ICW 2025 Full Scientific Program
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sunday 14 September 2025 - Teaching Day & Welcome Reception (The University of Queensland, St Lucia)
| Time | Item | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 9:30 | Arrive at The University of Queensland, St Lucia (ADVANCED ENGINEERING BUILDING) | Registration desk open |
| 08:30 - 9:30 | Coffee/Breakfast snacks | |
| Lectures (all welcome) | ||
| 09:30 - 09:45 | Welcome and Introduction. | Barbara Rolfe + Trent Woodruff |
| 09:45 - 10:15 | An introduction to the complement system - activation and regulation | Claire Harris |
| 10:15 - 10:45 | Towards a better understanding of the cell autonomous functions of complement | Claudia Kemper |
| 10:45 - 11:15 | Where and how to therapeutically target complement | Daniel Ricklin |
| 11:15 - 11:45 | Complement at the interface of barriers: roles in immune protection and disease | Hrish Kulkarni |
| 11:45 - 12:15 | Complement in human disease: approved drugs and new therapeutic applications | Peter Garred |
| 12:15 - 13:30 | Lunch | |
| 12:45 - 13:30 | ECCO meeting (all ECRs + Students welcome) | |
| Tutorial rotations (enrolled attendees) | ||
| 13:30 - 14:45 | Essential Complement Methodologies I (molecular methods) | Anna Blom + Leendert Trouw |
| 13:30 - 14:45 | Essential Complement Methodologies II (in/ex vivo and clinical testing) | Ashley Fraser-Abel + Tom Mollnes |
| 13:30 - 14:45 | Complement genetics and the complotype | Richard Smith + Hector Merinero |
| 13:30 - 14:45 | Complement and cancer | Brahm Segal + Lubka Roumenina |
| 13:30 - 14:45 | Complement and neurological disease | Paul Morgan + John Lee |
| 14:45 - 15:15 | Coffee and snacks | |
| 15:15 - 16:30 | Repeat Sessions | Same as above |
| Welcome reception with Wildlife encounter (all welcome) | ||
| 17:00 - 19:00 | Drinks and Canapés | |
| 17:30 - 17:45 | ICS President-elect and ICW Chair welcome |
Monday 15 September 2025 (Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank)
| Time | Item | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 07:30 - 08:30 | Registration | |
| 08:30 - 08:50 | Meeting Opening - Acknowledgment of Country - Thank sponsors | Trent Woodruff |
| 08:50 - 09:40 | Keynote speaker | Arun Shukla (Chair: Gregers Andersen) |
| 09:40 - 10:10 | Morning coffee break | |
| 10:10 - 11:25 | Session 1 – Structures informing complement function | Michelle Dunstone + Richard Clark |
| Three cryo-EM structures of the complement C3d-complement receptor 3 complex reveal a novel layer of dynamics and the signaling mechanism underlying iC3b dependent phagocytosis | Gregers Andersen | |
| Structural insights into how the membrane attack complex is recognised by the diagnostic antibody aE11 | Bill Ho | |
| Insights into potentiation of Factor H function by the Pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC): the structure of Factor H domains 8-14 in complex with PspC | Jannik Sichau | |
| Molecular basis of naturally-encoded signaling-bias at the complement anaphylatoxin receptor, C5aR1 | Annu Dalal | |
| Live-cell single-molecule imaging of a new fluorescent C5a receptor antagonist reveals the heterogeneous spatiotemporal dynamics of C5aR1 at the plasma membrane | Pranesh Padmanabhan | |
| 11:25 - 12:40 | Session 2 – Mechanisms of complement activation and control | Mihály Józsi + Zoltán Prohászka |
| Characterization of disease-associated FHR-5 variants for their ligand binding and complement modulating capacity | Mihály Józsi | |
| FHR2 Binds to HUVE Necrotic Cell and Renal Glomerular Basal Membrane, Inhibiting TCC Deposition and Exhibiting Cofactor Activity. | Emma Diletta Stea | |
| Analysis of Human Factor H-Related Gene and Protein Expression in Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovium Identifies a Novel Mechanism Promoting Dysregulated Complement Pathway Activation | Nirmal Banda | |
| Convergent patterns of protein binding promiscuity of complement proteins and immunoglobulins | Jordan Dimitrov | |
| The conversion of native C3 to C3(H2O) is contact-driven facilitated by neutrophil extracellular traps | Sanjaya Sahu | |
| 12:40 - 14:00 | Lunch | |
| 14:00 - 15:30 | Session 3 – Complement and infection | Christian Karsten + Jill Carr |
| Complement C9-Mediated RBC Hemolysis Drives Microvascular Obstruction via Endothelial Necroptosis and Hemolyzed RBC Aggregation in COVID-19 | Mike Wu | |
| CD46 directly engages Sp1 to control gene transcription and HIV expression in human CD4+ T cells | Parul Singh | |
| C5aR1 but not C5aR2 signaling promotes fungal clearance in the lung and host survival during systemic infection with Cryptococcus neoformans | Meiqing Shi | |
| A Novel Complement-Based Drug Candidate Against Fungal Infections With Promising Results in a Murine Model of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis | Verena Harpf | |
| The complement system is activated and regulated differently during infection with the orthoflaviviruses, dengue and zika virus | Jill Carr | |
| Infection Risk in Pediatric Complement Inhibition: Insights from a Single-Center Experience | Sara Graciaa | |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Afternoon coffee and snacks | |
| 16:00 - 16:05 | Svar Award Intro | Chair: Christoph Schmidt (tbc) |
| 16:05 - 16:25 | Svar Winner #1 | TBD |
| 16:25 - 16:45 | Svar Winner #2 | TBD |
| 16:45 - 18:00 | Session 4 – Complement in kidney disease | Carl Atkinson + Kevin Marchbank |
| HDM-FH treatment during static cold storage protects against ischaemic injury in a simulated kidney transplant model. | Kevin Marchbank | |
| Macrophage-Derived Complement Factor H Restrains Kidney Inflammation and Fibrosis in Immune Complex-Mediated Disease. | Jessy Alexander | |
| Spatial transcriptomics maps complement‑driven cell‑to‑cell interactions during acute kidney injury | Vikram Sabapathy | |
| Complement 5a receptor 2 attenuates diabetic kidney disease by promoting mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane formation mediated by PSS-MFN2 interaction | Yiyang Zhao | |
| Cell-intrinsic complement C3 and FB promote acute kidney injury | Lubka Roumenina | |
| Complement C3 and Complement Factor H affect glomerular IgA deposition in IgA Nephropathy | Li Zhu | |
| 19:00 - 22:00 | LOC Invited Speakers Dinner |
Tuesday 16 September 2025 (Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank)
| Time | Item | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:00 | Registration + Poster session 1 set up | |
| 09:00 - 10:00 | Session 5 – Complement in cell metabolism and metabolic disease | Hrishikesh Kulkarni + Melinda Coughlan |
| Opposing effects of animal models of Type 1 and type 2 diabetes on factor D expression and systemic alternative pathway activity | Ben King | |
| Beta-Cell Intrinsic C3 Regulates Pancreatic Islet Responses to Metabolic Stress in vivo | Vaishnavi Dandavate | |
| Metabolic changes in the retinal pigment epithelium of patients with complement factor H haploinsufficiency | Rayne Lim | |
| The C3-C3aR axis modulates trained immunity in alveolar macrophages | Hrishikesh Kulkarni | |
| 10:00 - 10:30 | Morning coffee and snacks | |
| 10:30 - 10:40 | Hans-Muller-Eberhard Award Introduction | Chair: Claudia Kemper |
| 10:40 - 11:20 | HME Plenary Lecture | Andrea Tenner |
| 11:20 - 12:20 | Session 6 – Complement in cancer | Silvia Guglietta + Ruben Pio |
| Factor H-Related Protein Dysregulation and Intracellular Localization in Osteoarthritis and Head & Neck Cancer | Nicole Schäfer | |
