The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC) will host a new international Symposium exploring the latest advances in haematology research. Coordinated by Esteban Ballestar , Biola M. Javierre and Tomàs Navarro , the Symposium "Immunity in Haematological Malignancies: From Molecular Mechanisms to Transformative Therapies" will take place on 05-06 November 2026 at the Josep Carreras Institute .
Advances in cancer immunology have transformed the treatment of many haematological malignancies over the past decade. Immunotherapies such as CAR-T cell therapies, bispecific antibodies and immune checkpoint inhibitors have reshaped the treatment landscape for many patients with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Despite these advances, major challenges remain in understanding how interactions between tumour cells and the immune system influence disease progression, treatment response and therapeutic resistance.
Against this backdrop, the IJC symposium will explore how discoveries in fundamental immunology are driving the development of the next generation of therapies for haematological malignancies . The scientific programme will cover topics ranging from immune dysregulation and tumour evasion to CAR-T engineering, bispecific antibodies, and late-breaking clinical trial results.
The IJC Symposium will have an exceptional panel of international speakers: Lionel Adès , Hôpital Saint-Louis; Luis Álvarez Vallina , Blood and Tissues Bank; Dominique Bonnet, The Francis Crick Institute; Antonino Carbone , Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO); Raffaella Di Micco , Ospedale San Raffaele; Amanda Fisher , University of Oxford; Torsten Haferlach, Munich Leukemia Laboratory (MLL); Steven Z. Josefowicz , Weill Cornell Medicine; Manel Juan , Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdques Agustí Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS); Tak Mak , Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto; José Á. Martínez Climent , Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA). University of Navarra; Renato Ostuni , Ospedale San Raffaele; Alejo Rodriguez Fraticelli , Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB); Anindita Roy , University of Oxford; Silvia Sánchez Ramón , Hospital Clínico San Carlos; Anna Torrent , Institut Català d’Oncologia, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol; Klaus Warnatz , Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center University of Freiburg; and Weili Zhao , Shanghai Institute of Hematology / Shanghai Ruijin Hospital.
In addition to keynote lectures and scientific sessions, the programme will also include short talks and poster presentations selected by the Organising Committee. Participants are invited to submit abstracts for consideration for oral and poster presentations by Friday, 18 September 2026 .
The Josep Carreras Institute’s efforts are guided by its mission to find a cure for patients with blood cancers . Under the leadership of Director Ari Melnick , IJC aims to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries in haematological malignancies into clinical practice. As part of this commitment, initiatives such as the 2026 IJC Symposium foster scientific exchange and collaboration among international leaders in the field, helping to advance research towards better diagnoses and treatments. The symposium is organised with the support of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation.