Research Projects could advance a coherent national framework for immune‑system modeling. There was also enthusiasm for enhanced networking and collaborative exchanges, the cultivation of emerging investigators, and connections with related NIAID‑supported modeling initiatives. Altogether, this gathering marked a vibrant and ambitious trajectory for the year ahead, reinforcing MISM’s growing scientific reach.