AAI Congressional Briefing
Investing in Cures: Past Triumphs and Future Opportunities to Harness the Immune System to Fight Cancer
September 30, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, SVC 202/203
Speakers:
- James P. Allison, Ph.D., Regental Professor and Chair, Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D. – Professor of Oncology, and Deputy Director, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Alexis Browning – cancer survivor, Louisville, Kentucky
Co-chairs:
- Ulrich H. von Andrian, M.D., Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Professor of Immunopathology; Harvard Medical School; President, AAI
- Lauren Ehrlich, Ph.D. - L. Leon Campbell, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor in Microbiology; Professor of Molecular Biosciences; The University of Texas at Austin; Chair, AAI Committee on Public Affairs
Description
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, offering new hope to patients across a wide range of cancer types. This groundbreaking approach – often hailed as one of the most significant advancements in oncology – emerged from decades of research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Basic research on how immune responses are initiated and controlled laid the groundwork for immunotherapy’s core principle: empowering the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. As research continues to evolve, the promise of immunotherapy grows, driven by cutting-edge science and a commitment to improving patient outcomes.
Please join the American Association of Immunologists for an enlightening presentation tracing the journey from basic immunology research to the development of cancer immunotherapy – and the promising treatments on the horizon. Nobel Prize laureate Dr. James Allison and world-renowned oncology expert Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee will delve into the key immunological discoveries that made immunotherapy possible and will discuss future opportunities to harness the immune system to combat cancer. Attendees will also hear a powerful story from Alexis Browning, a cancer survivor whose life was saved by immunotherapy.
Formal remarks will be followed by a Q&A session.
RSVP here:
*Please note this event is in-person only and will not be recorded*
Lunch will be served
This briefing meets Congressional鈥�ethics requirements for a widely attended event