73rd Annual Montagna Symposium on the Biology of Skin presents:

Resident Memory T Cells in Health and Disease

October 15 – 19, 2026; Salishan Coastal Lodge, Oregon, USA

Program Chair:
Rachael Clark, MD, Ph.D., Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Program Co-Chairs:
Liv Eidsmo, M.D., Ph.D., Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital
Thomas Gebhardt, M.D., Ph.D., University of Melbourne
William J. Crisler, Ph.D., Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Program Sessions:

Session 1: T in inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases: Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Contact dermatitis, Chronic atopic dermatitis,
GvHD, Face/limb VCA transplant rejection
Session 2: TRM in cancer: Melanoma, SCC, BCC, MCC, CTCL
Session 3: TRM in infectious diseases: role and vaccination strategies: HSV, Leishmania, VCV, HPV
Session 4: Biologic and therapeutic aspects of TRM: Generation and persistence, metabolism, depletion strategies, tolerization strategies

Program Synopsis:

Resident memory T cells (TRM) are specialized, non-circulating immune cells that form in peripheral tissues following antigen exposure. They accumulate in barrier tissues like the skin, where they provide rapid defense against previously encountered pathogens.

While TRM cells are essential for protective immune responses against infections and cancer, their dysregulation or activation against self-antigens can lead to chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis, vitiligo, and contact dermatitis.

The Montagna Symposium will explore TRM roles in various contexts—including skin diseases, cancer immunity, antiviral defense, and drug hypersensitivity—while also addressing their tissue niches, epigenetic regulation, and implications for vaccine development. The symposium aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, translate research into clinical practice, and support the next generation of scientists and clinicians.