The Schedule

8:30-8:45AM Foxn1 traces a long-term persisting multipotent mTEC progenitor in adult mice;
Presenter: Marieke Lavaert, National Cancer Institute, NIH

8:45-9:00AM The molecular program that drives Foxn1 expression is temporally regulated during
thymic epithelial cell specification; Presenter: Laura Sousa, i3s

9:00-9:15AM Fezf2-mediated transcriptional repression is required for thymic epithelial lineage
commitment; Presenter: Joe Germino, UCSF Diabetes Center

9:15-9:30AM Dynamics of the lymphatic compartment in the developing thymus;
Presenter: Stephanie de Barros, University of California Los Angeles

9:30-9:45AM Epithelial chemokine CCL25 integrates thymic T cell development and intestinal
immune homeostasis;
Presenter: Yousuke Takahama, National Cancer Institute, NIH

9:45-10:00AM Interrogation of thymic mimetic cells from humans, mice, and zebrafish reveals
evolutionarily ancient origins and both conserved and species-specific elements;
Presenter: Brooke D. Huisman, Harvard Medical School

10:00-10:30AM Discussion

10:30-11:00AM Coffee Break

11:00-11:15AM IGF/IGF1R Signaling: A Critical Regulator of TEC Development and Thymic Growth;
Presenter: Shiyun Xiao, University of Georgia

11:15-11:30AM The role of KLF15 in the establishment of a functional thymic epithelial cell
microenvironments; Presenter: Pedro M. Rodrigues, i3S

11:30-11:45AM The Role of BRD4 in the Differentiation of Thymic Epithelial Cells;
Presenter: Dinah Singer, National Cancer Institute, NIH

11:45-12:00PM LAMP2 connects the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in thymic epithelial cells and
regulates their role in CD4 T cell selection, TCR repertoire formation and T-cell
responses; Presenter: Nuno L Alves,  i3S

12:00-12:15PM Thymic alveolar type II epithelial mimetic cells revealed by Runx1-deficiency;
Presenter: Michael Waterfield, University of California San Francisco

12:15-12:30PM Identifying the microenvironment requirements of thymic B cell licensing;
Presenter: Ryan Martinez, University of Minnesota

12:30-1:00PM Discussion

1:00-2:30PM Lunch Break - Free Time

2:30-2:45PM MRAP-mediated adipocyte differentiation by thymic mesenchymal stromal cells
contributes to thymic involution; Presenter: Wanjun Chen, National Institute of
Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health

2:45-3:00PM Ageing drives distinct chromatin signatures of CD8 T cell dysfunction in mice and
the emergence of a novel regulatory CD8 T cell population;
Presenter: Nicole La Gruta, Monash University

3:00-3:15PM Tipping the Scale: Modulating Translational Fidelity During Thymic Aging;
Presenter: Emma Lederer, University of Washington

3:15-3:30PM Notch Signaling Regulates Mitochondrial Function and Apoptosis of Thymic
Epithelial Cells in Thymus Aging;
Presenter: Carmela Cela,  Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa

3:30-3:45PM Human thymic involution leads to microanatomical collapse of stroma-thymocyte
niches and perivascular domain shifts with expansion of transcriptionally divergent
adipocytes; Presenter: Anastasia Kousa, City of Hope National Medical Center

3:45-4:00PM Lymph node stromal aging - loss of key stromal cell subsets, loss of ECM
production and metabolic dysregulation;
Presenter: Janko Nikolich, University of Arizona

4:00-4:30PM Discussion

8:00-8:15PM A unified multimodal single cell framework for hematopoiesis;
Presenter: Lee Grimes, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

8:15-8:30PM Clonal studies identify the effects of hematopoietic stem cell aging on T cell
development; Presenter: Julia Gensheimer, University of California Los Angeles

8:30-8:45PM Unveiling Novel Genes and Gene Regulatory Networks for T-Cell Specification Using
CRISPR Screens in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hematopoietic
Progenitors; Presenter: Mona M. Siu, University of British Columbia

8:45-9:00PM Molecular Controls of T-Lineage Differentiation and Thymus-Engraftment from
Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells;
Presenter: Yangmin Qiu,  University of Toronto

9:00-9:15PM Thymic involution reduces transcriptional activity while increasing accessibility of
Runx factors in double-negative thymocytes;
Presenter: Preet Kaur, City of Hope National Medical Center

9:15-9:30PM Hematopoietic origins of an early wave of innate CD8+ T cells;
Presenter: Isabel Forlastro, Cornell University

9:30-10:00PM Discussion

8:30-8:45AM Notch-dependent functional conversion of RUNX transcription factors regulates the
initiation of T-lineage program;
Presenter: Yuichi Kama, Tokai University School of Medicine

8:45-9:00AM Runx, Tcf/Lef, and Tle factors underpin the inception of T cell fate;
Presenter: Hai-Hui (Howard) Xue, Hackensack University Medical Center

9:00-9:15AM Multimodal tracking of CD4/CD8 lineage choice and differentiation;
Presenter: Ilinca Patrascan, Imperial London College

9:15-9:30AM Alternative pathways for regulatory T cell development;
Presenter: Isabel Baldwin, University of California, Berkeley

9:30-9:45AM Conditional HuR Ablation in Tregs Impairs Foxp3 mRNA Stability and Function,
Leading to Systemic Autoimmunity;
Presenter: Ulus Atasoy, University of Michigan Medical School

9:45-10:00AM Coordinated transcriptional changes in hematopoietic APCs and stromal cells
define a unique transitional period of thymocyte differentiation in the perinatal
thymus; Presenter: Lauren Ehrlich, The University of Texas at Austin

10:00-10:30AM Discussion

10:30-11:00AM Coffee Break

11:00-11:15AM Defining ligand-antigen receptor interactions in terms of Id3 bursting codes;
Presenter: Arpita Prusty, University of California at San Diego

11:15-11:30AM Unraveling of protein interactomes during thymocyte differentiation by a proximity-
dependent labeling; Presenter: Ichiro Taniuchi, RIKEN IMS

11:30-11:45AM Elucidating mechanisms of central tolerance loss to type I interferons (IFN);
Presenter: Adrianna Rivera-León, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

11:45-12:00PM Transcriptional control of central T cell tolerance by Nr4a family nuclear receptors;
Presenter: Hailyn Nielsen, University of California, San Francisco

12:00-12:15PM Signaling duration, not its timing, dictates thymocyte differentiation into Tregs or
Teffs; Presenter: Xuguang Tai, National Cancer Institute, NIH

12:15-12:30PM The LAT-est Buzz in T Cell Signaling;
Presenter: Wan-Lin Lo, University of Utah School of Medicine

12:30-1:00PM Discussion

1:00 - 2:30PM Lunch Break - Free Time

2:30-2:45PM Identification of thymoproteasome-dependent MHC-I-associated peptides in the
thymus; Presenter: Mami Lennikov, National Cancer Institute, NIH

2:45-3:00PM Distinct distribution of MHC-I self-peptides in the thymus determines different CD8-
lineage fates; Presenter: Miho Shinzawa, National Cancer Institute, NIH

3:00-3:15PM The RANKL-RANK-OPG system in the thymus balances between self- and non-self-
recognition by T cells; Presenter: Takeshi Nitta, Tokyo University of Science

3:15-3:30PM Neoself and Self Discrimination by T cells in Tolerance and Autoimmunity;
Presenter: Hisashi Arase, Osaka University

3:30-3:45PM Roles for Ets1 in thymic selection and CD8aa+ IEL development;
Presenter: Mary Attaway, University of Chicago

3:45-4:00PM Impact of self-peptide: MHC on β selection and T cell fate;
Presenter: Eve Mallet Gauthier, Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute

4:00-4:30PM Discussion

8:00-8:15PM Embryonic thymocyte-epithelial cell crosstalk plays an essential role in the
establishment of adult T cell tolerance;
Presenter: Goncalo Nogueira, Institut Pasteur

8:15-8:30PM Transcriptional regulator ASCL1 drive chromatin organization to regulates self-
tolerance in medullary thymic epithelial cells;
Presenter: Nobuko Akiyama, RIKEN IMS

8:30-8:45PM Ikaros controls mTEC development and central tolerance;
Presenter: Jun Hyung Sin, University of California San Francisco

8:45-9:00PM Loss of Thymic Tolerance to Perilipin1 is Associated with Adipose Autoimmunity in
the Aire-/- Mice; Presenter: Irina Proekt, University of California San Francisco

9:00-9:15PM DECTIN-1: A Modifier Protein for Treg function and Autoimmune Disease;
Presenter: Cynthia Turnbull, Australian National University

9:15-9:30PM Tissue-derived cues render Gata3+ Tregs highly susceptible to necroptotic cell
death; Presenter: Daniel Gray, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute

9:30-10:00PM Discussion

8:30-8:45AM Themis dominates T cell exhaustion by orderly regulation of TCR and PD-1
signaling; Presenter: Nicolas Gascoigne, Immunology Center of Georgia,
Augusta University

8:45-9:00AM Developing Allogeneic γδT Cells As Anti-Cancer Effectors For Immunotherapy;
Presenter: Yingying Geng, Fox Chase Cancer Center

9:00-9:15AM Impacts of plasmacytoid DCs on thymus function during tumor progression;
Presenter: Motoko Y. Kimura, Chiba University

9:15-9:30AM Pathogenesis of Myc-overexpressing T cell acute lymphocytic leukemia;
Presenter: Fotini Gounari, Mayo Clinic Arizona

9:30-9:45AM The Notch signaling pathway controls CD8+ T cell fate during chronic infection;
Presenter: Nathalie Labrecque, University of Montreal

9:45-10:00AM B7-H3 modulates anti-tumor immunity through Siglec-9;
Presenter: Virgina Smith Shapiro, Mayo Clinic

10:00-10:30AM Discussion

10:30-11:00AM Coffee Break

11:00-11:15AM TLR4-driven macrophage priming regulates thymic size through enhanced
phagocytosis; Presenter: Andri L. Lemarquis, City of Hope National Medical Center

11:15-11:30AM Thymic DC2 are heterogenous and include a novel population of transitional
dendritic cells; Presenter: Matous Voboril, University of Minnesota Medical School

11:30-11:45AM Molecular characterization of thymic adipocytes;
Presenter: Dean Tantin, University of Utah School of Medicine

11:45-12:00PM Unconventional T cell development in the human postnatal thymus;
Presenter: Louis Perriman, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

12:00-12:15PM Discussion

8:30-8:45AM An iPSC-based in vitro model recapitulates human thymic epithelial development
and multi-lineage specification; Presenter: Yoko Hamazaki, Kyoto University

8:45-9:00AM IPSC-derived Thymic Epithelial Cells (iTECs) promote Key Functions of the Human
Thymus in a Humanized Athymic Mouse Model;
Presenter: Katja Weinacht, Stanford School of Medicine

9:00-9:15AM Thymic epithelial organoids derived from postnatal thymic tissue support in
vitro T cell development; Presenter: Sam Willemsen, Hubrecht Institute

9:15-9:30AM A fully human functional thymic microenvironment for in vitro studies of T cell
biology; Presenter: Paola Bonfanti, The Francis Crick Institute

9:30-9:45AM Development of Two-Photon Intravital Endomicroscopy to Characterize Age-
Dependent Changes to Hemodynamics and Thymocyte Motility in the Native
Thymus after Cytotoxic Conditioning;
Presenter: Christian S. Burns, University of California, Merced

9:45-10:00AM Cell-to-cell interaction recording and identification of cellular interactomes that
support T cells in the thymus;
Presenter: Miguel Ganuza, Queen Mary University of London

10:00-10:30AM Discussion

10:30-11:00AM Coffee Break

11:00-11:15AM Unraveling newborn T cell lymphopenia: a novel heterozygous FOXN1 variant results
in failed TEC development and systemic lymphopenia through gain-of-function;
Presenter: Xian Liu, University of California San Francisco

11:15-11:30AM Differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells to thymic epithelial progenitor cells
as a model for dissecting genetic-intrinsic thymic disorders;
Presenter: Marita Bosticardo, NIAID, NIH

11:30-11:45AM Aberrant thymic architecture and T cell maturation in Down syndrome;
Presenter: John Crispino, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

11:45-12:00PM Thymocyte-Dependent Regulation of Thymic Epithelial Cell Composition and
Maturation in Rag1 Hypomorphic Mice; Presenter: Francesca Pala, NIAID, NIH

12:00-12:15PM Spatial multiomic studies of the thymus in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome;
Presenter: Viktoria Hennings, University of Gothenburg

12:15-12:30PM Ex Vivo-Generated Murine T-cell Precursors Enhance Thymic Regeneration, T-cell
Reconstitution and Antitumor Response in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell
Transplant; Presenter: Jennifer J. Tsai, SmartImmune

12:30-1:00PM Discussion

1:00 - 2:30PM Lunch Break - Free Time

2:30-2:45PM Paracrine FGF21 dynamically modulates mTOR signaling to regulate thymus function across the
lifespan; Presenter: Ann Griffith, UT Health San Antonio

2:45-3:00PM Enhanced paracrine action of FGF21 in stromal cells delays thymic aging;
Presenter: Vishwa Dixit, Yale School of Medicine

3:00-3:15PM Regulatory T cell derived Trefoil Factor 1 drives thymic regeneration;
Presenter: Jonah Pierce, City of Hope National Medical Center

3:15-3:30PM Thymic epithelial Calcoco1 delays age-associated thymic involution;
Presenter: Izumi Ohigashi, Tokushima University

3:30-3:45PM Interrogating epithelial subsets mediating endogenous thymic regeneration;
Presenter: Dante Dennis Acenas II , University of Washington/Fred Hutch Cancer Center

3:45-4:05PM Sponsor Talk - Accelerating Translation by Leveraging Academic GMP Facilities
Presenter: Taby Ahsan, City of Hope National Medical Center

4:05-4:30PM Discussion