Congratulations to the 2020 ISID Research Grants Awardees! Through funding of pilot research projects by young investigators from resource-limited countries, this program supports the professional development of individuals in the field of human infectious diseases research.
Victor Asua (Uganda)
Origin and Spread of Potentially Highly Resistant Malaria Parasites in Uganda
Victor Asua is an early Career Research Scientist at the Infectious Disease Research Collaboration in Uganda. His current research work is on the evolution of malaria parasite response to antimalarial drugs in Uganda. He has a strong background in laboratory research and molecular epidemiology. Victor is a recipient of the Government of Uganda Merit Scholarship award, the Fogarty International Center Malaria Research Fellowship award, and in 2018, he was honored as young Investigator of the year 2017 by the Infectious Disease Research Collaboration. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Laboratory Technology from Makerere University.
Christiana Dapuliga (Nigeria)
Biocontrol of Multi-drug Resistant Salmonella spp in Using Lytic Bacteriophages
Christiana Dapuliga is a young microbiologist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where she is exploring the use of lytic phages as biocontrol for foodborne pathogens including Salmonella and Shiga toxin producing E. coli. Christiana is goal oriented and passionate about research. She worked closely with Phages for Global Health, a USA based organization in 2019 to host the first West African Phage workshop in Ghana. She is a beneficiary of several training and workshop programs, including the Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses on antimicrobial resistance, the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) training on neglected tropical diseases, and a NEF-NVRI (Africa Education Initiative, a US based foundation in collaboration with the National Veterinary Research Institute) Toxicology Internship Program. She is also a recipient of the 2019 WARA (West African Research Association) fall grant and the 2020 AGNES-PAWS (African-German Network of Excellence in Science Programme Advocating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) mobility grant.
Serhii Filatov (Ukraine)
A pilot study to Isolate and Characterize the Antigenic Diversity of Tick-borne Relapsing Fever Borrelia Caucasica with a Low-cost, Culture-free Method
Serhii Filatov is a veterinarian and has worked as a vector biologist at the National Scientific Center Institute of Experimental & Clinical Veterinary Medicine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. During his PhD work, he was involved in epidemiological risk analysis and surveillance activities for a potential biological vector of African swine fever virus in Ukraine. These experiences have sparked his interest in Ornithodoros soft ticks, which are elusive bloodsucking parasites and vectors of emerging pathogens (e.g., relapsing fever/RF Borrelia spp). Because there is a worldwide shortage of researchers with expertise in soft tick biology, Dr. Filatov focused on acquiring skills necessary to conduct field surveys for Ornithodoros spp., to maintain their colonies in a laboratory, and to study their interactions with pathogens. He has successfully collaborated with international experts in the field to study the geographical distribution and potential vectorial role of soft ticks in Eastern Europe. The current focus of his research is on tick bionomics, physiology, and their intersection with the ecology of RF Borrelia at different scales. In addition to ticks, Dr. Filatov has experience in faunistics and taxonomy of Diptera vectors (Ceratopogonidae, Tabanidae, Culicidae) and also interest in applying methods of spatial epidemiology, ecological modelling, and biogeography to gain a deeper understanding of arthropod-borne pathogens and their vectors.
Uwem George (Nigeria)
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever and the Potential Threat of Bat Viruses to Human Health in Nigeria
Uwem George has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Calabar and a Master’s degree in Virology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is currently a PhD student/Research Fellow at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of infectious diseases, Redeemer’s University, where he and his colleagues carry out rapid detection of infectious agents, including the recent SARS-CoV-2 using Next-generation sequencing. His research focuses on ecology of bats, their viral diversity, and the potential threat to human sympatric population in Nigeria.
Birendra Prasad Gupta (Nepal)
Biomarkers of Dengue Disease Severity in Nepal
Birendra Prasad Gupta is a medical virologist. He obtained his PhD from the Tribhuvan University, in Nepal and worked on the molecular epidemiology of Dengue viruses and hepatitis E virus during his doctoral research. He graduated from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, India with a degree in medical virology where he worked on the seroprevalence of Japanese encephalitis virus in Uttar Pradesh, India. More recently, Dr. Gupta’s research focused on the identification of novel biomarkers for Flaviviruses. In addition, Dr. Gupta worked as a consultant to set up a diagnostic research laboratory as part of a phase III typhoid conjugate vaccine clinical trial in Nepal.
Abi Manesh (India)
Genomic Biomarkers for Predicting Outcomes with Colistin Therapy in Colistin Susceptible Carbapenamase Producing Klebsiella infections
Abi Manesh is a Clinical Faculty member in the Infectious Diseases Department at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, and keen to establish himself as a clinical academic focusing on antimicrobial resistance. He completed his infectious diseases training in 2019. His research interests include novel approaches to the management of serious Gram-negative multidrug-resistant infections and use of immunomodulatory agents in CNS infections, specifically TB meningitis.
Paneerselvam Nandagopal (India)
Association of Human Pegivirus Infection and Inflammation in PWID (people who inject drugs) Cohort with HIV Infection
Paneerselvam Nandagopal is an Assistant Professor and Immunologist, at the YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE) in India, and has been involved in HIV research for more than 8 years. He has a broad background in the field of serology and immunology of infectious diseases, specifically HIV and hepatitis viruses. He completed his PhD program at YRG CARE, which is affiliated with the University of Madras and his PhD topic is “HIV-1 humoral immune response among HIV-1 subtype C infected individuals from Southern India.” His current area of interest is to study HIV/HBV/HCV viral interactions among hard to reach populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID), especially “ Molecular characteristics of HIV and HPgV viruses from high risk individuals (MSM and PWID) across India.”
Other research projects include:
“GHAVE (Global HIV/AIDS Vaccine Enterprise) Comprehensive Antibody Vaccine Immune Monitoring Consortium” sponsored by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and in this connection Dr. Nandagopal has been trained on neutralization antibody assays at the “Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research & Development”, at Duke University Medical Center, USA
Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR) funded research entitled “Immunological correlates of disease progression in HIV-1 infected long term non-progressors (LTNPs).”
Training Doctors and Empowering Communities as AMR Guardians
Participant:
Liyana Azmi – Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) & East Asia University Network (SEAOHUN), Malaysia/Thailand
Photo Story (15 mins)
ISID/BMGF Research Grants: Updates from the First Cohort
Speakers:
Chair
Neelika – University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Oxford
Co-chair
lkin Bermudez, ISID
Speakers:
Evaluating the transmission patterns of schistosomiasis and geohelminthiasis in the Ndikinimeki district of Central-Cameroon
Bienvenu Balifeli– University Of Yaoundé I/oceac, Cameroon
Resistance and virulence factors of Salmonella spp. strains isolated from cholera endemic waters.
Boya Bawa – Laboratoire de Biologie et de Typage moléculaire en Microbiologie, Benin
Prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and knowledge of antimicrobial resistance among community members in rural Malawi: a cross-sectional study.
George Dalitso Limwado –Partners in Health/ Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo
Antibiogram and molecular characterization of Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among in-patients in a teaching hospital in Nigeria
Hilary Nosa Okunbor– Babcock University, Nigeria
Identifying the genetic relatedness of Carbapenem-resistant A. baumanni (CRAB) isolated from pregnant mothers, newborns and hospital environments in Bangladesh.
Kazi Injamamul Hoque– Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Nutrition Research Division, icddr,b, Bangladesh
Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of human leptospirosis infection among agro- pastoral communities in northern Tanzania
Monica Fredrick Francis – National Public Health Laboratory, Tanzania
WHO session on optimizing diagnosis and treatment of STIs
Speakers:
Clinical management of genital discharge syndrome
Remco Peters
Current and future treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
David Lewis
Enhanced gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance (EGASP) programme in South Africa
Venessa Maseko
Updates on syphilis screening, diagnosis and treatment
Remco Peters
Diagnostic testing of patients with presumptive syphilis
Mandisa Mdingi
Syphilis testing and treatment experiences in Cape Town, South Africa
Alex de Voux
Hot Topics Abstracts (O10): Hot Topics
Speakers:
Addressing the Silent Epidemic of Hepatitis B Virus: Awareness, Screening and Vaccination Efforts in Abuja, Nigeria
Ogechukwu Akabuike – Nigeria Centre For Disease Control And Prevention, Nigeria
“Injectable ARVs will give me more peace than swallowing tablets”: Women’s acceptability and attitudes towards injectable Antiretroviral therapy in prevention of HIV vertical transmission in Uganda
Deborah Ekusai-Sebatta – Makerere University, Uganda
Investigating an agnostic metagenomic virus discovery tool and evaluating the performance of Ion Torrent versus Oxford Nanopore Technology sequencing
Tshegofatso Mahlangu – Stellenbosch University, South Africa
The re-emergence and evolution of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in Germany
Calvin Mehl - Friedrich-loeffler Institut, Germany
Screening for MPXV, VZV, HSV-1 and HSV-2, viruses responsible for mucocutaneous vesicular rashes, by multiplex HRM-PCR in the Democratic Republic of Congo and France
Nadège Nziza - Afyia Diagnostics, France
Identification of Novel Antigens as Diagnostic Biomarkers for Detection of Tuberculosis Directly from Patient Samples
Amit Singh - Central University Of Punjab, India
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) isolation from longitudinal samples of 11 patients to infer risk of onwards transmission
Helen Callaby - University Of Aberdeen, UK
Establishment of a clinical helpline for mpox: comparison of the 2022 and 2024 experience in the UK
Helen Callaby - University Of Aberdeen, UK
Debate: Vaccines & Compulsory Licensing
Moderator
Sasheela Ponnampalavanar - University Malaya Medical Centre, Malayisa
Vaccines & Compulsory licensing: Yes
Titiano Pinto - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Vaccines & Compulsory licensing: No
Laura Oliveira - Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Empowering Communities to Address AMR Through Outreach and Creativity
Participant:
CAMO-Net – South Africa
Video (20 mins)
Eh!woza: informing and gathering perspectives on infectious diseases
Participant:
Anastasia Koch – Ehwoza, South Africa
Video & Presentation (45 mins)
Perceived Risk and Misconceptions Towards HIV and AIDS Among Adolescent Boys Attending Community Secondary Schools
Participant:
Edna Mandala – Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi
Presentation (15 mins)
Gesundheit für Benin – Bénin Santé
Participant:
Silvia Cvekova – “Gesundheit für Benin – Bénin Santé” Czech / Doctors of Benin
Presentation (15 mins)
Intersecting Crises: Addressing Gender-Based Violence and HIV/AIDS in Vulnerable Communities
Participant:
Callas Foundation – South Africa
Innovative Strategies to Increase TPT Uptake Among High-Risk Groups
Participant:
Candy Jacobs – TB Proof, South Africa
Presentation (15 mins)
Differentiating NTM from TBC infections in population of Southeast Asian immigrants & Protecting patients, colleagues and community when sensitive situations related to HIV misdiagnosis arise
Participant:
Marija de La Marnierre – University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb, Croatia
Spoken Word (30 mins)
Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) through a nurse-led approach in Mukono District Hospital, Uganda
Participant:
Irene Wobusobozi – Mukono General Hospital, Uganda
Photo Story (15 mins)
HIA: Health Impact Assessment
Participant:
EQUINET HIA – East and Southern Africa
Presentation (30 mins)
Title TBD
Participant:
Nosimilo Mlangeni – National Institute for Occupational Health, South Africa
Presentation (30 mins)
Key lessons learned from developing and implementing the national multisectoral SBC campaign addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and zoonotic diseases in Tanzania
Participant:
Mark Lwakatare – Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs - USAID Breakthrough ACTION, Tanzania
Presentation & Live Band (25 mins & 30 mins)
Professor Michael Moore AM PhD – Chair, International Immunisation Task Force
Professor Michael Moore AM PhD is currently Chair of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) International Taskforce on Immunization as well as a number of other health networks. He is the former CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia and is a Past President of the WFPHA. Michael was Rotary International District 9705 Governor for 2020-21. He is a Distinguished Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and was formerly a teacher and consultant. Michael served four terms as an elected member of the ACT Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 2001 and was Australia’s first independent Minister when he was appointed as Minister of Health and Community Care. In 2017 he was honoured by being made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
David Sinclair – Chief Executive, International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK)
David Sinclair holds the role of Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre in the UK. David has worked in policy and research on ageing and demographic change for 20 years. He holds honorary positions at UCL and Newcastle University. He was a leading member of the SAATI (Supporting Active Ageing Through Immunisation) coalition and is a board member of the Coalition for Life Course Immunisation. He has worked as an expert for the pan-European Age Platform for 15 years and is the former Vice-Chair of the Government’s Consumer Expert Group for Digital Switchover. For ten years he chaired a London based charity (Open Age) which enables older people to sustain their physical and mental fitness, maintain active lifestyles and develop new and stimulating interests.
Prior to joining the ILC, David worked as Head of Policy at Help the Aged where he led a team of 8 policy advisors. David has also worked for environmental and disability organisations in policy and public affairs functions. His other experience includes working as a VSO volunteer in Romania, in Parliament for a Member of Parliament, and with backbench committees.
Professor Charles Feldman – Emeritus Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand
Professor Charles Feldman is currently an Emeritus Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He was previously a Professor of Pulmonology and Chief Physician of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and the University of the Witwatersrand from 1995 to 2017. Professor Feldman’s research interest is in the field of community-acquired pneumonia, particularly pneumococcal pneumonia. He was elected as a Fellow of the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society in recognition of his contributions to the field of respiratory medicine. In 2018 he received the Platinum Gold Medal from the South African Medical Research Council for a lifetime of research in the human health. In 2021, the University of Pretoria (UP) bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Medicine (honoris causa) on Professor Feldman for his significant contribution to the field of pneumococcal respiratory infections.
Dr. Jane Barratt – Global Advisor, International Federation on Ageing (IFA)
Dr. Jane Barratt is the Global Advisor and former Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) an international NGO with general consultative status at the United Nations and non-State actor of the World Health Organization (WHO) representing some 78 million older people in 74 countries. In various roles her leadership continues to help drive the agenda for the world’s ageing population in many intergovernmental agendas including the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and the WHO Immunisation Agenda 2030 across sectors and disciplines.
Among her many current positions Jane is a member of the WHO World Hearing Forum, Vision Academy, Director, Baycrest Health Sciences, Co-Chair, Baycrest Academy Research and Education, Associate Scientist, Sinai Health System, Member, Co-Chair Vaccine Virtual Days 2024, WFPHA International Council for Adult Immunisation Taskforce, Member, IA2030 Strategic Priority Life course and Integration Working Group and Member of the European Interdisciplinary Council on Ageing Assembly.
Renowned for exceptional leadership and advocacy skills her strategic vision and collaborative approach have has been recognized internationally, earning her numerous awards and accolades including a member of the WHO Health Ageing 50, being awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal and the Churchill Fellowship.
Samkele Mkumbuzi
Samkele is a Research Pharmacist at the University of Cape Town Division of Infectious Diseases & HIV Medicine, with more than 3 years of experience in enhancing healthcare systems through effective medicine management & good clinical practice. Samkele holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Wits University.
Before joining the University of Cape Town, Samkele has been recognized for his strong leadership qualities whilst holding multifaceted experience in coordinating Antimicrobial Stewardship operations at hospital and district level. Samkele has served as a member of a Provincial Pharmacovigilance Committee where he contributed to the introduction of an Adverse Events Following Immunisation programme and contributed to primary and tertiary care formulary development in the public sector.
Samkele leads research projects in science communication & health education extending his expertise in Antimicrobial Stewardship through public awareness campaigns & training programs for healthcare professionals. As a Master’s in Public Health candidate, Samkele’s research interest is in optimizing the use of antibiotics by enhancing the adoption & utility of antimicrobial resistance surveillance data systems and policy implementation.
Malcolm Miller
Specialist anaesthetist, qualified at University of Cape Town in 2004., Completed my medical training at University of Stellenbosch in 1994
Sub-specialized in Critical Care at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2006 and obtained the Certificate in Critical care medicine in 2008 through the College of Medicine of South Africa.
Currently working as a senior specialist in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Groote Schuur Hospital. Past Chairperson of the Critical Care Society of South Africa, Western Cape Branch. Also, the course director of the BASIC course (a two-day course introducing doctors to caring for seriously ill patients).
Interests include Trauma, Abdominal compartment syndrome, Nutrition in critical illness and Antibiotic stewardship
Publications:
Numerous papers on Thromboelastography , Intra-abdominal hypertension and Gut dysfunction.
Research:
The role of a bio-artificial liver in a porcine model of ischaemic liver failure.
Coagulation studies using Thromboelastography
Renier Coetzee
Renier Coetzee is an associate professor at the University of the Western Cape's (UWC) School of Public Health (SOPH). His work focuses on antimicrobial stewardship, with a particular emphasis on improving antibiotic use in low- and middle-income countries, specifically in primary healthcare settings. In addition to his research, Renier is dedicated to community engagement and empowerment. He works closely with local communities to develop and implement sustainable health interventions, promoting health equity and social justice. Through his work, Renier seeks to bridge the gap between academia and community, ensuring that research is translated into meaningful action. His commitment to antimicrobial stewardship and community engagement has made a significant impact in the field, and his work continues to inspire and inform public health initiatives.
Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Renier has been honored with prestigious awards, including the University of the Western Cape Community Engagement Award and the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award from the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition to his academic and community work, he serves as the Deputy President of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa, furthering his influence in the field.
Esmita Charani
She is an honorary Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, a visiting Researcher at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, and an Adjunct Professor at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, India, where she is involved in helping implement and investigate national antibiotic stewardship programmes.
After completing her post-graduate training in Cambridge University Hospitals and ten years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in hospitals, Esmita began her research career. In her academic career the focus of her research has been behaviour change interventions in the field of antimicrobial stewardship, and the application of social science research methods to develop contextually relevant solutions. She is an investigator on an NIHR Invention for Innovation award investigating the development and use of a point-of-care personalised clinical decision support tool for antimicrobial prescribing, and is co-investigator on the ESRC award: “Optimising antibiotic use along surgical pathways: addressing antimicrobial resistance and improving clinical outcomes” (in England, Scotland, Rwanda, India & South Africa; 2017-2021).
Her work in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognised through an Academy of Medical Sciences UK-India AMR Visiting Professor award. She is an expert advisor to the Commonwealth Pharmacy Association and a Global Health Fellow with the Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, England. She is involved in mentoring and supporting clinical pharmacists to implement antimicrobial stewardship interventions across different healthcare settings and economies. Her doctoral thesis investigated antimicrobial stewardship in India, Norway, France, Burkina Faso and England. She is also the Research Lead for Practice, Design and Engineering at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance within the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.
Esmita completed her Masters (MPharm Hons) in Pharmacy at University College London, her MSc in Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and read for her PhD at Imperial College London.
Adrian Brink
Professor Adrian Brink is Head of the Division: Medical Microbiology, and member of the Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and the National Health Laboratory Services, Groote Schuur hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Prof Brink was founding President of the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa and is the founder and currently co-chairs the South African Antibiotic Stewardship Program (SAASP).
His is main research interests are the clinical and molecular epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant infections, the mechanisms of resistance as a confounder in antibiotic stewardship, the design and implementation of large-scale antibiotic stewardship, diagnostic stewardship and infection prevention and control interventions in low and middle-income countries. The current focus alsoincludes the protective, metabolic and immune functions of the gastro-intestinal and - vaginal biome Inc. the resistome and metabolome.
Dena van den Bergh
Dr Dena van den Bergh is an honorary research associate at UCT Dept. of Medicine Division of Infectious diseases and HIV and has led and published multiple large-scale collaborative AMS and IPC implementation studies across private and public sector hospitals. She has served as a healthcare executive leader with large multinational hospital and healthcare organisations in South Africa where she spearheaded large-scale change to improve healthcare systems and patient outcomes. Dena’s expertise spans a unique blend of clinical know-how, leadership competencies and a doctorate in systems engineering. In addition to her research in AMS implementation, Dena works independently with leaders, teams, and organisations to successfully implement health systems improvement co-designed with stakeholders. Her goal is to empower accomplished and emerging healthcare leaders to make a powerful impact in shaping the future of health systems globally while inspiring them to thrive in their lives and their careers.
Anastasia (Tasha) Koch
Dr Anastasia Koch co-founded Eh!woza together with conceptual artist Ed Young in 2013. The organisation operates at the intersection of public engagement, youth advocacy, science communication and skills development to merge the biology of infectious disease with its social impact.
Anastasia graduated with a PhD from the University of Cape Town in 2015 and in 2017 was awarded a Carnegie Corporation DEAL fellowship under the mentorship of Prof. Digby Warner in the MMRU lab at UCT.
In 2020, Eh!woza was awarded a Wellcome Trust Discretionary Award and was established as an independent NPO. Anastasia shifted focus to work on Eh!woza full-time while maintaining a position in the MMRU as an Honorary Lecturer. She has a strong interest in translating complex biomedical concepts into relatable media and developing collaborations that can facilitate impactful public engagement work.
Oral Abstract Presentations (O6): Outbreaks, Infectious Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology
Chair
Richard Alm
Speakers:
Estimating transmission heterogeneity and case ascertainment from variations in case counts in surveillance data
Christian Althaus – University Of Bern, Switzerland
Continental Strategic Framework to Strengthen Cross-Border Surveillance, Coordination and Information Sharing in Africa
Mallion Kangume – Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Ethiopia
“An outbreak investigation of diphtheria in Jalalabad, Sylhet, Bangladesh, in December 2023: might indicate declining immunity in late childhood.”
Mainul Hassan – Institute Of Epidemiology, Diseases Control & Research (iedcr), Bangladesh
Cholera case trends in Eastern Africa using surveillance data, 2007-2024
Joy Ebonwu – Africa CDC, Kenya
Cholera Outbreak in Chienge District, Luapula Province, Zambia- 31st May – 9th June 2023: Re-emerging threat
Tebello Kolobe – Ministry Of Health, Lesotho
A multijurisdictional healthcare-associated outbreak of Ralstonia pickettii from contaminated saline, Australia 2023
Anthea Laura Katelaris – NSW Health, Australia
Integral Scientific Advice for Outbreak Response: Lessons learned from an Avian Influenza Simulation in the Netherlands
Anja Schreijer – Pandemic And Disaster Preparedness Center, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands
A comparative analysis of the impact of climate change on emergence of infectious diseases and outbreaks in remote areas of Sindh, Pakistan
Hafsa Faruqui – Dow University Of Health Sciences, Pakistan
Oral Abstract Presentations (09): Social Context Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Infections
Speakers
Detection of COVID-19 Outbreaks with Whole Genome Sequencing by Oxford Nanopore Technology in a Tertiary Centre, Malaysia
Siti Farah Alwani Mohd Nawi – Universiti Teknologi Mara (uitm), Malaysia
Social Contexts and Public Health Control: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: The TRUST Study on SARS-CoV-2 Booster Uptake in Individuals Aged 50+ in the UK
Silvia Riva – St. Mary's University, UK
Assessing inequalities in risk of invasive group A streptococcal infections according to residential setting, England 2015-2023
Theresa Lamagni – UK Health Security Agency, UK
Societal values for health inequality aversion via vaccine and non-vaccine interventions in Canada – a benefit trade-off analysis
Beate Sander – University Health Network, Canada
Relative diagnostic yield of tests for disseminated tuberculosis among inpatients living with HIV
Phiona Namale – Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa
Bedside Thwaites’ score in the diagnosis, cerebro-spinal fluid biochemistry in predicting severity and outcomes of TB meningitis in Sri Lanka
Nimasha Ekanayaka - National Hospital Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Pushing Forward West Nile Virus Understanding: An Integrated One Health Genomic Surveillance Journey in Romagna (Italy)
Irene Zaghi – Galway University Hospital, Ireland
Bionomics of Aedes mosquito species in three eco-epidemiological settings of Cameroon and their susceptibilities profiles to insecticides
Bertille Carine Theno Djapoum – University of Yaounde I, Cameroon
The resistance status of Anopheles gambiae s.l. in Chikwawa district, Southern Malawi
Shupikai Kambiring'oma – Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Malawi
Prevalence of schistosomiasis and associated risk factors among residents of Ndikinimeki district, Central Cameroon Region
Bienvenu Balifeli – University Of Yaoundé I/oceac, Cameroon
Evaluation of real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis in immunocompromised patients in North India
Abhishek Mewara - Postgraduate Institute Of Medical Education And Research, Chandigarh, India
Molecular epidemiology of urinary schistosomiasis and characterization of Human and Animal infective schistosome species in endemic areas, Ogun State, Nigeria
Sammy Sam-Wobo – Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria
Machine learning algorithm for the rapid and accurate detection of Plasmodium falciparum
Andrew Hill – Australia
Oral Abstract Presentations (05): One Health
Chair
Mohamed Sirdar - ISID, South Africa
Speakers:
Climate change-driven vector-borne diseases spread to temperate climate territories: The frying pan theory
Miguel Angel Jimenez-Clavero – Animal Health Research Center (CISA-INIA), CSIC, Spain
Plasmid profile analysis of escherichia coli isolates recovered from the beef production chain
Libby Onyeka – Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
Innovative methodological approach to assess dengue transmission: findings from the SERODEN study in Africa
Anna Vicco – Imperial College London, Italy
Seroprevalence of dengue in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Senegal: results of the SERODEN study
Anthony Afum-adjei Awuah – Kumasi Centre For Collaborative Research In Tropical Medicine, Ghana
First seroprevalence study of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in blood donors after abrupt increase in West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND) cases in Southern Italy in 2023
Francesca Centrone – Hygiene Unit, AOUC Policlinico of Bari, Italy
Current Knowledge of Exposure to Tick-borne Pathogens among Rural Population in Cambodia
Janin Nouhin – Institut Pasteur Du Cambodge, Cambodia
Impact of the LGBT+ rights on reporting cases and deaths of Mpox globally: Relationships with the LGBT+ rights index during 2022-2024 epidemics
Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales – Faculty of Medicine, Fundacion Universitaria Autonoma de las Americas, Colombia
One Health intervention for elimination of animal to human disease transmission of Anthrax in an endemic district of Odisha: A baseline and endline study
