JOIN US IN JAPAN FOR OUR 19TH WORKSHOP
2026 Joint conference of the Asia-Pacific Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics Association
May 25-28, 2026
Numazu, Japan
Plaza Verde
This conference will take place in Numazu, Japan, directly after the IHIWS meeting. Situated at the same location as the IHIWS, it allows the participants of the 19th IHIWS to easily join the 2026 APHIA Conference.
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
Welcome To 19ᵗʰ IHIWS
On behalf of the Local Organizing Committee of the 19th International HLA & Immunogenetics Workshop (IHIWS), we are pleased to invite you to Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, from 19 to 24 May, 2026.
The 19th IHIWS will be an exciting opportunity for experts in the field of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and immunogenetics to come together to discuss the latest research and advancements in the field. This event will bring together researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals from around the world to share their experiences, insights, and knowledge, and we believe that your presence will be valuable to the success of the conference.
Surrounded by bountiful nature but not far from the urban Tokyo, Numazu, the host city, will add an unforgettable memory to you. Flanked on one side by the majestic Mt. Fuji and Japan’s deepest bay, Suruga Bay, it is the gateway to Izu Peninsula known for famous hot springs. Your time in Numazu promises you to be refreshed as well. We are more than ready to welcome you.
Name Last name,
Conference chair
Name Last name,
Conference chair
WHAT TO EXPECT AT 19TH IHIWS
Courtney Robertson, MD
NNS President
Courtney L. Robertson, MD is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, and Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins SOM. She is the Director of the Pediatric Neurocritical Care Program in the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Pediatric ICU. She also serves as the fellowship director of the Pediatric Neurocritical Care fellowship, and the research co-director of the Pediatric Critical Care fellowship. Her research evaluates neuroprotective strategies in pediatric traumatic brain injury, using clinically relevant models of injury. Specifically, her work focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation after TBI, and the developmental regulation of these pathways. She has been the site PI for several multi-center clinical trials in pediatric TBI, and is currently co-PI of a multinational clinical study evaluating neurologic manifestations of COVID19 in infants and children. She is a founding member and past Chair of the Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group.
She has been an active member of the National Neurotrauma Society for >20 years, serving on NNS council for 3 terms, and as an officer in WiNTR. She is currently serving as president of NNS.
Dr. Robertson completed her undergraduate training (Texas A&M) and medical school (UTMB) in Texas, followed by pediatric residency at University of North Carolina. Her fellowship training was in pediatric critical care at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she was also a research fellow at the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research.
Grace Griesbach, PhD
Program Chair
Dr. Grace S. Griesbach is the National Director of Clinical Research for the Centre for Neuro Skills and is affiliated to the Department of Neurosurgery, Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She received her doctorate in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin under the training of National Academy of Science member, Dr. Abram Amsel. She later did her post-doctoral studies at UCLA under the guidance of Dr. David Hovda. She was the first to provide molecular basis to anecdotal observations on the timing of exercise after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Griesbach has expanded her exercise research to the clinical field and is exploring mechanisms that have an influence on post-acute recovery after TBI and stroke. She has served as a President for the National Neurotrauma Society and is currently the Program Chair for the 2022 Neurotrauma Symposium.
Michelle LaPlaca, PHD
NNS Councilor (LOC)
Bio coming soon.
Todd E. White, PhD
(LOC)
Todd E. White, PhD is a Research Biologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System and an Assistant Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine(MSM). Dr. White is a current Career Development Awardee from The VA Rehabilitation R&D. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in neuroscience from The University of Florida (UF). Dr. White then completed postdoctoral training at UF and MSM. Dr. White has over 25 years of research experience focused on the study of neurotrauma, including preclinical studies of spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. He has as his overarching goals to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurotrauma. His current project is the development and molecular and behavioral characterization of a preclinical model of chronic repetitive mild TBI.
COUNTDOWN TO 19TH IHIWS!
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