The Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI) was founded in 1966 by Dr. Bernhard “Hardi” Cinader. A pioneering figure in immunological research across Canada, Dr. Cinader was inaugurated as the organization’s first president and founded the Institute of Immunology in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto in 1971, prior to the birth of the Department of Immunology in 1984. Dr. Cinader’s contributions laid the foundation for immunological research nationwide.
The CSI has played a significant international role as a founding and active member of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), where Dr. Cinader also served as the inaugural president in 1969. The CSI was established not only to connect Canada to a global network of immunologists, but also to foster collaborations with international organizations such as the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS), the British Society for Immunology (BSI), and the Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology (ASI), among others.
With a mission to “foster and support immunology research and education throughout Canada,” the CSI launched a series of annual spring meetings that rotate between various locations across the country. The first of these meetings was held in 1987, the year after Toronto hosted the International Congress of Immunology. The Bernhard (Hardi) Cinader award lectureship was a highlight of these annual meetings, honouring distinguished Canadian scientists for their exceptional scientific leadership and achievements in immunology. Dr. Cinader was the first recipient of this award, which has remained a tradition to this day, more than 30 years later.
Between 2006-2012, the CSI introduced several more prestigious awards, such as the John D. Reynolds award, CSI Investigator Award, CSI New Investigator Award, and trainee travel awards. These honours were created to recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals at every stage of their career, from young trainees to seasoned principal investigators.
In 2020, the CSI established the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, which became a permanent, membership-ratified committee in 2022. The EDI Committee introduced EDI workshops as a key component of the annual scientific meetings, ensuring that important topics, like eliminating gender biases, are integrated into the CSI’s ongoing activities.
To this day, CSI continues to thrive as a research community; the society has expanded to include over 500 members. The current president, Dr. S. M. Mansour Haeryfar from Western University, an expert in T cell responses to viral and tumour antigens, has taken on the mantle of fostering scientific excellence and collaboration within CSI and beyond, with a strong commitment to EDI.
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