DRFZ PhD students receive Bright Sparks award at European Congress of Immunology (ECI) 2021

Bright Sparks Award honors the most exciting work of young scientists

The “EFIS-BioLegend Bright Sparks Award” was granted to young scientists presenting outstanding work at the European Congress of Immunology (ECI2021). This year, Anna Pascual-Reguant and Rebecca Cornelis from the DRFZ impressed the selection committee, along with 22 other young scientists. The prize is endowed with 500 euros.  The award ceremony took place virtually during the closing ceremony of the ECI2021 on September 4, 2021.

Anna Pascual-Reguant from the Immunodynamics group of Prof. Anja Hauser received the award for her detailed investigation of innate lymphoid cells in human tissues using so-called multiplexed analyses. Her presentation was entitle: “Phenotypic and spatial characteristics of human innate lymphoid cells revealed by highly multiplexed histology”.

Rebecca Cornelis from the Cell Biology group of Prof. Andreas Radbruch was awarded the prize for her work on the survival of long-lived plasma cells through contact with stromal cells. Her presentation title was “Maintenance of long-lived memory plasma cells by contact to stromal cells through activation of PI3K/AKT and inactivation of FoxO1/2 prevents activation of caspase 3”.

The ECI is the largest immunological congress in Europe. It takes place every three years and is organized by the European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS). Andreas Radbruch, Scientific Director of the DRFZ, was instrumental in organizing the congress as current EFIS president.