We are happy to welcome you to the IEIIS. IEIIS is the International Endotoxin and Innate Immunity Society, with members interested in broad aspects of innate immunity; synthesis, structure and function of endotoxins and other microbial or endogenous ligands; signaling; interface between innate and aThe past 2 years have been a challenge for us all, both personally and professionally. As incoming president, I would first like to acknowledge and thank our outgoing president, Koichi Fukase for his exemplary leadership and guidance through this difficult period. There were critical decisions to be made about our biannual meeting, first to delay the meeting by one year, then as the pandemic continued to surge, to hold a hybrid meeting with both virtual and in person attendance. I speak for all of us in offering our thanks for erring on the side of caution yet allowing us the opportunity to share science and collegial interactions this past fall.
Over the last 20-30 years innate immunity has gone through a revolution, with an ever-expanding map of components involved in recognition of microbes and ligands, and more knowledge about specific interactions between host and microbe. To me, it feels like the field is still going forward full force. Hence, it should be plenty of interest in the core knowledge that members of the society harbor, and plenty of reasons to be a member! For 2017, we have several local/satellite events coming up with IEIIS involvNext, I would like to congratulate the elected councilors and officers of the organization. Without your service and commitment to IEIIS, we would not be able to continue our mission. Please join me in congratulating President-elect, Antonio Molinaro, Secretary Hongpeng Jia, Treasurer Alison Scott, as well as new councilors Thierry Roger, Timothy Sellati, Judith Hellman and continuing councilors Alla Zamyatina, Kari Ann Shirey, Reidun Ovstebo. A special thanks and congratulations to our new Editor-in-chief of the journal Innate Immunity, Dirk Werling. Dirk is a Professor of Molecular Immunology and Director of the Centre for Vaccinology and Regenerative Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College and studies comparative immunological aspects in different mammalian systems. Please consider submitting an original research paper or review to the journal and promote the journal to your colleagues and trainees. The journal is open access with the most recent impact factor of 2.680 and covers a wide range of topics related to host-defense and pathogen recognition and virulence. Finally, I would like to thank and extend gratitude to our website coordinator Holger Heine, our newsletter editor Jason Barker and our officer nomination chair Robert Ernst for their continuing service in these roles. Also, we would not be able to function without the organizational skills of our administrative assistant Nancy Pollman who brings professionalism, creativity as well as patience and warmth to her longstanding work with our society.