The ISV Scientific Committee curates a program featuring renowned speakers addressing globally significant topics, while ensuring a substantial portion of presentations come from submitted abstracts. ISV places a strong emphasis on fostering collaboration and supporting career development. There will be special career sessions for the next generation of vaccinologists. We encourage early career vaccinologists, as well as vaccinologists that are underrepresented in science to submit an abstract to be considered for an oral presentation. Dedicated initiatives are in place to support trainees and early-career researchers in advancing their careers. These include a career development panel discussion, senior scientists providing feedback on poster presentations, and the ISV mentoring program. Furthermore, the Bright Sparks sessions, which are juried competitions, offer an excellent platform for post-doctoral fellows and young researchers to demonstrate their research and presentation skills. Sessions are designed to allow ample time for questions, discussions, and networking, whether through informal conversations or by engaging with poster and oral presentations.

The ISV Annual General Meeting, integrated into the Annual Congress, serves to establish essential ISV policies and elect members to the ISV Board. Engaging with the ISV provides a valuable opportunity to expand your scientific network and enhance your professional visibility.

The ISV annual conference will be held from October 28-30 in Stellenbosch, a vibrant university town in South Africa's Western Cape province, situated 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Cape Town and nestled amidst the Cape Winelands' scenic vineyards, flanked by the picturesque Jonkershoek and Simonsberg mountain nature reserves. The venue can be easily accessed from the international airport of Cape Town.

The 2025 ISV Annual Congress website will be updated with information on abstract submission, venue, travel information, travel awards and program. We are proud to share that this year’s Stanley Plotkin’s Lecture will be given by Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker, Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town. A keynote talk has also been confirmed for Dr. Drew Weismann (UPenn, USA).

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the 2025 ISV Annual Congress for three days of science, meeting new and old colleagues, networking and gastronomy in the midst of Stellenbosch’s nature and wineries.

Sincerely,

2025 ISV Annual Congress Co-Chairs:

Ed Rybicki (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
Michelle Groome (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
Michael Schotsaert (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA)