Meetings
DGNIM Kick-off Meeting
November 23–25, 2026 | Kloster Schöntal
A new chapter begins.
From November 23–25, 2026, the German Society for Neuroimmunology (DGNIM) invites you to its Kick-off Meeting at Kloster Schöntal — the official founding meeting of the DGNIM and a milestone for neuroimmunology in Germany.
Set in an inspiring and secluded environment, this meeting will bring together scientists and clinicians to introduce the society, define shared goals, and actively shape the future of neuroimmunology in Germany. This is more than a meeting — it is the starting point of a shared scientific endeavor.
The program is intentionally designed as a focused, internal format – an ample time for discussion, exchange, and interaction within the community. A special highlight will be contributions from our Honorary Members, who will reflect on the historical development of neuroimmunology in Germany, linking past achievements to future perspectives.
We look forward to welcoming you to an intense, personal, and forward-looking meeting — and to shaping the beginning of the DGNIM together.
Registration for the Kick-off Meeting is now available!
We are happy to present our invited speakers:
Reinhard Hohlfeld
Hans Lassmann
Klaus Toyka
Hartmut Wekerle
Burkhard Becher
Tobias Derfuss
Melanie Greter
Sarah Hoffmann
Romana Höftberger
Martin Kerschensteiner
Tania Kümpfel
Frank Leypold
Roland Liblau
Doron Merkler
Malte Mohme
Christian Münz
Francesca Odoardi
Anneli Peters
Anne-Katrin Pröbstel
Michael Platten
Helena Radbruch
Thomas Skripuletz
Louisa von Baumgarten
Frauke Zipp
Program
1st Meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neuroimmunologie (DGNIM) e.V.
Kick-off & founding meeting · 23–25 November 2026 Kloster Schöntal
Day 1 — Monday, 23 November 2026
| Time | Programme |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Arrival & registration |
| 15:00 – 15:10 | Welcome & opening remarks (Ari Waisman & Manuel Friese) |
| 15:10 – 15:15 | Welcome remarks Hertie-Stiftung (Eva Koch) |
Hertie Opening Session Chairs: | |
| 15:15 – 15:40 | Martin Kerschensteiner Decoding MS-related immune signatures in the CSF compartment |
| 15:40 – 16:05 | Michael Platten Tumor Immunity in the CNS – Lessons from Autoimmunity |
| 16:05 – 16:30 | Anne-Katrin Pröbstel Microbiota-immune interaction in neuroinflammation |
| 16:30 – 16:40 | Simone Mader Antibodies against MLC1 found in patients with NMOSD-like disease mediate astrocytopathy in rodent models |
| 16:40 – 16:50 | Ali Afzali Anti-CD40L prevents meningeal B cell aggregates and mitigates progressive autoimmune encephalomyelitis |
| 16:50 – 17:30 | Break |
| 17:30 – 19:00 | DGNIM founding assembly (Mitgliederversammlung) |
| 19:00 | Dinner & get-together |
Day 2 — Tuesday, 24 November 2026
| Time | Programme |
Session 1 — Neuroinflammation in Neurodegeneration Chairs: | |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Burkhard Becher IL-23: shaping neuroinflammation once more |
| 09:00 – 09:20 | Helena Radbruch Tissue Niches in Neuroimmunology: From Disease Persistence to Precision Medicine |
| 09:20 – 09:40 | Melanie Greter Dysregulated microglia in neurodegeneration |
| 09:40 – 10:00 | Harald Prüß Autoimmune encephalitis — from disease mechanisms to novel treatments |
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Anna-Lena Börsch Fibrotic remodeling and immune activation colocalize in the human dura in progressive multiple sclerosis |
| 10:10 – 10:20 | Laura Bartos Spatial mapping of SV2A PET disentangles lesion-dependent and -independent gray matter pathology in multiple sclerosis |
| 10:20 – 10:50 | Coffee break |
Session 2 — Autoimmunity I and Tumorimmunology Chairs: | |
| 10:50 – 11:20 | Romana Höftberger Autoimmune encephalitis: Pathophysiology to Treatment – Lessons from neuropathology |
| 11:20 – 11:40 | Malte Mohme Neuroimmune crosstalk suppresses systemic T cell function in glioblastoma |
| 11:40 – 12:00 | Louisa von Baumgarten Microglia and Macrophages as Determinants of Cellular Immunotherapy Efficacy and Neurotoxicity |
| 12:00 – 12:20 | Michael Breckwoldt Spatial characterization of immune cell rewiring by TLR 7-targeting nanoparticle immunotherapy underlying response and resistance in glioma models |
| 12:20 – 12:30 | Sarah Mundt Meningeal Lipid-Associated Macrophages drive Progressive Neuroinflammation |
| 12:30 – 12:40 | Anna Thomann CX3CR1+ monocytes/macrophages are the criticalsource of pathogenic IL-23p19 during EAE |
| 12:40 – 13:30 | Lunch |
Session 3 — Environmental interactions and CNS inflammation Chairs: | |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | Doron Merkler Unraveling Immune-Driven Mechanisms of CNS Pathology |
| 14:00 – 14:20 | Tobias Derfuss B cells, EBV infection and CNS demyelination |
| 14:20 – 14:40 | Christian Münz Neuroinflammation after non-neurotropic Epstein Barr virus infection |
| 14:40 – 15:00 | Anneli Peters Evolution of the MOG-specific B cell response: maturation in the periphery and suppression in the CNS |
| 15:00 – 15:10 | Jana Sonner GDF-15-responsive brainstem neurons control autoimmune CNS infiltration |
| 15:10 – 15:20 | Alesja Dernst Synthetic diet feeding exacerbates CNS autoimmunity in mice independent of weight gain |
| 15:20 – 15:50 | Coffee break |
| 16:00 – 17:30 | Hertie Panel Discussion – Chair: Heinz Wiendl History of German–Austrian Neuroimmunology |
| 18:00 | Hertie dinner (with surprise) |
| 19:30 – 21:30 | Hertie Poster Session |
Day 3 — Wednesday, 25 November 2026
| Time | Programme |
Session 4 — Autoimmunity II Chairs: | |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Frauke Zipp The role of the immune system in neurodegeneration and repair |
| 09:00 – 09:20 | Francesca Odoardi Role of the lung in CNS autoimmunity |
| 09:20 – 09:40 | Roland Liblau Role of tissue-resident T cells in chronic autoimmune diseases of the CNS |
| 09:40 – 10:00 | Frank Leypoldt From HLA to Fab-arm exchange: deconstructing the immunology of autoimmune encephalitis |
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Daniela Esser Single cell sequencing of CSF and PBMCs from untreated patients with anti-IgLON5 |
| 10:10 – 10:20 | Björn Rissiek Endothelial neoantigen expression initiates a regulated CD8⁺ T cell response that is amplified by peripheral immune challenge to drive CNS vasculitis |
| 10:20 – 10:50 | Coffee break |
Session 5 — Clinical Neuroimmunology Chairs: | |
| 10:50 – 11:20 | Tania Kümpfel Clinical/therapeutic perspectives and progress in NMOSD/MOGAD |
| 11:20 – 11:40 | Thomas Skripuletz (DGLN) Advancing CSF diagnostics in clinical neuroimmunology: biomarkers for earlier diagnosis |
| 11:40 – 12:00 | Edgar Meinl T-B interactions yield CD3⁺ B cells and CD20⁺ T cells with pathogenic features in multiple sclerosis |
| 12:00 – 12:20 | Sarah Hoffmann Translational neuroimmunology in myasthenia gravis |
| 12:20 – 12:30 | Felix Fischbach/Lena-Kristina Pfeffer CD19 CAR T Cell Therapy Modulates Diseaseassociated Immune Signatures in Multiple Sclerosis |
| 12:30 – 12:40 | Jonathan Wickel Teclistamab for refractory autoimmune neuropathy |
| 12:40 – 12:55 | Closing remarks |
| 12:55 | Farewell lunch & departure |