On May 13, 2026, Medicon Village Auditorium hosted the Lund ImmunoTalks (LIT) Symposium, bringing together around 120 researchers from Lund University, the University of Copenhagen, and Gothenburg University for a day focused on tissue immunity.
This year’s theme – Tissue Immunity: Defense at the Frontline – explored immune responses across barrier tissues like skin, lung, gut, and bladder. Our international speakers delivered engaging presentations that sparked discussions throughout the day.
Eduardo Villablanca (Karolinska Institute) compared the intestinal barrier to a bar separating drinks from customers, an analogy that resonated with everyone. Yasmine Belkaid (Pasteur Institute) presented fascinating work on how endogenous retroviruses can stimulate tissue repair, while Molly Ingersoll (Pasteur Institute) explained the sex differences in urinary tract infections with both humor and insight. Carolyn King (University of Basel) framed CD4 T cells as “air traffic controllers” in the lung, and Mauro Gaya (CIML) shared his research on B cells in the lung.
The panel discussion on academic freedom was particularly engaging. Our speakers shared thoughtful perspectives on protecting academic freedom in an increasingly complex political landscape, a timely reminder that we must actively take charge of the conditions that enable our work.
The poster session featured approximately 20 presentations from early career researchers, creating lively exchanges and valuable feedback. With representation from across Lund University’s and a record number of attendees from Copenhagen University, the symposium demonstrated how immunology brings together researchers across disciplines and institutions.
We’re grateful to our organizing committee, sponsors, and all participants who made this day such a success. The positive feedback has been wonderful, and we’re already looking forward to next year!
