Conference Program

Thursday, January 21 – Sunday, January 24, 2027

 Thursday, January 21, 2027
16:00Check-in
16:00 – 18:00Registration Desk – Professional Development Centre
17:30 – 19:00Welcome Reception – Kinnear Centre, Room 105
19:00Dinner – Kinnear Centre, Room 103
19:45KEYNOTE ADDRESS: TBA
Dr. Nathalie Vergnolle, PhD
Director, Digestive Health Research Institute
INSERM U1220
INRAE U1416 
 Friday, January 22, 2027
07:00 – 08:30Breakfast – Vistas Dining Room, Sally Borden Building, 
08:00 – 10:00Registration – Max Bell Central Foyer
08:00 – 17:00Posters – Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101/105
 SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE MAX BELL AUDITORIUM
 SESSION 1: MICROBIOME AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Co-Chairs: Dr. Kim Barrett (University of California Davis); Dr. Lisa Reynolds (University of Victoria)
08:50 – 09:00Welcome – Dr. Wally MacNaughton (University of Calgary)
09:00 – 09:30The microbiome's role in critical illness
Dr. Robert Dickson (University of Michigan)
09:30 – 10:00Why do babies get sick? A systems biology approach to developing diagnostics and therapeutics for neonatal sepsis
Dr. Amy Lee (Simon Fraser University)
10:00 – 10:30Microbiota–immune interactions that promote health
Dr. June Round (University of Utah)
10:30 – 10:45Coffee Break – Max Bell Foyer
10:45 – 11:15Exploring the microbiome of suppurative lung diseases
Dr. Christina Thornton (University of Calgary)
11:15 – 11:45Commensal microbiota promote γδ intraepithelial lymphocyte regulatory function
Dr. Karen Edelblum (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)
12:00 – 13:00Lunch – Kinnear Centre, Room 103
 SESSION 2: NEW CONCEPTS IN UNDERSTANDING INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Co-Chairs: Dr. Lisa Osborne (University of British Columbia); Dr. Roger Duffin (University of Edinburgh)
13:00 – 13:30Enabling phage therapy with bioengineering
Dr. Zeinab Hosseinidoust (McMaster University)
13:30 – 14:00The link between tubes of poo and tubes of blood
Dr. Kathryn Howe (University of Toronto)
14:00 – 14:30Circadian rhythms and colitis
Dr. Philip Karpowicz (University of Windsor)
14:30 – 14:45Break
14:45 – 15:15Trainee Quick Talks 1 
15:15 – 17:00Free Time
17:00 – 18:30Poster Session 1 – Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101/105
19:30 – 20:00Dinner – On own
 Saturday, January 23, 2027
07:00 – 08:30Breakfast – Vistas Dining Room, Sally Borden Building
08:00 – 17:00Posters – Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101/105
 SESSION 3: Neuroinflammation and Pain
Co-Chairs: Dr. Celine Deraison and Dr. Stephen Keely
09:00 – 09:30Enteric glia as modulators of visceral pain
Dr. Brian Gulbransen (Michigan State University)
09:30 – 10:00Meningeal immunity and its role in neuropathic pain
Dr. Thiago Cunha (University of São Paulo)
10:00 – 10:30A novel neuroimmune circuit that controls acute lung inflammation
Dr. Colin Reardon (University of California Davis)
10:30 – 10:45Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:15Gut-brain-immune changes following prenatal alcohol exposure: Evidence from translational models
Dr. Tamara Bodnar (University of Calgary)
11:15 – 11:45Methionine intake in MS and EAE: impact on neuroinflammatory processes
Dr. Catherine Larochelle (Université de Montréal)
12:00 – 13:00Lunch – Kinnear Centre, Room 103
 SESSION 4: Mucosal Immunity and Barrier Function
Co-Chairs: Dr. Cormac Taylor (University College Dublin); Dr. Simon Keely (University of Newcastle)
13:00 – 13:30Lung repair during influenza virus infection: cytokine regulation and viral subversion
Dr. Georgia Perona-Wright (University of Edinburgh)
13:30 – 14:00Is intestinal barrier loss always harmful?
Dr. Jerrold Turner (Harvard University)
14:00 – 14:30Dissecting macrophage regulation of lung epithelial regeneration
Dr. Christopher Lucas (University of Edinburgh)
14:30 – 15:00Host-microbe interactions and mucosal barrier
Dr. Sean Colgan (University of Colorado)
15:00 – 15:15Break
15:15 – 15:45EGFR/ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitors as a potential new treatment for chronic inflammation
Dr. Lynne Prince (University of Sheffield)
15:45 – 16:15The yin and yang of directed neutrophil transmigration during mucosal injury and inflammatory disease
Dr. Charles Parkos (University of Michigan)
16:15 – 16:45Trainee Quick Talks 2 
16:45 – 17:30Free Time
17:30 – 19:00Poster Session 2 – Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101/105
19:30Dinner and Awards Presentation – Kinnear Centre, Room 103
 Sunday, January 24, 2027
07:00 – 09:30Breakfast – Vistas Dining Room, Sally Borden Building
12:00Check-out 

Thursday, January 21, 2027

16:00 - Check-in
16:00 - 18:00Registration Desk
Professional Development Centre, Main Lobby Lounge                                                                                                
17:30 - 19:00Welcome Reception  
Kinnear Centre, Room 105
19:00Dinner  
Kinnear Centre, Room 103

19:45

 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
Central role of the epithelium in gut health and disease 
Dr. Theresa Pizarro (Case Western Reserve University)

Friday, January 22, 2027

07:00 - 08:30Breakfast 
Vistas Dining Room, Sally Borden Building                                                                                                                         
08:00 - 10:00Registration 
Max Bell Central Foyer              
08:00 - 17:00Posters 
Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101/105              

  SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE MAX BELL AUDITORIUM

08:50 - 09:00Welcome: Dr. Wally MacNaughton (University of CAlgary)                                                                                                                  

SESSION 1: MICROBIOME AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASE 
Co-Chairs: Dr. Kim Barrett (University of California Davis); Dr. Lisa Reynolds (University of Victoria)

09:00 - 09:30The microbiome's role in critical illness
Dr. Robert Dickson (University of Michigan) 
09:30 - 10:00Why do babies get sick? A systems biology approach to developing diagnostics and therapeutics for neonatal sepsis
Dr. Amy Lee (Simon Fraser University) 
10:00 - 10:30Microbiota-immune interactions that promote health
Dr. June Round (University of Utah) 
10:30 - 10:45Coffee Break
10:45 - 11:15Exploring the microbiome of suppurative lung diseases
Dr. Christina Thornton (University of Calgary) 
11:15 - 11:45Commensal microbiota promote γδ intraepithelial lymphocyte regulatory function
Dr. Karen Edelblum (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)
12:00 - 13:00Lunch 
Kinnear Centre, Room 103                                                                                                                                             

SESSION 2: NEW CONCEPTS IN UNDERSTANDING INFLAMMATORY DISEASE 
Co-Chairs: Dr. Lisa Osborne (University of British Columbia); Dr. Roger Duffin (University of Edinburgh)

13:00 - 13:30Enabling phage therapy with bioengineering
Dr. Zeinab Hosseinidoust (McMaster University)
13:30 - 14:00The link between tubes of poo and tubes of blood
Dr. Kathryn Howe (University of Toronto)
14:00 - 14:30Circadian rhythms and colitis
Dr. Philip Karpowicz (University of Windsor)
14:30 - 14:45Break

14:45 - 15:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trainee Quick Talks 1
Chair: Dr. Mark Frey (University of Southern California)

•    Garrett Ainsworth-Cruickshank (University of Calgary)
•    Natalie Andonian (University of Calgary)
•    Negin Ketabchi (Simon Fraser University)
•    Darasimi Kola-Ilesanmi (University of Calgary)
•    Ailidh McGonigle (University of Calgary)
•    Christie Catley (The University of Newcastle)
•    Kelvin Cheng (The University of Edinburgh)
•    Darragh Flood (University College Dublin)
•    Jenna Lane (University of Victoria)
•    Amandah Necker-Brown (University of Calgary)

15:15 - 17:00Free Time
17:00 - 18:30Poster Session 1 
Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101/105
19:30 - 20:00Dinner 
Kinnear Centre, Room 103                                                                                                                                             

Saturday, January 23, 2027

07:00 - 08:30Breakfast
Vistas Dining Room, Sally Borden Building                                                                                                                 
08:00 - 17:00Posters
Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101 /105                                                                                                        

SESSION 3: Neuroinflammation and Pain
Co-Chairs: Dr. Celine Deraison, INSERM; Dr. Stephen Keely, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland

09:00 - 09:30Enteric glia as modulators of visceral pain
Dr. Brian Gulbransen (Michigan State University)
09:30 - 10:00Meningeal immunity and its role in neuropathic pain
Dr. Thiago Cunha (University of São Paulo)
10:00 - 10:30A novel neuroimmune circuit that controls acute lung inflammation
Dr. Colin Reardon (University of California Davis)
10:30 - 10:45Coffee Break
10:45 - 11:15Gut-brain-immune changes following prenatal alcohol exposure: Evidence from translational models
Dr. Tamara Bodnar (University of Calgary)
11:15 - 11:45Methionine intake in MS and EAE: impact on neuroinflammatory processes
Dr. Catherine Larochelle (Université de Montréal)
12:00 - 13:00Lunch
Kinnear Centre, Room 103                                                                                                                                           

SESSION 4: Mucosal Immunity and Barrier Function
Co-Chairs: Dr. Cormac Taylor (University College Dublin); Dr. Simon Keely (University of Newcastle)

13:00 - 13:30Lung repair during influenza virus infection: cytokine regulation and viral subversion
Dr. Georgia Perona-Wright (University of Edinburgh)
13:30 - 14:00Is intestinal barrier loss always harmful?
Dr. Jerrold Turner (Harvard University)
14:00 - 14:30Dissecting macrophage regulation of lung epithelial regeneration
Dr. Christopher Lucas (University of Edinburgh)
14:30 - 15:00Host-microbe interactions and mucosal barrier
Dr. Sean Colgan (University of Colorada)
15:00 - 15:15Break
15:15 - 15:45EGFR/ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitors as a potential new treatment for chronic inflammation
Dr. Lynne Prince (University of Sheffield)
15:45 - 16:15The yin and yang of directed neutrophil transmigration during mucosal injury and inflammatory disease
Dr. Charles Parkos (University of Michigan)
16:15 - 16:45

Trainee Quick Talks 2
Chair: Dr. Simon Hirota (University of Calgary)

•    Aye Ozmaeian (University of Calgary)
•    Samaneh Safarpour (University of Alberta)
•    Nathaniel Thomson (University of Calgary)
•    Erika Tjostheim (University of Calgary)
•    Parker Volk (University of Calgary)
•    Natasha Norton (University of Victoria)
•    Tommaso Parigi (Case Western Reserve University)
•    Olivia Sosnowski (University of Calgary)
•    Julianna Svishchuk (University of Calgary)
•    Aerin Thompson (The University of Edinburgh)

16:45 - 17:30Free Time
17:30 - 19:00Poster Session 2
Kinnear Centre, Rooms 101 /105                                                                                     
19:30Dinner and Awards Presentation
Kinnear Centre, Room 103                                                                                                                                 

Sunday, January 24, 2027

07:00 - 09:30Breakfast 
Vistas Dining Room, Sally Borden Building                                                                                                                          
12:00Check-out

Banff Inflammation Workshop (BIW 2027)

January 21–24, 2027

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Banff, Alberta, Canada

Organized by: Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary

Contact: biw@ucalgary.ca

© 2027 Banff Inflammation Workshop. All rights reserved.