ISAC names 2026 award winners at CYTO in Florida

The International Society for Advancement of Cytometry announced its 2026 Society Awards and recognized three Shared Resource Laboratories at CYTO 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The honors spotlight leaders in cytometry, immunology, education, and lab excellence across the global cytometry community. Why it matters: - ISAC’s annual awards highlight the scientists, educators, and facilities driving cytometry research and practice forward. - The honors also signal where the field is putting value: reproducibility, global health, education, innovation, and shared lab infrastructure. What happened: - The International Society for Advancement of Cytometry announced its 2026 Society Awards and recognized recipients during ceremonies at CYTO 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 7 and 10. - ISAC also named its 2026–2029 Shared Resource Laboratory recognized labs. - The awards covered contributions to cytometry, immunology, scientific leadership, innovation, and service to the cytometry community. The details: - Dr. Mario Roederer received the Mack J. Fulwyler Award for Innovative Excellence for work in multicolor flow cytometry panel design, vaccine immunology, antigen-specific T-cell assays, and standardizing immunological flow cytometry. - Dr. Roederer also was recognized for mentoring generations of researchers in the field. - Dr. Swaleh Nyae received the Howard Shapiro Award for cytometry work in eastern Kenya focused on pediatric immunodeficiencies and local research capacity. - Dr. Nyae’s work has connected advanced cytometry technologies with clinical and research needs in global health settings. - Dr. Sherry Thornton received the Distinguished Service Award for long service to ISAC, including leadership of the Education Committee. - Dr. Thornton’s ISAC work also included service on the Governance Committee, the CYTO Women Task Force, and other initiatives tied to governance, inclusivity, and strategy. - Dr. Attila Tárnok received the Membership Award for broad contributions to cytometry and ISAC. - Dr. Tárnok served as editor-in-chief of Cytometry Part A from 2006 to 2024 and oversaw more than 6,000 manuscript submissions. - Dr. Tárnok helped develop and implement MIFlowCyt standards to support reproducible research. - Dr. Tárnok’s service to ISAC included CYTO workshops, early-career mentorship, the Cytometry Part A Ambassador Program, the Marylou Ingram Scholars Leadership Development Program Track, and leadership roles on Council and committees. - ISAC named three 2026–2029 SRL recognized labs: Research Analytics Flow Cytometry Core at Moderna, Flow Cytometry Resource at University of Rochester Medicine, and DAKEWE CoE Flow Cytometry Core at Dakewe Biotech Co., Ltd. - ISAC said the recognized labs reflect high standards of quality, expertise, and leadership in the global cytometry community. - Laboratories interested in SRL recognition may apply beginning September 1. - ISAC directed readers to the SRL Recognition Program webpage for more information. - The Best Paper Award went to “Metabolic Changes in Living Human Lymphoma Cells Intervening NAD+ Metabolism as Revealed by NAD(P)H-Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging and Para-Hydrogen-Induced Polarization NMR.” - The paper’s authors are Lea Marie Jeude, Ruth Leben, Wiebke Beninga, Yonghong Ding, Gabriele Stevanato, Stefan Glöger, Raluca Niesner, and Dieter Kube. - Ruby Hamilton received the Exceptional Student Award for “Imaging Flow Cytometry Detection of Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Circulating CD34+ Cells in Myelofibrosis.” - Martin Poinsinet de Sivry-Houle received the President’s Award for Excellence for “Method to Enhance the Maximum Detectable Nanoparticle Event Rate in Flow Cytometry by Over an Order of Magnitude.” - Lexi DeFord received the Outstanding Poster Award for “Spatial Fluence Correction for Improved Signal Accuracy.” Between the lines: - ISAC’s selections put a spotlight on both technical innovation and community infrastructure, not just individual publications. - The mix of honors suggests the society is rewarding field-building work, including education, standards, mentoring, and lab operations. - The SRL program adds a practical incentive for facilities to benchmark themselves against recognized best practices. What’s next: - ISAC will begin accepting applications for SRL recognition on September 1. - The newly recognized award recipients and labs now join ISAC’s annual showcase of cytometry leadership and achievement. - More information is available on the ISAC SRL Recognition Program webpage .