Independent Research Scholars Mini-Symposium

Program Overview

The NIH Independent Research Scholar (IRS) Program supports highly accomplished early-career fellows to establish an independent research program and to learn mentorship and research group management. The expectation is that participants will be competitive for Investigator (tenure-track) positions at the NIH or beyond after succeeding in this position.

Scholars are independent, non-tenure track Principal Investigators. They are scientifically independent of their previous mentor. They are given their own independent resources and budget. They also are invited to participate in faculty meetings and other NIH activities along with tenure-track and tenured investigators.

Learn more at https://oir.nih.gov/sourcebook/personnel/ipds-appointment-mechanisms/research-fellow/independent-research-scholar-program.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025
10:35 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Overview of the Independent Research Scholars Program
Erin McCaffrey, Ph.D.
NIAID, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, Spatial Immunology Unit

10:45 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.

Research Talks 

  • Parinaz Fathi, Ph.D.
    NIBIB, Section on Immunoengineering, Unit for NanoEngineering and MicroPhysiological Systems
    "Micro- and Nano-Engineering for Thyroid Immune Diseases"
  • Portia Gough, Ph.D.
    NIAID, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Host-Microbe Symbiosis Unit
    "Human Skin Commensal Roseomonas mucosa Regulates Inflammatory Responses in the Skin via TLR Activation"
  • Alex Montiel Ishino, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    NIEHS, Epidemiology Laboratory, SocioEnvironmental & Ecological Disparities Group
    "SocioEnvironmental & Ecological Disparities (SeEDs) Group: Planting the Seeds to Understand the Effects of SocioEnvironmental Exposures on Chronic Diseases"
  • Danielle Chisolm, Ph.D.
    NIAMS, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, Lymphocyte Transcriptional Regulation Unit
    "Defining the Role of Paxbp1 in CD4+ T Cell Differentiation"
12:25 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Closing Remarks

If you are unable to attend, please watch via videocast: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=56814 

This page was last updated on Monday, September 8, 2025

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