Debaprasad Parai – ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, India
Relationships between morbidity and mortality from Mpox and the human development index (HDI) globally during 2022-2024 epidemics
Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales – Faculty of Medicine, Fundacion Universitaria Autonoma de las Americas, Colombia
Unraveling Algerian bat coronaviruses: from initial detection to genome recovery and co-infection discovery
Safia Zeghbib – National Laboratory Of Virology: University Of Pécs, Hungary
Deadly dengue epidemic outbreak in Burkina Faso in 2023
Armel Poda - Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Burkina Faso
Evaluating the probiotic potential of Lactobacilli from yoghurts and their antagonistic activity against multidrug-resistant enteric bacteria, Yaounde, Cameroon
Rhoda Bughe – Higher Teacher Training College, University Of Yaounde, Cameroon
Spatial and temporal diversity of Simulium damnosum s.l. gut microbiota and association with Onchocerca volvulus infection in Cameroon
Arnauld Efon Ekangouo – Higher Institute for Scientific and Medical Research (ISM), Cameroon
Use of murine model to study virulence of epidemically significant Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotypes and to evaluate effectiveness of chemotherapy
Igor Mokrousov – St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia
Whole genome analysis reveals the major pathotypes and predominant antimicrobial resistance genes in Escherichia coli strains from India
Punit Kaur – All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, India
Targeting cytokine signaling in mice infected with bunyaviruses provides protection from severe disease and death
Joseph Golden – Usamriid, USA
PD-1/PD-L1 Axis Downregulation in Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Potential Mechanism Driving the Autoimmune Pathogenesis
Rasel Ahmed – International Centre For Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Bangladesh
Oral Abstract Presentations (03): Innovations in Infectious Diseases, Prevention & Control
Chair
Alison Holmes TBC
Speakers
Surveillance of H. pylori prevalence and antibiotic resistance in the urban Chinese population: a nationwide multi-center study
Liang Wang – Southern Medical University Affiliated Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, China
Effectiveness of a clinical decision support algorithm (ePOCT+) in improving quality of care for sick children in primary health facilities in Tanzania (DYNAMIC project): results from a cluster randomized trial
Caroline Enos – Nimr-mmrc, Tanzania
Prospective and End User Evaluation of an AI-based Clinical Decision Support System for Individualized Antimicrobial Stewardship
William Bolton – Imperial College London, UK
Analysing Open-source Images to Assess Face Mask Usage for Epidemiological Studies
Ashley Quigley – The Kirby Institute, Australia
Dragonfly Molecular Diagnostic Platform: A Rapid Point-of-Care Solution for Monkeypox and Skin Lesion Pathogens
Kenny Malpartida-Cardenas – Imperial College London, UK
Electronic Pillbox-enabled Self-administered Therapy Versus Standard Directly Observed Therapy for Tuberculosis Medication Adherence and Treatment Outcomes in Ethiopia: a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Manyazewal Tsegahun – Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Redox-responsive peptidosomes: A promising strategy for expanding vancomycin antibiotic spectrum and efficacy against resistant bacterial infections
Calvin Omolo – United States International University-africa, Kenya
Transient Expression of Recombinant Antimicrobial Peptide Meucin18 in Nicotiana tabacum and its Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
Parthiban Subramanian – Bharathiar University, India
Integrating Deep Learning with Computational Methods for Dual Inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pantothenate Kinase and CTP Synthetase: A Novel Approach to Combat Multi-Drug Resistance
Prakash Jha – University of Delhi, India
Species distribution, antibiotic susceptibility and clinical characteristics in Enterococcal bacteremia; experience from South India
Vettakkara Kandy Muhammed Niyas – Kimshealth, Thiruvananthapuram, India
Epidemiological assessment of trends and health inequalities in rates of Group C and G Streptococcal bacteraemia in England, 2015 to 2022
Jamie Thomas Rudman – Ukhsa, UK
The hidden burden of enteric infections in British Columbia, Canada, 2005-2014
Eleni Galanis – University of British Columbia, Canada
Impact of hospital participation in national surveillance in prevention of surgical site infection, England
Theresa Lamagni – UK Health Security Agency, UK
Tracking the Evolution and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Indian Adult Populations through High-Throughput Genome Sequencing
Varun Shamanna – Central Research Laboratory, India
Improving Infection Prevention and Control Systems using Quality Improvement Initiatives in selected Health Facilities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Usen Daniel – Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health, Nigeria
Working Group (WG1): Guide to Infection Control Working Group
Participants:
Review/Update current status of Guide
Gonzalo Bearman – Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Guide materials that were published in IJID as review articles
Angela Dramowski – Stellenbosch University, South Africa
New content areas
Arifa Parker – Stellenbosch Univeristy, South Africa
Policy Discussion (PD2): Pandemic Centers
Moderator:
Paul Brown – University of the West Indies, Jamaica
Discussants:
Jide Idris – Nigeria Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, Nigeria
Mohammed Abdulaziz – Africa CDC, Ethiopia
Scientific (S9): Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Maternal Immunization: New Products and a Pathway to Introduction
Chair:
Keith Klugman – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
Speakers:
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Heather Zar – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Ziyaad Dangor – University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
Maternal Immunization Readiness Network for Africa and Asia Michelle Groome – University of Witwatersrand, South Africa Hellen Barsosio – Kenya Medical Research Institute, South Africa
Scientific (S8): Perspectives from ISID Emerging Leaders – AMR Under One Health
Chair:
Fatima Aziz – University of Karachi, Pakistan
Co-Chair:
Elita Jauneikaite – Imperial College London, UK
Speakers:
Surveillance of AMR in One Health
Elita Jauneikaite – Imperial College London, UK
The intersection of the social determinants of health and climate change with AMR
Vrinda Nampoothiri – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Emerging technologies
Laura Oliveira – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Scientific (S22): Antimicrobials and Vaccines – Equitable Global Access
Chair:
Helena Maltezou – National Public Health Organization, Greece (TBC)
Speakers:
Why Equity Matters for the Global South
Fatima Hassan – Health Justice Initiative (HJI), South Africa
Global production and supply through the lens of common pool resources
Tom Ashfield – The Sign Post, UK
Accelerating access to antibiotics – a model to address existing and new antibiotics
Kim Faure – Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP), South Africa
Plenary (P1): The Polycrisis and Policy Failure: a Perfect Storm for AMR
Chair:
Paul Tambyah – Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
Speaker:
Sabiha Essack – South African Research Chair in Antibiotic Resistance & One Health & Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences,South Africa
Plenary (P2): Tuberculosis
Chair:
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq – Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Arabia
Speaker:
Alex Pym – Wellcome Trust, UK
Plenary (P3): Updates on AMR
Chair:
Alison Holmes – University of Liverpool, UK
Speaker:
Anna Levin – University of São Paulo, Brazil
Workshop (W4): The Pharmacist’s Role in the Infectious Diseases Team
Facilitators:
Oluchi Mbamalu – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Angeliki Messina – Netcare Group, South Africa
Debra Goff – The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, USA
Workshop (W3): Clinical Microbiology – the Future is Here
Facilitators:
Adrian Brink – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Margaret Ip – Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Yahaya Mohammed – Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Nigeria
Workshop (W2): AMR Stewardship – What the ID Professional Needs to Know!
Facilitators:
Afreenish Amir – National Institute of Health, Pakistan
Esmita Charani – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Sasheela Ponnampalavanar – University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia
Workshop (W1): Epidemiologic Intelligence and Forecasting Approaches
Facilitators:
Rokhaya Diagne – Afyasense, Senegal
Auss Abbood – Robert Koch Institute, Germany
Jake Hightower – Ruvos, USA
Meet-the-Expert (M5): Urinary Tract Infections
Experts:
Sally Roberts –Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora, New Zealand Paul Tambyah – National University Hospital, Singapore
Meet-the-Expert (M4): Surgical Infections and Antibiotic Use
Experts:
Sasheela Ponnampalavanar –University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia Bruce Biccard – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Plenary (P4): Research from Africa for Africa: Global Health Solutions from African Researchers
Speaker:
Tumani Corrah – Africa Research Excellence Fund, Gambia
Scientific (S21): Current Updates in Tuberculosis
Chair:
Sean Wasserman – University of London, UK
Co-Chair:
Dr Stefan Opperman
Speakers: Optimising therapy for TB meningitis
Sean Wasserman – University of London, UK
Host macrophage diversity as a driver of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection outcome
Henry Mwandumba –Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme, Malawi
Better and shorter treatments for tuberculosis: an advancing frontier
Graeme Meintjes – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S20): Point of Care Testing
Chair:
Adeeba Kamarulzaman – Monash University, Malaysia
Speakers:
Innovative Molecular Diagnostics: Revolutionizing Infectious Disease Detection and Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
Jesus Rodriguez Manzano – Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation (CAMO), UK
Latest advances on POCTs for STIs
Yuka Manabe – Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA
Human Helminth Infections: Improving Diagnostics for Control and Elimination Programs
Sitara Swarna Rao – The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, India
Scientific (S19): Hepatitis B and C – Global Opportunities
Speakers:
The pathway to Viral Hepatitis Elimination – Where are we in Africa?
Wendy Spearman – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S18): Biomedical Interventions on STI Prevention
Speakers:
Chair
David Lewis - University of Sydney
Co chair
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq - Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare
Prevention of Haemophilus ducreyi infections: one organism, two stories Stan Spinola –Indiana University School Of Medicine, USA
Advances in biomedical prevention for STIs Sinead Delany-Moretlwe – University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Scientific (S17): Hospital-Acquired Infections – How Much Can We Prevent
Chair:
Gonzalo Bearman – Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Co Chair
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq – Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Arabia
Speakers:
Leadership in Healthcare Epidemiology and Medicine: A football (Soccer) Enthusiasts Perspective
Gonzalo Bearman – Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Striving for Zero: Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) - A Target, Vision, or Philosophy
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq – Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Arabia
Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections: Strategies for Prevention
Tari Papavarnavas – University of Cape Town, South Africa - pop up wrong on website
Scientific (S16): Pediatric infectious diseases - Challenges and Opportunities
Chair:
Helena Maltezou – National Public Health Organization, Greece
Co Chair Asha Bowen – Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
Speakers:
Involving children in platform trials for infectious diseases across the life course: SNAP and STRAP Trials
Asha Bowen – Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
Advances in vaccine-preventable diseases
Helena Maltezou – National Public Health Organization, Greece
Closing the equity gap – opportunities and challenges in unlocking the value of immunising children
Rudzani Muloiwa – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S14): Best of HIV-ID Joint Meeting: From Kenya to South Africa
Chair:
Connie Walyaro – International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), Kenya
Speakers:
Introduction/Overview of the joint HIV/ID conference
Walter Jaoko – University of Nairobi, Kenya
Key Findings from the Joint HIV/ID Conference 2023, Kenya
Loice Ombajo – National University of Singapore, Singapore
Lessons learnt from the joint ID/HIV conference
Laz Momanyi – National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), Kenya
Panel Discussion
Jeanette Dawa, Barbara Mambo, Felix Riung, Loice Ombajo, Laz Momanyi
Closing Comments
Walter Jaoko
Scientific (S15): Clinical Management of Hard-to-Treat Infections
Chair:
Paul Tambyah – National University Hospital, Singapore
Co Chair
George Varghese Mannil – Christian Medical College, India
Speakers:
Persistent challenges in advanced HIV disease management in the era of antiretroviral therapy
Henry Mwandumba – Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme, Malawi
Challenges in Managing Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections
George Varghese – Christian Medical College, India
The Infection Dilemma: Clinical Insights into Hard-to-Treat Infection
Sipho Dlamini – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S13): Respiratory Infections
Chair:
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq – Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Arabia
Speakers:
Respiratory Tract Infections at Mass Gatherings
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq – Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Arabia
Antiviral Therapeutics Discovery for Enterovirus D68
Justin Chu – National University of Singapore, Singapore
Advances in prevention of RSV in infants
Heather Zar – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S12): Interacting with the Online World: Misinformation & Vaccine Confidence
Co-Chair
Venessa Carter TBC
Speakers:
Empowering healthcare workers to counter misinformation and rebuild vaccine confidence
Johanna (Hannelie) Meyer – Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, South Africa
Africa CDC role and interventions to improve vaccine confidence in Africa
Mohammed Abdulaziz – Africa CDC, Ethiopia
Waves of online misinformation erode the shores of vaccine confidence
Elizabeth Oduwole – Vaccines for Africa (VACFA), South Africa
Scientific (S11): Equity in AMR
Chair:
Esmita Charani – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Speakers:
Power and representation in global health research and infectious diseases
Sipho Dlamini – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Gender and antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control practices
Vrinda Nampoothiri – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Science communication and community engagement in AMR and the need for co-design
Anastasia Koch – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Closing Remarks
Plenary (P6): Rights, Equity and the Path to Ending AIDS
Chair:
Sally Roberts – Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora, New Zealand
George Varghese – Christian Medical College, India
Discussants:
Adebola Olayinka – Infection Control African Network, Nigeria
Mo Yin – National University of Singapore, Singapore
Asha Bowen – Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
Scientific (S28): New Targets and Approaches to Vaccines
Chair:
Robert Heyderman – University College London, UK
Speakers:
New targets and approaches to vaccines Mohammed Abdulaziz – Africa CDC, Ethiopia
NITAG Support Hub (NISH)- Innovative Approach to Supporting Vaccines Decision-Making in Africa Benjamin Kagina – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S27): Dengue
Chair:
Paul Tambyah –National University Hospital, Singapore
Speakers: Challenges in clinical management of Dengue
Priscila Rupali – Christian Medical College Vellore, India
Codon-Optimized Genome Recoding: A Genetically Stable Live Attenuated Flavivirus Vaccine
Justin Chu – National University of Singapore, Singapore
Epidemics of Dengue and Reemergence of Chikungunya in Latin America
Alfonso Javier Rodriguez-Morales – Fundacion Universitaria Autonoma de las Americas, Colombia
Oral Abstract Presentations (09)
Scientific (S26): AMR Surveillance and Diagnostics
Chair:
Connie Walyaro – International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), Kenya
Speakers:
Platform solutions for AMR: is a combined diagnostic, surveillance and therapeutic solution possible?
Tom Ashfield – The Sign Post, UK
AMR Surveillance in Africa: Are We There Yet?
Sabiha Essack – South African Research Chair in Antibiotic Resistance & One Health & Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Africa
CARB-X – Accelerating the Development of Novel Tools against AMR
Richard Alm – CARB-X, USA
Policy Discussion (PD3): Sources of Funding in Global Health
Moderator
TBC
Speakers
Arun Balagee - The Global Fund
Janet Midega - The Wellcome Trust, UK
Scientific (S25):AI and Infectious Diseases
Chair
Cedric Marsboom – Avia-GIS, Belgium
Co-Chair
Auss Abbood - Robert Koch Institute, Germany
Speakers:
Spatial modelling of vector-borne diseases: Where? When? How many?
Cedric Marsboom – Avia-GIS, Belgium
Application of AI in malaria detection
Rokhaya Diagne – Afyasense, Senegal
Scientific (S24): Fungal Resistance, Diagnostics, and Therapy Updates
Chair:
Afreenish Amir –National Institute of Health, Pakistan
Speakers:
Amplifying the ‘F’ word: The rise of drug-resistant fungi in Africa
Iriagbonse Osaigbovo – UBTH: University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Vaginal Candida spp. colonization, infection and drug susceptibility in adult women- a clinical study
Fingani Mphande – King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand
Emerging Antifungal resistance in Dermatophyte
Afreenish Amir, National Institute of Health, Pakistan
Oral Abstract Presentations (O8): Vaccines & Vaccine Development
Chair
Nicollette (FIDSSA) - TBC
Co chair
Helena Maltezou (ISID) - TBC
Speakers
Preclinical evaluation of a fully-human, quadrivalent-hantavirus polyclonal antibody derived from non-human source
Jay Hooper – Usamriid, USA
mRNA Nanovaccine Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Elicits Robust Immunity in Mice
Bubacarr J.B Touray – University Of Wisconsin-madison, USA
An optimized chikungunya virus trans-amplifying RNA vaccine candidate induces potent immune responses with only 1 ng of antigen encoding RNA
Christin Schmidt – Tron, Germany
Persistence of the neutralizing antibody response one year after a single injection of a new Yellow fever vaccine in adults
Emmanuel Feroldi – Sanofi, France
Profile of Protective Anti-Hbs Antibodies among Healthy Indian Children and Adults Immunized in Infancy
Sanjay Verma - PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
Scientific (S23): Neglected Infectious Diseases
Chair
Abdulrazaq G. Habib
Co Chair
Fingani Mpande Nyasulu - King Mongkuts Institute Of Technology Latkrabang
Speakers:
Speakers:
Reducing neglected zoonotic infections: One Health is essential and overcoming challenges must be a priority! Arifa Parker – Stellenbosch Univeristy, South Africa
The impact of climate change on vector-borne neglected infectious diseases Moses Bockarie –Njala University, Sierra Leone
Plenary (P5): Pandemic Preparedness
Chair:
Neelika Malavige – University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
Speaker:
Arun Balajee – The Global Fund, United States
Meet-the-Expert (M8): Career in Public Health/Global Health
Chair
Scott Dowell - WHO, Switzerland
Experts:
Alison Holmes – University of Liverpool, UK
Adeeba Kamarulzaman – Monash University, Malaysia
Meet-the-Expert (M7): Neonatal Infections
Chair
Heather Finlayson - University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Experts:
Adrie Bekker – University of Stellenbosch, South Africa Rudzani Muloiwa – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Meet-the-Expert (M6): Meet ProMED
Chair
Richard Yapi - Cote D'Ivoire
Experts
Tin Tin Myaing - Myanmar
Natalia Pshenichnaya - Russia
Larisa Ermakova - Russia
Aisha Abubakar - Nigeria
Scientific (S10): What’s New in Mycobacteriology?
