Cleary Travel Award

clearly

About Dr. Patrick Cleary

The Center for Immunology (CFI) is proud to honor the enduring legacy of Dr. Patrick Cleary, an Emeritus Professor and a titan in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Since joining the faculty in 1972, Dr. Cleary has been a pioneer in the study of Group A streptococcal pathogenesis. His groundbreaking discovery of the streptococcal C5a peptidase, now a primary candidate for vaccine development, revolutionized our understanding of how pathogens evade the human immune system.

Beyond his laboratory achievements, Dr. Cleary has been a steadfast advocate for trainee development, consistently seeking ways to foster the next generation of scientific leaders at UMN.

The Cleary Travel Award

Initiated in 2026 as the successor to the prestigious Cleary Lectures in Autoimmunity and Infection, the Cleary Travel Award will provide broad and lasting value to our predoctoral and postdoctoral immunology community.

Participation in field-specific conferences is a vital element of professional training, offering trainees the chance to:

  • Develop and present cutting-edge research.

  • Hone science communication skills.

  • Build the professional networks essential for competitive careers in science.

By subsidizing these opportunities, the CFI ensures that our trainees continue to showcase the University of Minnesota’s innovative research on national and international stages.

2026 Award Information

We are pleased to announce the following recipients of the Cleary Award for the March 2026 cycle:

  • Grant Hickok – MICaB PhD Student (PI: Ingunn Stromnes)

  • Caleb Kim – MICaB PhD Student (PI: Thomas Griffith)

Application Details

The award provides $1,000 to facilitate registration and travel booking for qualified trainees. There are two competition cycles each year, with deadlines on March 1 and September 1.

Category Requirements & Criteria
Eligibility PhD Students or Postdoctoral Scholars; Faculty advisor must be
CFI-affiliated; Must not be a prior Cleary awardee.
Application Materials CV, Conference details, Abstract, and a 1-2 sentence career benefit statement.
Post-Award Requirements Proof of attendance, acknowledgement of the Cleary Travel Award, and submission of receipts.

Next Deadline: September 1, 2026 

Please direct questions to: [email protected]

History of the Cleary Lectures (2019–2025)

Before transitioning into a travel award, Cleary supported a premier annual lecture series that brought global leaders in immunology to the University of Minnesota.

Previous Lecturers in Autoimmunity and Infection

  • 2025: "Elucidating the neuromodulatory function of IL-17."

    • Lecturer: Jun Huh, Ph.D.

    • Affiliation: Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School

  • 2024: "Autoimmunity caused by viral disruption of thymic central tolerance."

    • Lecturer: Wayne M. Yokoyama, M.D. 

    • Affiliation: Department of Medicine, Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis

  • 2023: "Microbial triggers of autoimmunity: Oral mucosal breaks in RA and Epstein-Barr virus in MS."

    • Lecturer: William H. Robinson, M.D., Ph.D.

    • Affiliation: Department of Medicine, Immunology & Rheumatology, Stanford University

  • 2022: "The Human Genetic and Immunological Determinants of Life-Threatening COVID-19."

    • Lecturer: Jean-Laurant Casanova, M.D., Ph.D.

    • Affiliation: St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University

  • 2019: Inaugural Lecture

    • Lecturer: Dan Littman, M.D., Ph.D.

    • Affiliation: Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine

Immunology-Cleary Travel award winners Hickok and Kim

CFI Announces First Recipients of the Cleary Travel Award

The Center for Immunology (CFI) is pleased to announce that MICaB PhD students Grant Hickok (Stromnes Lab) and Caleb Kim (Griffith Lab) have been selected as the first recipients of the Cleary Travel Award.