The Byers Eye Institute at Stanford
Second International Symposium on Immunity, Immunology & Ocular Inflammation
I I O I · 2 0 2 6
The IIOI Symposium convenes leading immunologists, ophthalmologists, and translational scientists to advance the understanding of the pathophysiology of immunologic diseases — with a distinctive emphasis on ocular inflammation and uveitis.
Across two days, invited faculty present cutting-edge science and engage in moderated panel discussions designed to translate immunologic discovery into insight for ocular and systemic inflammatory disease. The intimate, cross-disciplinary format is what makes IIOI distinctive.
The inaugural IIOI Symposium was held in September 2024, bringing together 24 speakers across seven thematic sessions. The Second Symposium continues and expands that mission, deepening the dialogue between basic immunology and clinical ophthalmology.
The inaugural IIOI Symposium featured 38 lectures across seven sessions and a closing synthesis. It is presented here as a reference for the scope and caliber of the 2026 program.
| 8:15 | B-Cell Development and Autoimmunity | Eric Meffre |
| 8:30 | Evidence for Two Independent T-Cell Checkpoints Controlling Autoimmunity | Mark Davis |
| 8:45 | The Role of Cytomegalovirus in Shaping the Human Immune System | Holden Maecker |
| 9:00 | Beyond IgE: Mast Cells’ Contribution to Non-Allergic Ocular Inflammation and Angiogenesis | Sunil Chauhan |
| 9:15 | Impact of ERAP1-MHC Class I Epistasis on Human Immune-Mediated Disease | Johannes Nowatzky |
| 9:30 | Panel - The Next Molecule to Conquer in Immune Regulation | Led by Holden Maecker |
| 10:00 | Multimodal Imaging of Optic Nerve Inflammation, Vasculopathy, and Degeneration | Joyce Liao |
| 10:15 | 3D Visualization of Retinal Ganglion Cell Ultrastructure Relevant to Optic Disc Drusen Pathology | Wah Chiu |
| 10:30 | Modern Mass Spectrometry ‘omics: Advances in Proteomics and Metabolomics | Ryan Leib |
| 10:45 | Novel Serum and Tear Proteomic Biomarkers: Infectious vs. Non-infectious Uveitis | Rupesh Agrawal |
| 11:00 | Adaptive Optics Retinal Imaging for In Vivo Pathology and Physiology | Alfredo Dubra |
| 11:15 | Panel - The Next Promising Imaging Technology for Inflammation | Led by Wah Chiu |
| 12:30 | Molecular Diagnosis of Orbital Inflammatory Diseases | James Rosenbaum |
| 12:45 | Measuring Immune Competence in Health and Disease | Holden Maecker |
| 13:00 | Inherited Retinal Disease-Associated Ocular Inflammation | Jia-Horung Hung |
| 13:15 | Immune Response in Tubercular Uveitis: Diagnosis and Management | Vishali Gupta |
| 13:30 | Uveitis Progression: Structural vs. Functional Deterioration | Yasir Sepah |
| 13:45 | Immunopathology of Uveitis | Chi-Chao Chan Eng |
| 14:00 | Panel - Is Combination Therapy Appropriate for Ocular Inflammatory Diseases? | Led by Quan Dong Nguyen |
| 14:20 | Corneal Lymphangiogenesis and Transplantation Immunity | Lu Chen |
| 14:35 | Calcification and Its Relationship to End-Stage Macular Degeneration | Imre Lengyel |
| 14:50 | Microbiome and HLA-B27 Associated Diseases | James Rosenbaum |
| 15:05 | The Impact of Diet on Inflammation via the Gut Microbiome | Justin Sonnenburg |
| 15:20 | Panel - The Microbiome as a Tool in Treating Inflammatory Diseases | Led by Justin Sonnenburg |
| 15:50 | The Eye as a Window to the Brain: Oculomics for Brain Disorders | Imre Lengyel |
| 16:05 | Inflammation and the Eye-Brain Network | Joyce Liao |
| 16:20 | Subcellular Features in Fibroblasts Derived from Alzheimer Patients | Wah Chiu |
| 16:35 | STAT-specific Camelid Nanobody: Immunotherapy for CNS Autoimmune Diseases | Charles E. Egwuagu |
| 16:50 | Can We Reverse Eye Aging? | Vinit Mahajan |
| 17:05 | Panel - Using Eye Findings to Learn About Brain Diseases | Led by Joyce Liao |
| 17:25 | Day 1 Wrap-Up and Adjournment |
| 8:00 | Neutrophils in Ocular Surface Disease | Daniel Saban |
| 8:15 | MSC Regulation of Ocular Surface Inflammation and Tissue Regeneration | Sunil Chauhan |
| 8:30 | Macrophages in the Cornea, Outflow Tract, and Outer Retina | Daniel Saban |
| 8:45 | Aqueous Humor Proteomics: Targetable Immune Checkpoints in Uveal Melanoma | Prithvi Mruthyunjaya |
| 9:00 | Impact of Checkpoint Inhibitors on Autoreactive B-Cell Development | Eric Meffre |
| 9:15 | Disease-Associated TCR in Human Uveitides: Behçet’s and Others | Johannes Nowatzky |
| 9:30 | Panel - How to Best Assess and Measure Immune Response | Led by Johannes Nowatzky |
| 10:00 | Regulatory B cells (Bregs) and Exosomes: Immunotherapies for Uveitis and GVHD Eye Disease | Charles E. Egwuagu |
| 10:15 | Salutogenesis: A Novel Approach to Eye Inflammatory Disease Prevention | Vishali Gupta |
| 10:30 | Re-engineering Immune Privilege to Treat Eye Inflammation | Vinit Mahajan |
| 10:45 | T-lymphocyte Profiling in IGRA-Positive vs. IGRA-Negative Uveitis | Rupesh Agrawal |
| 11:00 | Therapy in Development for Uveitis: Selected Biologics and Cellular Modifications | Quan Dong Nguyen |
| 11:15 | Therapies Targeting Integrins and Their Applicability to Uveitis | Lawrence Steinman |
| 11:30 | Human Organoids to Model Autoimmune Diseases and Regulatory T Cell Function | Mark Davis |
| 11:45 | Panel - Where to Focus for the Best Therapeutic Effects | Led by Mark Davis & Vishali Gupta |
| 12:15 | Session-by-session synthesis (Sessions 1-7) | Meffre · Liao · Sepah · Rosenbaum · Goldberg · Davis · Steinman |
| 12:50 | Closing Remarks and Goal Setting for the Next Step | Quan Dong Nguyen & Johannes Nowatzky |