Colton Consortium Symposium
2025

The Colton Consortium for Autoimmunity Symposium brings together leading researchers from NYU, Yale, Tel Aviv, and Penn to advance autoimmune disease research. This four-day event features keynote presentations on CAR T-cell therapy and AI in precision medicine, pilot project showcases, interactive breakout sessions, and cross-institutional collaboration opportunities.

Download the full consortium booklet

July 16, 2025

Registration & Cocktails

Registration and Cocktail

Registration & Cocktails

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Dinner

Dinner

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Drinks or Happy Hour

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Welcome and Introduction

John Wherry, PhD

Welcome and Introduction

NYU Center Overview

NYU Center Overview

Yale Center Overview

Joseph Craft, MD

Yale Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

UPenn Center Overview

John Wherry, PhD

UPenn Center Overview

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Marlena Habal, MD

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Jonathan Miner, MD

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Break

Break

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Michela Locci, PhD

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

David Hagin, MD

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

Lunch

Lunch

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

Andrew Wang, MD, PhD

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Yael Haberman, MD, PhD

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

David Beck, MD, PhD

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Sessions: Recap

Breakout Sessions: Recap

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Georg A. Schett, MD

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Break

Break

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

David Lee, MD, PhD

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Reut Ohana, MSc, EMBA

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

Jason Christie, MD

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Aristotelis Tsirigos, PhD

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Break

Break

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Sang Kim, MD, PhD

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

Eric Shifrut, PhD, MSc

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Cornelius Taabazuing, PhD

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

David Hafler, MD, FANA

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Yoav Benjamini, PhD, MSc

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Lunch

Lunch

CECTA

David Porter, MD

CECTA

HIT-AI

Sara Cherry, PhD

HIT-AI

CREATE

Peter Merkel, MD, MPH

CREATE

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Session Recap

Breakout Session Recap

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Edward Behrens, MD

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Alexis Ogdie, MD

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Carrie Lucas, PhD

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Group Photo

Group Photo

Happy Hour

Drinks or Happy Hour

Happy Hour

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Breakfast & Departure

Breakfast & Departure

July 17, 2025

Registration & Cocktails

Registration and Cocktail

Registration & Cocktails

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Dinner

Dinner

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Drinks or Happy Hour

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Welcome and Introduction

John Wherry, PhD

Welcome and Introduction

NYU Center Overview

NYU Center Overview

Yale Center Overview

Joseph Craft, MD

Yale Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

UPenn Center Overview

John Wherry, PhD

UPenn Center Overview

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Marlena Habal, MD

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Jonathan Miner, MD

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Break

Break

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Michela Locci, PhD

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

David Hagin, MD

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

Lunch

Lunch

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

Andrew Wang, MD, PhD

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Yael Haberman, MD, PhD

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

David Beck, MD, PhD

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Sessions: Recap

Breakout Sessions: Recap

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Georg A. Schett, MD

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Break

Break

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

David Lee, MD, PhD

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Reut Ohana, MSc, EMBA

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

Jason Christie, MD

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Aristotelis Tsirigos, PhD

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Break

Break

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Sang Kim, MD, PhD

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

Eric Shifrut, PhD, MSc

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Cornelius Taabazuing, PhD

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

David Hafler, MD, FANA

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Yoav Benjamini, PhD, MSc

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Lunch

Lunch

CECTA

David Porter, MD

CECTA

HIT-AI

Sara Cherry, PhD

HIT-AI

CREATE

Peter Merkel, MD, MPH

CREATE

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Session Recap

Breakout Session Recap

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Edward Behrens, MD

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Alexis Ogdie, MD

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Carrie Lucas, PhD

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Group Photo

Group Photo

Happy Hour

Drinks or Happy Hour

Happy Hour

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Breakfast & Departure

Breakfast & Departure

July 18, 2025

Registration & Cocktails

Registration and Cocktail

Registration & Cocktails

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Dinner

Dinner

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Drinks or Happy Hour

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Welcome and Introduction

John Wherry, PhD

Welcome and Introduction

NYU Center Overview

NYU Center Overview

Yale Center Overview

Joseph Craft, MD

Yale Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

UPenn Center Overview

John Wherry, PhD

UPenn Center Overview

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Marlena Habal, MD

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Jonathan Miner, MD

