The International Congress of Immunology (ICI) is the largest global event in the field of immunology. It is held every three years under the auspices of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Kobe (Japan) and Milan (Italy) hosted the three previous events, each with an attendance of >5,000 delegates.

Immunology is a vigorous discipline, continually delivering advances in basic and clinical research that affect the lives of billions worldwide. Vaccines save lives, especially among children, and anti-inflammatory drugs improve the quality of life of sufferers of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis, in particular among the elderly. We are witnessing the emergence of new immunotherapeutic drugs, antibodies and cell-based therapies that promise to revolutionise the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity, allergy and immune deficiencies, and to improve the outcomes of transplantation.

These are exciting times for immunologists, and the ICI 2016 in Melbourne will provide the ideal environment to share new findings, report clinical advances, explore new career opportunities, and establish collaborations amongst scientist, industry and non-for-profit organisations. It will also provide the ideal venue to host public lectures and engage with the media to report new advances to the general public.