President's Message - 1/12/2021

On behalf of the SMI Board of Councilors, in consult with the ICMI International Planning Committee, we would like to provide you with an important update regarding the International Congress of Mucosal Immunology (ICMI).

With the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the uncertainty it brings for our immediate future and out of our concern for the health and safety of our members, attendees, faculty and partners, the SMI Board of Councilors has decided to postpone the next ICMI until July 2022, which will be held in person in Seattle, Washington, USA. On behalf of the Board of Councilors, I would like to further extend our thanks to the 20th International Planning Committee co-chairs and members for their continued dedication and hard work planning this newly rescheduled program. With this postponement, SMI will continue our biennial meeting cadence with ICMI to be held on even years following our 2022 meeting.

We are excited to announce the Principles of Mucosal Immunology course will still be held in July 2021 in a virtual format to ensure access and safety for our global community to this highly regarded course. Watch for more information on sessions, speakers, and registration in the coming weeks.

Additionally, SMI’s Webinar Series will continue in 2021. Having brought together nearly 1,500 registrants and over 600 additional member-only views, this series has proven to be a valuable educational benefit to our community, and we are excited to provide its continuation in 2021.

We appreciate your continued support of, and engagement with, the Society, and look forward to connecting with you online in 2021 and seeing you in person again July 2022.

Kind Regards,

Michael McGuckin, PhD
SMI President