Join us for this free public event to mark World Immunology Day 2024!
Join us on Thursday 25 April for our annual celebration of World Immunology Day, held in partnership with the Francis Crick Institute, Nature Portfolio, and the British Society for Immunology. This year, our invited scientists will be discussing the immune system in pregnancy and in the early stages of life. BBC broadcaster Claudia Hammond will chair the discussion.
During pregnancy, the mother’s immune system undergoes changes that are important for supporting the developing fetus. The maternal immune system must avoid responses that could damage the fetus, but still protect the mother and fetus from infections. Special immune adaptations at the maternal–fetal interface (where the mother’s uterus and fetal placenta make contact) help to ensure the pregnancy is a healthy one. By contrast, dysregulation of the immune system during pregnancy may lead to devastating complications, such as miscarriage, preterm birth and pre-eclampsia.
The immune system of the newborn baby also faces unique challenges. It must quickly adapt from the sterile environment of the uterus to an outside world that is full of microbes and foreign substances. Crucially, scientists are learning that such early life exposures can shape the immune system for years to come. For example, early life microbial exposures may affect the development of immune disorders, such as allergies, in later life.
Our host:
- Claudia Hammond
Our panel:
- Professor Petter Brodin (Imperial College London)
- Dr Chrissie Jones (University of Southampton)
- Professor Lindsay Hall (University of Birmingham)
- Dr Beth Holder (Imperial College London)
- Dr Victoria Male (Imperial College London)
They will explain our growing understanding of immunity in pregnancy and in early life, and highlight exciting recent breakthroughs made in this area. They will also discuss why certain vaccines are recommended during pregnancy.
This is aimed at a public audience. It is a hybrid event, with an in person audience at the Francis Crick Institute, joined by online attendees.