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Break

Break

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Michela Locci, PhD

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

David Hagin, MD

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

Lunch

Lunch

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

Andrew Wang, MD, PhD

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Yael Haberman, MD, PhD

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

David Beck, MD, PhD

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Sessions: Recap

Breakout Sessions: Recap

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Georg A. Schett, MD

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Break

Break

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

David Lee, MD, PhD

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Reut Ohana, MSc, EMBA

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

Jason Christie, MD

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Aristotelis Tsirigos, PhD

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Break

Break

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Sang Kim, MD, PhD

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

Eric Shifrut, PhD, MSc

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Cornelius Taabazuing, PhD

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

David Hafler, MD, FANA

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Yoav Benjamini, PhD, MSc

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Lunch

Lunch

CECTA

David Porter, MD

CECTA

HIT-AI

Sara Cherry, PhD

HIT-AI

CREATE

Peter Merkel, MD, MPH

CREATE

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Session Recap

Breakout Session Recap

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Edward Behrens, MD

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Alexis Ogdie, MD

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Carrie Lucas, PhD

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Group Photo

Group Photo

Happy Hour

Drinks or Happy Hour

Happy Hour

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Breakfast & Departure

Breakfast & Departure

July 19, 2025

Registration & Cocktails

Registration and Cocktail

Registration & Cocktails

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Faculty Meet & Greet: Speed Dating

Dinner

Dinner

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Drinks or Happy Hour

Post Dinner Bar & Open House

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Welcome and Introduction

John Wherry, PhD

Welcome and Introduction

NYU Center Overview

NYU Center Overview

Yale Center Overview

Joseph Craft, MD

Yale Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

Tel Aviv Center Overview

UPenn Center Overview

John Wherry, PhD

UPenn Center Overview

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Marlena Habal, MD

Targeting Allograft Inflammation with CAR Tregs in Transplantation

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Jonathan Miner, MD

Precision Therapies Targeting the TREX1-STING Pathway in Autoimmunity

Break

Break

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

In Silico Multimodal Modeling Identifies Chromatin- Associated Proteins Regulating Immune Cell Function

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Michela Locci, PhD

Activin A: A target to disrupt GC nucleated autoimmunity

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Astrocyte-Derived Exosomes as a Platform for Biomarker Discovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

David Hagin, MD

Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency as a Potential Model for Dysregulated Vascular Inflammation

Lunch

Lunch

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc

Translational and Computational Approaches to Uncover Repurposed Drugs

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

Andrew Wang, MD, PhD

Why It's Important to Understand Physiology in Drug Development

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Yael Haberman, MD, PhD

A Data-Driven Framework for Predicting and ManagingDisease Progression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

David Beck, MD, PhD

Somatic Mutations and Autoimmune Disease

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Sessions: Recap

Breakout Sessions: Recap

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Georg A. Schett, MD

CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Diseases

Break

Break

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Dinner (Monterey Restaurant)

Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast & Registration

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

David Lee, MD, PhD

Therapeutic Advances via Restoring Immune Homeostasis

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Reut Ohana, MSc, EMBA

Colton Clalit Challenge (C^3)

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

Jason Christie, MD

Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

ImmunoStruct: A Multimodal Neural Network Framework for Immunogenicity Prediction from Peptide-MHC Sequence, Structure, and Biochemical Properties

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Aristotelis Tsirigos, PhD

Strategic AI Initiatives for Precision Medicine at NYU Langone

Break

Break

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

LAG-3 Targeted Bispecific T Cell Silencer (BiTS) for Autoimmune Diseases

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Sang Kim, MD, PhD

Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

Eric Shifrut, PhD, MSc

Precision Strategies for Self-Reactive T Cells

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Cornelius Taabazuing, PhD

The Role of the Noncanonical Inflammasomes in Inflammation and Pathogen Defense

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

David Hafler, MD, FANA

Autoimmune Podromal Parkinson's Disease

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Yoav Benjamini, PhD, MSc

It's Not the P-Value's Fault: Replicability Problems in Science

Lunch

Lunch

CECTA

David Porter, MD

CECTA

HIT-AI

Sara Cherry, PhD

HIT-AI

CREATE

Peter Merkel, MD, MPH

CREATE

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions

Break

Break

Breakout Session Recap

Breakout Session Recap

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Edward Behrens, MD

Use of Agent Based Modeling to Understand Heterogeneity in Lupus Nephtitis

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Alexis Ogdie, MD

Studying psoriatic disease across Colton Centers: A decade advancing the field

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Carrie Lucas, PhD

Decoding Autoimmunity: Learning from Monogenic Diseases

Group Photo

Group Photo

Happy Hour

Drinks or Happy Hour

Happy Hour

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Dinner & Fireside Chat

Breakfast & Departure

Breakfast & Departure