As the world continues to focus its attention, energies and resources to combat the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, EFIS trusts that its Member Societies and their membership ranks will want to commemorate April 29, 2021 as the international Day of Immunology. Let’s use this day once again to share with the general public how critically important immunology is for global health, and to champion the expert voices from our community as a vital part of this message. Further information - including details about prizes to be awarded by EFIS and IUIS to outreach campaigns - is available here.

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Join EFIS and the Irish Society for Immunology for the first virtual EFIS on Tour Webinar of 2021 on Friday, February 19, 2021 from 12:00 - 5:00 PM (CET) for an afternoon of scientific discussion on topics ranging from innate immunity and immunological memory, to cell signalling, inflammation, allergy and COVID-19! Download the webinar program and register here.

Following the remote consultation held in late 2020 inviting EFIS Members to express their preference among three shortlisted Society-nominated candidates, the EFIS Board is pleased to announce the election of Luis Graça as the new Editor-in-Chief of Immunology Letters. While welcoming Dr. Graça to his appointment, the EFIS Board also wishes to express its gratitude to the Hellenic and Croatian Societies for Immunology for the impressive and certainly qualified applications of their nominees, Dr. Constantin Baxevanis and Dr. Felix Wensveen, respectively.

EFIS and its Vaccine Task Force have issued a statement in response to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre Recommendations on Non-Animal-Derived Antibodies from the European Union (EU) Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM). The statement was addressed via personalised letters to several high-ranking European Commission officials, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Download the statement here.

EFIS is delighted to announce the opening of the call for applications for the 2021 ACTERIA Prizes!

Together with the Fondation ACTERIA - ACTing on European Research in Immunology and Allergology - EFIS will award a total of 2 prizes – 1 for immunology and 1 for allergology – for early career researchers with up to 10 years postdoctoral experience. Click here for full details.

To address difficulties that many Eastern European laboratories face to find resources for consumables needed to conduct high-impact experimental research, the EFIS Board has created the EFIS Eastern Star Award. Details follow here.

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The FONDATION ACTERIA and EFIS are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 ACTERIA Doctoral Thesis Prizes awarded by EFIS!

On the recommendation of the ACTERIA Prizes Selection Jury, the 2020 ACTERIA Doctoral Thesis Prizes are awarded to

• for immunology: Ai Ing LIM, France, nominated by the French Society for Immunology (SFI) for her dissertation on "Cytokine Control of Human Innate Lymphoid Cells Development and Function"
• for allergology: Martijn SCHUIJS, Belgium, nominated by the Belgian Immunological Society (BIS) for his thesis on "The Pathogenesis of House Dust Mite-driven Asthma: From Barn to Bedside"

Congratulations to both 2020 Laureates! Read more about the ACTERIA Prizes awarded by EFIS here.

Building on the efforts of junior researchers from several EFIS Member Societies, EFIS has launched the yEFIS Task Force with the intent to create a network dedicated to young immunologists throughout Europe. Read more here.

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Remember to save the date for the next European Congress of Immunology, September 1-4, 2021, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.

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