Chair:
Afreenish Amir – National Institute of Health, Pakistan
Speakers:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission: the importance of precision Digby Warner – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Opportunities and Challenges in Early-Stage TB Drug Discovery: Targeting DNA Replication as a Case Study Valerie Mizrahi – University of Cape Town, South Africa
What's new in TB treatment? Cynthia Chee – Singapore TB Control Unit, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
Scientific (S7): Rabies: Key Areas
Chair:
Lucille Blumberg – National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa
Speakers:
Lessons learned from scaling up dog vaccination against rabies in Tanzania
Maganga Sambo – Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania
Rabies in seals in South Africa: an unprecedented event
Lesley van Helden – Western Cape Department of Agriculture, South Africa
When seals attack: Rabies and public health
Lucille Blumberg – National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa
Scientific (S6): Global Genomic ID Surveillance and Response
Chair:
Nicholas Feasey – St Andrews University, UK
Co-Chair:
Peter Nyasulu – Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Speakers:
Pathogen genomics in the future of Public Health: a global perspective
Josefina Campos – World Health Organisation (WHO), Argentina
Utility of environmental surveillance of pathogens in Malawi
Nicholas Feasey – St Andrews University, UK
Epidemic clones in AMR in Asia - hospital and community perspectives
Mo Yin - National University Hospital, Singapore
Scientific (S5): Enteric Infections
Chair:
Yahaya Mohammed – Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Speakers:
Rising Tide of Antibiotic Resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Analysis of Vibrio cholerae Susceptibility (2014-2024)
Yahaya Mohammed – Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Impact of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) against culture confirmed typhoid in Sindh, Pakistan
Farah Naz Qamar – Aga Khan University, Pakistan
Parasitic Diarrhoea: an Overview
John Frean – National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa
Policy Discussion (PD1): Health Systems Resilience
Moderator:
Paul Brown – University of the West Indies, Jamaica
Discussants:
Mohammed Nasir Sambo – ABU Zaria, Nigeria
Kyeng Mercy Tetuh – Africa CDC, Cameroon
Oral Abstracts Session (O1): AMR and Antimicrobial Stewardship
Chair
Richard Alm - CARB-X
Speakers
Progress on implementation of the World Health Organization global antimicrobial resistance surveillance system recommendations on antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Africa: Findings of preliminary analysis of a scoping review
Mackline Hope – Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Uganda
Genotypic diversity and antimicrobial resistance determinants in Salmonella Typhi isolated from children living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya
Susan Kavai – Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
The current landscape in antibiotic access and supply issues: a qualitative study with key experts and opinion leaders
Vrinda Nampoothiri – Amrita Institute Of Medical Sciences, India
Antibacterial Activity of Ceftazidime-avibactam against carbapenem-resistant non-fermenters Gram-negative bacteria: a cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital
Farhan Rasheed – Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
A pilot study exploring long-read nanopore metagenomics sequencing for heteroresistance detection in clinical specimens
Siphiwe Matukane – Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Assessing Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Survey of Distribution Practices in Dispensaries in Ghana
Hannah Green – New York University Abu Dhabi, USA
Mapping the implementation challenges in a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship intervention across fourteen South African neonatal units: a multi-site survey
Dena Van Den Bergh – University Of Cape Town, South Africa
Exploring challenges in implementing antimicrobial stewardship interventions across eight African nations: A multi case study
Maxencia Nabiryo - Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, Uganda
Scientific (S4): Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Wastewater Surveillance
Speakers:
Innovative Strategies for the Implementation of Sewage Surveillance in Dhaka’s converging informal sewage network
Md Ohedul Islam – University of Virginia, USA
Optimising Wastewater Sample Processing for Multiple Pathogen Detection
Shannon Fitz – Imperial College London, UK
Seasonal Patterns in Typhoid Environmental Surveillance in Ibadan, Nigeria
Aderemi Kehinde – University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Lessons learned in establishing a wastewater-based surveillance network to support infectious disease surveillance in South Africa
Sibonginkosi Maposa – National Institute For Communicable Diseases, South Africa
Does wastewater surveillance have a role in vaccine-preventable disease control? A comparison of clinical and wastewater surveillance data for hepatitis A, E, measles
Kerrigan McCarthy – National Institute For Communicable Diseases, South Africa
Normalization of wastewater-based epidemiology data for pathogen surveillance: a case study of campus-wide SARS-CoV-2 surveillance at a South African university
Rianita Van Onselen – South African Medical Research Council, South Africa
Gut Inflammatory Proteins Associated with Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Can Be Measured in Wastewater
Jeffrey Donowitz – University of Virginia, USA
Scientific (S3): HIV - Hot Topics
Chair:
Adeeba Kamarulzaman – Monash University, Malaysia
Speakers:
Prevention and treatment of HIV: recent advances and ongoing challenges
Graeme Meintjes – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Advanced HIV as a Neglected Disease
Joe Jarvis – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
HIV vaccines: strategies to achieve this?
Glenda Gray – South African Medical Research Council, South Africa
Scientific (S2): ID in Special Situations/Contexts
Chair:
Helena Maltezou – National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece
Co-Chair:
Abdulrazaq G. Habib – Bayero University, Nigeria
Speakers:
Challenges and prospects of managing infectious diseases among pastoral and migrant populations
Abdulrazaq G. Habib – Bayero University Kano, Nigeria
Emerging infections in children
Helena Maltezou – National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece
Lessons from genomic surveillance of neonatal sepsis in Malawi
Nicholas Feasey – St Andrews University, UK
Meet-the-Expert (M3): Meet the Editors
Experts:
Lucille Blumberg – National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa
Eskild Petersen – Aarhus University, Denmark
Moses Bockarie – Njala University, Sierra Leone
Meet-the-Expert (M2): Infections in Immunocompromised
Experts:
Tan Ban Hock – Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Sipho Dlamini – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Meet-the-Expert (M1): Lab Biosafety and Biosecurity
Experts:
Mona El-Shokry – Ain Shams University, Egypt
Selisha Naidoo – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific (S1): One Health: Surveillance
Chair:
Lucille Blumberg – National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa
Speakers:
One-Health surveillance of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Europe: Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE) as a case study
Annapaola Rizzoli – Edmund Mach Foundation, Italy
Never say never: One Health in Africa
Wolfgang Preiser – Stellenbosch University, South Africa
A Living Laboratory to operationalize One Health Surveillance of climate related emerging zoonoses
Alessandra Scagliarini - University of Bologna, Italy
Jake Hightower
Jake serves as the Data Science Manager for Ruvos, a company specializing in cloud-based data transfer and analytics. The Data Science team unites expertise in computer science, statistics, and AI/ML infrastructure with deep knowledge of the fields of public health and epidemiology to create products and services that help public health agencies. His main interest is advanced modeling, forecasting, and simulation of infectious diseases but enjoys building anything that bridges quality analytics to better serve the global community.
Sasheela Ponnampalavanar
Dr Sasheela Ponnampalavanar (MBBS, MMed, DTM&H) is a Consultant Infectious Disease Physician at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and Professor of Medicine at University Malaya, Malaysia. She heads the hospital Infection Control Department and chairs the Antimicrobial Stewardship(AMS) Committee. She was awarded the 2020/2021 Fulbright scholarship, and was attached to the Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control Department at the John Hopkins Hospital.
As a Committee Member of The Malaysian National Antimicrobial Resistance Committee and Technical Working Group for The National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) since 2017, she is involved in the development and implementation of national guidelines and training modules related to AMR, AMS and infection prevention and control (IPC).
Her main interest are in AMS , IPC, AMR and healthcare environment hygiene (HEH). She is involved in several local and international research collaborations and published in peer reviewed journals.
Esmita Charani
She is an honorary Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, a visiting Researcher at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, and an Adjunct Professor at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, India, where she is involved in helping implement and investigate national antibiotic stewardship programmes.
After completing her post-graduate training in Cambridge University Hospitals and ten years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in hospitals, Esmita began her research career. In her academic career the focus of her research has been behaviour change interventions in the field of antimicrobial stewardship, and the application of social science research methods to develop contextually relevant solutions. She is an investigator on an NIHR Invention for Innovation award investigating the development and use of a point-of-care personalised clinical decision support tool for antimicrobial prescribing, and is co-investigator on the ESRC award: “Optimising antibiotic use along surgical pathways: addressing antimicrobial resistance and improving clinical outcomes” (in England, Scotland, Rwanda, India & South Africa; 2017-2021).
Her work in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been recognised through an Academy of Medical Sciences UK-India AMR Visiting Professor award. She is an expert advisor to the Commonwealth Pharmacy Association and a Global Health Fellow with the Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, England. She is involved in mentoring and supporting clinical pharmacists to implement antimicrobial stewardship interventions across different healthcare settings and economies. Her doctoral thesis investigated antimicrobial stewardship in India, Norway, France, Burkina Faso and England. She is also the Research Lead for Practice, Design and Engineering at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance within the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.
Esmita completed her Masters (MPharm Hons) in Pharmacy at University College London, her MSc in Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and read for her PhD at Imperial College London.
Mohammed Yahaya
Dr. Mohammed Yahaya is an Associate Professor (Reader) and Consultant Clinical Microbiologist affiliated with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University and Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria. He previously served as the Head of Department for both institutions (2018-2022).
Dr. Yahaya boasts of over 17 years of experience tackling infectious disease outbreaks and control. He has significantly contributed to national efforts in polio eradication, routine immunization, antimicrobial resistance prevention, cholera control, HIV/AIDS management, and most recently, the COVID-19 response. Notably, he led the team that identified Dengue fever and West Nile Virus in Sokoto in 2016.
A prolific researcher, Dr. Yahaya has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and presented at several conferences. He is actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students and postgraduate trainees.
Dr. Yahaya is a respected member of the Nigerian medical community, having won several grants and holding fellowships with National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Physicians.
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Honorary Consultant, Dept of Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong.
Margaret Ip is Professor and Chairman at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Microbiology at the New Territories East Cluster of Hospitals of Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. She has over 25 years’ experience in the treatment and laboratory diagnoses of infections. Her research interests focus on molecular epidemiology of drug-resistant pathogens, inc. MRSA, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae and other multidrug-resistant organisms. She works on new diagnostic tools, microbial genomics and metagenomics and has published over 300 international peer-reviewed papers and 5 book chapters, inc in Lancet, Nat Comm, Clin infect Dis amongst others. She serves as an Advisor and Member of Scientific Committees on antimicrobial resistance and infection control and in Expert groups on GBS with WHO and FAO.
Adrian Brink
Professor Adrian Brink is Head of the Division: Medical Microbiology, and member of the Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and the National Health Laboratory Services, Groote Schuur hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Prof Brink was founding President of the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa and is the founder and currently co-chairs the South African Antibiotic Stewardship Program (SAASP).
His is main research interests are the clinical and molecular epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant infections, the mechanisms of resistance as a confounder in antibiotic stewardship, the design and implementation of large-scale antibiotic stewardship, diagnostic stewardship and infection prevention and control interventions in low and middle-income countries. The current focus alsoincludes the protective, metabolic and immune functions of the gastro-intestinal and - vaginal biome Inc. the resistome and metabolome.
Dr Oluchi Mbamalu
Dr Oluchi Mbamalu is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town. She is a pharmacist with undergraduate (BPharm) and postgraduate degrees (MPharm, PhD) in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her experiences span academia, research and pharmacy practice across different sectors in two different regions. She has mentored students in academia, research and pharmacy practice.
Oluchi has a keen interest in wider stakeholder engagement for improved infection care, with a focus on understanding and addressing barriers to patient and community engagement and awareness of infection risks, especially antimicrobial resistant infection risks. This interest has seen her involved in patient- and community-centred infection care initiatives, where she highlights the position of the pharmacist in such engagement. She is the lead investigator on a project to explore and advance patient and public/community engagement in infection care, funded by the National Research Foundation.
Debra Goff
Professor of Pharmacy Practice The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
Infectious Diseases Specialist, Global Antibiotic Stewardship
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Dr. Goff is an Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacist, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Antibiotic Stewardship Ambassador for The Ohio State University (OSU) Global One Health Institute in Columbus Ohio, USA. She is an awarding winning global “change maker” in infectious diseases. Dr. Goff is one of twenty-five global health experts selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) to implement antibiotic stewardship programs in low middle-income countries. Dr. Goff is the Program Director for the Train the Trainer Antibiotic Stewardship Mentoring Program founded in 2012 with South African pharmacists and physicians. Her program continues to expand to include neonatal ASP and other countries including Lebanon and six Latin American countries in collaboration with country experts and neonatal experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus Ohio. She uses X (Twitter) (@idpharmd) to connect with her 10,000 followers. She has 150 publications and 50 grants.
Angeliki Messina
Angeliki Messina is the Head: Digital Clinical Pharmacy of the Netcare Group. Her qualifications include, a B.Pharm (with distinction) and M.Pharm both from the University of the Witwatersrand. Angeliki obtained advanced certification in antibiotic stewardship through the Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases organisation (USA). During her time at Netcare she has co-designed, implemented and managed the Groups’ Antibiotic Stewardship program and is the pharmacy stream lead for the design and implementation of the organisations electronic medical record. Additionally, Angeliki has designed, implemented, and managed three antimicrobial stewardship mobile applications for Netcare hospitals. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications in peer reviewed international academic journals on various successful prospective audit and feedback stewardship initiatives for improvement. Her work has been acknowledged via the receipt of numerous awards including the Discovery Healthcare quality award, the Best Care Always Health systems Improvement Award and the FIDSSA Young Investigator Award.
Asha Bowen
Professor Asha Bowen is a clinician scientist working across the Perth Children’s Hospital as a paediatric infectious disease specialist and the Telethon Kids Institute as Head of the Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Team. Asha and her team recently launched the second edition of the National Healthy Skin Guideline to guide clinicians in the recognition and evidence-based treatment of skin infections. Asha has more than 10 years’ experience leading infectious diseases research and investigator-initiated clinical trials focused on issues significant to Aboriginal child health and ARF prevention.
Yenew Kebede Tebeje
Dr Yenew Kebede Tebeje is a medical microbiologist and public health expert with 20 years of clinical, teaching, laboratory science, research, capacity building, and programme design and management experience. His achievements include building laboratory systems in low-income countries, human resource capacity development, and development of policy frameworks and guidelines that impact laboratory programmes in Africa. Dr Tebeje currently serves as Head of Division of Laboratory Systems at Africa CDC where he leads programmes to strengthen public health laboratory systems and networks in Africa. In this capacity, he coordinates the establishment and strengthening of regional integrated surveillance and laboratory networks, creation of frameworks for cross-border specimen transportation, geo-mapping of laboratory functions, implementation of biosafety and biosecurity standards, use of point of care technologies and connected diagnostics to strengthen surveillance at community level, and implementation of laboratory quality management systems. He also leads initiatives by Africa CDC and partners to advance the use of laboratory diagnostics for universal health coverage and implementation of health security in Africa. Before joining Africa CDC, Dr Tebeje worked for more than 12 years as Technical Officer and later as Branch Chief for Laboratory at the US CDC in Ethiopia, where he provided strategic leadership for one of the most successful laboratory systems development programmes of the US CDC. Dr Tebeje worked as assistant lecturer, lecturer and later as assistant professor at Gondar College of Medical Science, University of Gondar. He was recognized several times for his outstanding contributions, including the Mission Honor Award, Meritorious Honor Award and US CDC Center for Global Health Director’s Award. He has written lecture notes on microbiology, immunology and parasitology and authored and co-authored more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Dr Tebeje holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Gondar College of Medical Sciences, a master’s degree in medical microbiology from Addis Ababa University, and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Gondar.
Auss Abbood
Auss Abbood is a data scientist at the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national public health institute, and holds a master's degree in cognitive science from the University of Osnabrück. Passionate about public health surveillance, he has made significant contributions to German surveillance activities, most notably by developing a system to monitor intensive care unit capacity during the pandemic. His expertise has also contributed to the assessment of foreign public health threats, providing critical analysis for the implementation of travel restrictions.
