This May, the ESID Summer School 2025 brought together 25 passionate junior clinicians and researchers from 15 countries, alongside 10 renowned faculty members, for four unforgettable days of learning, collaboration, and connection in the coastal town of Castelldefels, near Barcelona, Spain.
Organized by Clara Franco Jarava (Chair of the ESID Education Working Party) and Antonio Marzollo (Chair of the ESID Juniors Working Party), the event delivered more than 48 hours of intensive education in a supportive and inspiring environment. With a programme designed around student-led case discussions, interactive faculty sessions, and communications and mentoring sessions, this year’s Summer School reinforced its position as one of ESID’s most valuable educational initiatives.
An Engaging and Enriching Experience
From Argentina to Australia, participants brought diverse perspectives and compelling clinical cases, which sparked conversations that deepened understanding of Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI). Faculty sessions focused on key challenges in diagnosis, treatment, while a dedicated mentoring session gave participants a chance to explore career paths and seek guidance from the internationally respected experts. A special communications skills session was organzied aimed at improving the way clinicians talk to patients and families about complex or emotionally charged medical decisions.
Key topics addressed by faculty included:
- Diagnosing and managing CVID in adult patients
- Genetic challenges in IEI
- GI manifestations in PID
- B lymphocyte dysfunction in PIDs
- The evolving role of HSCT in PID
Reaching the Global Community
The Open Session (hybrid), hosted at Bellvitge University Hospital in Barcelona, allowed local clinicians and the international PID community to participate virtually. The session was streamed online and was watched live by more than 170 attendees from 63 countries. Presentations by faculty members Klaus Warnatz, Alexandra Freeman (v), Siobhan Burns, and Manfred Hönig, alongside clinical cases from local residents, created a powerful learning exchange that extended far beyond the meeting room.
ESID thanks the Barcelona PID Foundation, CSL Behring, The Binding Site, and Xavier Solanich from Bellvitge University Hospital for their contributions to the success of this session.
More Than Education: Building a Community
Beyond the academic sessions, participants enjoyed memorable networking events which helped build lasting connections and became the base for future collaborations and friendships.
As one participant, Eric Lee from Australia, shared:
“It was truly an amazing and motivating experience… you helped shape my vision for my own career in immunology and how I look after patients with PID!”
Raising the Bar in Medical Education
Accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®), the ESID Summer School 2025 awarded 17 European CME credits (ECMEC®s), underscoring the program’s academic excellence and value for career development.
Looking Ahead
The success of this year’s Summer School reaffirms ESID’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of PID professionals. By fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning space, we continue to invest in the future of immunology.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated faculty, sponsors (Takeda, Octapharma, Chiesi), and the exceptional students who made this year’s programme a success. We look forward to continuing this tradition in 2026 and beyond.
If you wish to learn more about the ESID Summer School 2025, you can read the final report here.
