Neuroinflammation accompanies essentially all forms of central nervous system (CNS) insults. It can vary from acute reversable molecular changes aimed at preserving or restoring health and homeostasis, to chronic perturbations that contribute to disease progression. Much remains to be learned about the multicellular and multimolecular interactions that underlie different forms of neuroinflammation in different CNS disorders, and how these interactions might be beneficially modulated to improve outcomes. This conference will examine how neuroinflammation in different contexts can maintain health or drive disease. We will examine genetic risks, evolutionary origins, response to viruses, autoimmunity, roles of specific cell types, interactions with microbiome, effects on behavior, and, together with our parallel conference, roles in neurodegeneration.