| Targeting complement anaphylatoxin C3a receptor to break immunotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer | Silvia Guglietta | |
| Cell-autonomous complement C3 activity in prostate epithelial cells suppresses malignant transformation through tonic restrain of the MYC-tumorigenesis program | Natalia Kunz | |
| Complement signaling as a T-cell checkpoint in the tumor microenvironment | ANM Nazmul Khan | |
| 12:20 - 12:30 | ICS Mentorship Program Introduction | Anna Blom |
| 12:30 - 12:45 | GROUP PHOTO | Meet in foyer |
| 12:45 - 14:15 | Mentor Session Meet-Up / Lunchtime | |
| 14:15 - 15:30 | Session 7 – Cell autonomous and intracellular complement | Berhane Ghebrehiwet + tbc |
| Transcriptional cross‑talk regulates complement C3 expression during CD4⁺ T‑cell activation | Jorge-Luis Trujillo-Ochoa | |
| The role of intracellular and cell-autonomous C3 in NF-κB priming in human macrophages | Charlotte Årseth | |
| Mucosal Complement Factor B Production by Intestinal Epithelium is Required in Homeostasis and Response to Injury | Devesha Kulkarni | |
| GC B cell autonomous complement activation rewires cell metabolism associated with delayed class switching and altered GC dynamics | Philip Einwohlt | |
| Compstatins abolish pathogenic fibroblast function associated with inflammatory maladaptation of tissues | Markus H Hoffmann | |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Rapid Fire Session ONE (12 talks) 2 slides, 2 min per speaker | Chair: Matt Hardy (CSL) |
| Structural basis of complement C3 recognition by both convertases | Changhao Jia | |
| Targeted binding and activation of native C3 without proteolytic cleavage induced by flip/flopped cell membranes | David Eikrem | |
| Reconstitution of a fully functional recombinant membrane attack complex for molecular biology studies | Bill Ho | |
| A conserved molecular mechanism orchestrates diverse ligand recognition at the complement anaphylatoxin receptor C3aR | Sudha Mishra | |
| MicroRNA sequencing of plasma exosomes reveals complement dysregulation in COVID-19 | Anthony Shadid | |
| Profiling complement dysregulation in frontotemporal dementia using cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and exosomes. | Lewis M Watkins | |
| Isoform-Specific Detection and Quantification of Complement C4A via Novel mAbs | Bettina Eide Holm | |
| Novel Quantitative ELISA Reveals Dynamics of Pro-Factor D Conversion During Alternative Complement Pathway Activation | Tereza Alica Plchová | |
| C5 inhibition by mAbs: There’s many ways to skin a cat! | Rebekah S Cooke | |
| The toxin CyaA from Bordetella pertussis as a potential modulator of Complement receptor 3 (CR3) function | Marie Jachmann | |
| Distinct sites of complement activation and regulation in the tumor microenvironment | Joanne van Keulen | |
| New roles of intracellular C3 in triggering immune responses | Katarzyna Kuska | |
| 16:00 - 18:00 | Poster Session ONE + Afternoon Coffee | |
| 18:00 - 21:00 | ECR Pub Quiz |
Wednesday 17 September 2025 (Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank)
| Time | Item | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:00 | Registration + Poster removal | |
| 09:00 - 09:40 | Keynote speaker (Remote presentation) | Beth Stevens (Chair: John Lee) |
| 09:40 - 10:00 | Morning coffee | |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | Session 8 – Novel and non-canonical roles for Complement | Lubka Roumenina + Ben King |
| Novel Metabolic Role of the Complement Activator MASP-2 in Regulating Pancreatic β-Cell Function | Peter Garred | |
| Novel Functions of CD59 Isoforms Iris-1 and Iris-2 in Insulin-Producing Pancreatic β-Cells | Thu-Ha Tran | |
| Hypothalamic C3aR Activation by Astrocyte-Derived Complement C3a Drives Obesity and Cardiometabolic Dysfunction | Carolin Gragoll | |
| Complement Membrane Attack Complex Alters the Proliferation of Neural Progenitor Cells During Late Embryonic Murine Neurogenesis. | Austin Read | |
| 11:00 - 12:15 | Session 9 – Complement in disease | Joerg Koehl + Jessy Alexander |
| The Alzheimer’s disease-associated complement receptor 1 variant CR1*2 enhances glial phagocytosis of relevant targets and impacts neuroinflammation | Nikoleta Daskoulidou | |
| Charting the Path of Dendritic Cell Subsets in Allergic Asthma Using C5aR1 Fate Mapping Mice | Mareike Ohms | |
| C5aR2 Fuels Autoimmune Skin Disease in Murine Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita | Jovan Schanzenbacher | |
| Deep neutrophil phenotyping unveils the impact of complement activation in sickle cell pathophysiology | Satheesh Chonat | |
| Mice lacking MASP-1 and/or MASP-3 are protected from the development of retinal degeneration in a murine model of NaIO3-induced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) | Hideharu Sekine | |
| 12:15 - 12:25 | Gold Sponsor presentation (SVAR) | Hannes Brehm |
| 12:25 - 13:15 | Lunch | |
| 13:15 - 17:30 | Social Tour to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Last bus leaves at 13:30 sharp | |
| TBC | Poster boards B set up |
Thursday 18 September 2025 (Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank)
| Time | Item | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 - 08:30 | Registration + Poster session 2 set up | |
| 08:30 - 09:20 | Keynote speaker | Daniel Reich (Chair: Marc Ruitenberg) |
| 09:20 - 10:20 | Session 10 – Complement in neurodegenerative disease preclinical models | Valeria Ramaglia + Paul Morgan |
| Microglial Complement C5aR1 signalling drives inflammasome mediated neuropathology in Parkinson’s disease | Eduardo Albornoz | |
| Brain-penetrant anti-C7 therapy reduces neurodegeneration and microgliosis in an Alzheimer’s mouse model | Jack Reddaway | |
| Divergent Effects of Early Adult Microglial versus Global C1q Deletion on Amyloid Pathology and Synaptic Engulfment in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model | Tiffany Petrisko | |
| A multi-omic pipeline identifies complement as a driver of age-dependent progression in a model of multiple sclerosis | Valeria Ramaglia | |
| 10:20 - 10:50 | Morning coffee and snacks | |
| 10:50 - 11:00 | Legacy Award Introduction | Chair: Daniel Ricklin |
| 11:00 - 11:40 | ICS Legacy Plenary Lecture | John Lambris |
| 11:45 - 13:00 | Session 11 – Complement biomarkers, diagnostics and therapeutics | Masashi Mizuno + Elena Goicoechea de Jorge |
| The Power of Fusion: Tuning Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Properties of Complement-Modulating Peptides and Proteins Via Antibody Engineering | Florian Meyer | |
| Complement activation during the early postpartum period in healthy pregnant women. | Norimitsu Inoue | |
| Comprehensive functional analyses of 110 complement Factor B variants provide novel diagnostic and structural insights | Hector Martin Merinero | |
| Baseline and Longitudinal Associations between serum C3/C4 levels, tissue complement biomarkers, and IgA Nephropathy in South Asians. | Neetu Prince | |
| Rapid Complement Inhibition with the C5 Inhibitor Crovalimab: Timing Analysis Using Animal Model and COMPOSER Trial Data | Bradley P. Dixon | |
| 13:00 - 14:30 | Lunch | |
| 14:30 - 15:00 | Rapid Fire Session TWO (12 talks) 2 slides, 2 min per speaker | Chair: Matt Hardy (CSL) |
| Senescent erythrocytes as a trigger of complement activation and implications for breakthrough haemolysis in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria patients | Sümeyye Erdemci-Evin | |
| Distinct associations of the lectin pathway proteins MASP-2, MASP-3, and MAP-1 with clinical and serological profiles in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | Linnea Lindelöf | |
| The enigmatic role of C5aR2 in diabetic kidney disease | Inez Trambas | |
| Complement C3a receptor signalling mitigates motor neuron degeneration by modulating neurotoxic astrocytes | Alana R. Julianisya | |
| Mapping inhibitory epitopes on C7 with monoclonal antibodies | William MacIntosh-Smith | |
| A detrimental role for complement C5aR1 activation in Huntington’s disease | Jianina Marallag | |
| Pregnancy complications in C5aR2-deficient mice are caused by an altered uterine immune cell network | Katja Kähler | |
| Exploring the Role of the Terminal Complement Pathway in the DSS-Induced Colitis Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease | Cedric Cui | |
| Complement C5aR1 Modulates Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Cortical Pyramidal Neurons via a Calcium-Independent Mechanism | Sandra Parker | |
| Neutrophil Plasticity in Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita: Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immunity via C5aR2 Signaling | Dennis Niese | |
| Exploring the role of intracellular C3 in activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in human macrophages | Stine Kristensen | |
| The role of C3 in steatotic liver disease | Adrian Iliescu | |
| 15:00 - 17:00 | Poster Session TWO | |
| 17:00 - 17:45 | Poster removal | |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee and snacks | |
| 18:30 | Gala Dinner – Emporium Hotel |
Friday 19 September 2025 (Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank)
| Time | Item | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 - 08:30 | Registration | |
| 08:30 - 09:10 | Keynote speaker | Kate Schroder (Chair: Barbara Rolfe) |
| 09:10 - 10:10 | Session 12 – Complement in the clinic | Mike Holers + Veronique Fremeaux-Bacchi |
| PTargeted Treatment With Pegcetacoplan for Adolescents With C3G or Primary (Idiopathic) IC-MPGN in the VALIANT Phase 3 Trial | Carla M Nester | |
| Effects of Complement C3/C3b Inhibition on Control of Malignant Effusions and Neutrophil Phenotypes in Patients with Recurrent Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Interim Analysis of a Phase 2 Clinical Trial | Brahm Segal | |
| Complement Biomarker Responses to Factor B and C3 Inhibition in C3 Glomerulopathy | Yuzhou Zhang | |
| AON-D21 – Complement C5a-Neutralizing Human/Mouse Cross-Reactive L-aptamer from Bench to Phase 2 Clinical Trial | Axel Vater | |
| 10:10 - 10:30 | Morning coffee and snacks (20 min) | |
| 10:30 - 10:40 | Lambris and ICS Award: Introduction to awardees | Chair: Ashley Frazer-Abel |
| 10:40 - 11:00 | Lambris Award | Marco Mannes |
| 11:00 - 11:20 | ICS Early-Career Award | Nicolas Merle |
| 11:20 - 12:20 | Session 13 – Novel approaches to control complement activation | Leendert Trouw + Wioleta Zelek |
| Complement regulation in genetically modified pig endothelial cells under xenogeneic and inflammatory conditions | Mitra Gultom | |
| Inhibition of the complement component C5 and the Toll-like receptor molecule CD14 prevents systemic and local kidney inflammation in mice experiencing brain death. | Tom Eirik Mollnes | |
| CSL040 ameliorates primary graft dysfunction in pre-clinical models of lung transplantation | Carl Atkinson | |
| Mechanism of action of bi-specific antibodies recruiting endogenous complement inhibitors for targeted local complement inhibition in the context of rheumatoid arthritis | Leendert Trouw | |
| 12:20 - 13:15 | Lunch | |
| 13:15 - 13:30 | Announcement – EMCHD 2026 | |
| 13:30 - 13:45 | Announcement – ICW2027 | |
| 13:45 - 14:00 | Meeting Close and Sponsor thanks | Trent Woodruff |
| 14:00 - 14:45 | Afternoon Coffee and Goodbyes |