IAS Inflammation Academy

Overview

The International Atherosclerosis Society Inflammation Academy aims to identify and develop promising early career researchers and physicians who have the capacity to become the next generation of key opinion leaders on the topic of inflammation in cardiometabolic disease. 

The vision for the Inflammation Academy and how the program aims to equip leaders of the future with essential skills and build on advances in inflammation research was captured by Judith Ozkan in a piece published in the European Heart Journal. 

2026-2027 Flagship Experience

The year-long Inflammation Academy experience has three components: 

1. In-Person Session: Fellows will come together for a day-long program in Munich, Germany on August 27, 2026. Fellows will receive face-to-face instruction from the international faculty, get to know each other, and network with some fellows from the 2025-2026 cohort. The session will last from 9am-5pm and fellows will be expected to participate fully for the duration of the day. The program and faculty will be announced soon.  
2. Webinar Series: The Inflammation Academy will host a series of live, interactive webinars focusing on current issues or controversies related to inflammation. The webinar topics will be determined by using input from the fellows and each session of the webinar series will be developed by a subgroup of fellows, mentored by a faculty member. The series is designed to further the mentor-mentee relationships and provide participants with an opportunity to delve deeper into the content, strengthen their working relationships with other fellows, and to present to IAS’ global audience.  
3. Thought Leadership Development: This workstream is designed to build fellows’ confidence and understanding of thought leadership, and to upskill fellows in communicating to non-clinician audiences, from policymakers to patient communities. This component begins with a two-hour virtual interactive training course and fellows are supported in writing a long-form blog for release during the second half of the program year. 

The Inflammation Academy has four core learning objectives:

1. To become acquainted with the latest thinking, data, and research regarding inflammation as a driver of cardiovascular disease  
2. To understand methods for assessing inflammation in clinical practice 
3. To learn the current, state of the art anti-inflammatory interventions, including lifestyle and medical therapy 
4. To consider barriers for implementation of inflammation science in the clinical practice of cardiovascular medicine and approaches to addressing gaps 

Application Information

Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 Inflammation Academy flagship experience. Up to 30 attendees will be selected to participate in the year-long program. To be considered, interested professionals are invited to complete the application no later than June 1, 2026. All applicants will be notified by mid-June.   

Each fellow will be eligible for a travel stipend of up to $1,500 USD to help offset the costs of travel and accommodations to attend the in-person session on August 27, 2026 in Munich, Germany.    

Applicants must be under 41 years of age and should be medical doctors or researchers preferably with an MD degree or equivalent who have strong potential research or clinical interest oriented in particular to the role of inflammation as it relates to diagnosis, prevention, and management of cardiovascular and cardiometabolic disease. 

The following information must be included in the application:   

• A signed letter of interest that outlines:
  • the applicant’s institution of affiliation  
  • summary of relevant education and training  
  • reason for wanting to participate in the IAS Inflammation Academy  
  • any prior affiliation or collaboration with IAS, attendance at IAS programs or receipt of fellowship or grant support from IAS  
• Curriculum vitae/resume that includes a description of the applicant’s:
  • Education   
  • Pre and post graduate career experience   
  • Research experience   
  • Publications in peer reviewed journals  
• High-resolution personal photo

Learn more about the 2025-2026 Flagship Experience

The 2025-2026 IAS Inflammation Academy is supported with an unrestricted grant from Novo Nordisk. All program content remains fully under control of IAS.