Since his master's degree, he has been fascinated by the use of natural language processing to improve surveillance, which has led to innovative projects aimed at improving event-based surveillance. He is currently cooperating with the WHO Pandemic Hub, where he and his team are applying AI methods to improve signal detection with the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system
Rokhaya Diagne
Rokhaya Diagne is a student of Computer Science in Senegal with a fervent passion for leveraging technology to address pressing global health challenges. With a major focus on health applied to technology, she has actively engaged in projects aimed at enhancing disease detection and management. Rokhaya's professional journey includes groundbreaking work in malaria classification using innovative digital microscopy and contributions to underwater species classification for environmental conservation efforts. Her commitment to excellence and innovation has earned her recognition, including prestigious awards and participation in renowned conferences
Richard Alm
Richard joined CARB-X following almost 20 years in large pharma Infection R&D teams followed by 4 years at a small antibacterial biotech company where he supported the progression of small molecule compounds from discovery through to late-stage clinical development and registration. He obtained his PhD in molecular microbiology from the University of Adelaide, and prior to joining industry he had two post-doctoral positions in the AMR area, one in Australia and one in Canada. He currently serves as the Chief Scientist at CARB-X, a global non-profit organization that supports a diverse and innovative pipeline of traditional and non-traditional products to prevent, diagnose, and treat infections caused by drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
Douglas Scarsi
Douglas Scarsi is a seasoned professional serving as the Senior Director, Client Services at Hybrid Healthcare Communications. Joining Hybrid in 2011, Douglas brought with him a wealth of experience and a commitment to delivering exceptional service. Over the past 12 years, he has played a pivotal role in collaborating with numerous clients, overseeing projects ranging from conventions to state-of-the-art digital engagement assets.
His dedication to client success, coupled with his ability to navigate complex projects with finesse, exemplifies his leadership within the healthcare communications industry. His relentless pursuit of innovation continues to drive positive outcomes for his clients.
Stefan Kaufmann
Research of Stefan Kaufmann focuses on infection biology. He combines basic research and clinical studies for better understanding of protection and pathology of intracellular bacterial infections and for the rational design of novel intervention measures against diseases caused by these pathogens. His research led to the characterization of biosignatures for prediction of active tuberculosis and a novel tuberculosis vaccine which is in several phase III trials for safety and protective efficacy.
Stefan Kaufmann is Founding Director Emeritus of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, Emeritus Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, and Senior Professor at the Charité University Clinics in Berlin, Germany as well as Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, USA.
He published > 1000 publications mostly in high-ranking journals with > 100,000 citations and is amongst the 0.01% most cited scientists of ca. 7 million scientists in 22 major scientific fields globally. He has received numerous prizes and awards and was President of the German Society for Immunology, the European Federation of Immunological Societies and the International Union of Immunological Societies. He was member of numerous international advisory boards and committees, including World Health Summit, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), TB Alliance and European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).
Kyeng Mercy Tetuh
Kyeng Mercy Tetuh is an Epidemiologist with over ten years of experience in strengthening health systems to detect and respond promptly to public health threats. She currently leads the Epidemic intelligence unit of Africa CDC. The unit supports the establishment of early warning systems which involves digitalizing EBS processes, strengthening EBS workforce, developing EBS standards and procedures, and establishing Epidemic intelligence networks at national, regional and continental levels to foster early detection and information exchange using the all hazard multisectoral approach. Prior to joining Africa CDC, Kyeng served as the Executive Director of Value Health Africa where she developed and coordinated projects on early detection and reporting of national priority diseases.
Mercy holds a Master's in Public Health and Epidemiology and PHDc in Tropical and infectious disease at the school of health sciences in the University of Nairobi
Tumani Corrah
Professor Sir Tumani Corrah is Emeritus director of the Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia @The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is Founder and President of the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF). Established 9 years ago, AREF focusses on the continent’s emerging health researchers, providing them with the knowledge and essential skills to a successful research career in Africa. Research that will impact on policies to improve health and save lives in Africa and the rest of the world. To date AREF has impacted on the scientific careers of over 650 health researchers from 41 African countries.
Anna Levin
Anna Levin is an Associate Professor at the Department of Infectious and Parasitic Disease of The Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP) and the coordinator of the Group of Hospital Infection Control in the Hospital das Clinicas of FMUSP.
Anna’s research expertise includes therapy for resistant infections, interventions to reduce healthcare associated infections, and optimising antimicrobial prescribing practices.
Alex Pym
With an extensive background in molecular microbiology and translational medicine, Alex leads Wellcome’s work on infectious disease, supporting research into ways to reduce the risks and impacts of infectious disease globally.
Alex joined Wellcome from Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson where he led the discovery and development of new drugs for tuberculosis (TB) and related diseases. Alexander spent his early career working as a doctor in rural South Africa, where he led the district TB control program. After working on some of the first HIV clinical trials of HAART in London he completed a PhD in Molecular Microbiology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, supported by a Wellcome Research Fellowship. He went on to spend over a decade in South Africa working initially on clinical drug development at the South African Medical Research Council, before leading a translational research group at AHRI.
William Wint
Dr. William Wint's expertise spans from ecological entomology in the '70s to tropical and temperate community ecology in the '80s to environmental resource assessment (i.e., flying around Africa in small airplanes counting animals) in the '80s and '90s to spatial analysis, spatial data management, and vector, host, and disease risk modeling in more recent times. More specifically, his current activities focus on mosquito, tick, sandfly, and biting midge-borne diseases in Europe and the rest of the Old World and Bovine TB in the UK. As Managing Director of a small consultancy (Environmental Research Group Oxford Limited) and a Senior Research Associate at the Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Dr. Wint has a foot in the commercial and academic sectors and does his best to promote communication between the two.
Sean Wasserman
Sean Wasserman is a clinical academic with training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. He has an active program of clinical research on treatment optimization for tuberculosis, HIV, and associated opportunistic infections. His research aims to address clinically significant questions through translational studies, emphasizing reducing the infection burden in underserved populations. Sean has spent most of his career in Cape Town, South Africa. After completing specialist training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, he undertook a PhD in the clinical pharmacology of linezolid for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Sean recently took up a position at St George’s, University of London, as a Reader in Infectious Diseases at the Institute for Infection and Immunity.
Sean maintains an adjunct appointment as Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town, where he is a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa). He also holds honorary appointments as an Associate Professor at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, and as an International Fellow at the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University. Sean was a pharmacologist on the ACTG Tuberculosis Transformative Science Group from 2019 to 2023 and is a member of the NIH-CDC-HIVMA/IDSA Guidelines Committee for Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
Constance Walyaro
Constance Georgina Walyaro is a Global Public Health Specialist with considerable experience in Antimicrobial/Antibiotic Resistance (AMR/ABR), Primary Health Care (PHC), and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). She’s the Executive Director of Talk AB[M]R - Talking Resistance and a Thematic Expert for SDGs Goals 1, 3, 5, and 13 for the UN Global Partnership for SDGs - Legal-and-Economic-Empowerment-Network. She’s been involved in developing and domesticating the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR and helped push for greater emphasis on AMR/ABR in SDG3. She’s provided technical support to FAO/WHO Codex Coordinating Committee Africa, the Regional Meeting on Global Health Diplomacy in East and Southern Africa (ESA), for the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community, and the Regional Network for Equity in Health ESA, in preparation for World Health Assembly. She’s also supported the Governments of Ghana, Thailand, the UK, Wellcome Trust/Fleming Fund, WHO, OIE, FAO, and others in developing and implementing the Ghana Declaration Call to Action on AMR. Additionally, Connie also helped establish ReAct Africa, served as its Communication Coordinator for Africa, championed AMR/ABR action and awareness as Co-Chair of the Advocacy and Awareness subcommittee of the National Antimicrobial Stewardship Advisory Committee (NASAC) - Ministry of Health KE, and further in collaborations with CDDEP-GARP (Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership) ‘State of the Worlds Antibiotics’ and others.
George Varghese
George M. Varghese is a renowned clinician, teacher, and researcher with over two decades of experience in infectious diseases and tropical medicine. He is a Professor at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. He has extensive training in infectious diseases and tropical medicine from various centers of excellence, including the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Wayne State University, USA. Dr. Varghese is an expert in infectious diseases and global health, serving on national and international committees, including the Trustee of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, UK, and the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society president. He has contributed to several research areas in infectious diseases and global health, including rickettsial infections, tuberculosis, rabies, melioidosis, and emerging and drug-resistant infections.
Dr. Varghese's recent work includes the INTREST trial, showing the combination therapy of intravenous doxycycline and azithromycin is superior to either drug used alone for severe scrub typhus treatment. This new evidence published in NEJM is expected to save numerous lives. Dr. Varghese has established successful collaborations with leading international experts in rickettsial infections, antimicrobial resistance, and other tropical infections. He has received multiple honors, including the Guerrant International Award from the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the MG Alexander Award in Tropical Medicine from the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society. His contributions have helped establish the specialty of Infectious Diseases in India, where he is widely regarded as a pioneer. Dr. Varghese has published numerous papers in national and international journals and helped improve the understanding and management of infectious diseases, benefiting patients and communities in India and beyond.
Rachel Thomson
Professor Rachel Thomson MBBS Grad Dip (Clin Epi) PhD FRACP. Dr Rachel Thomson is a Thoracic Physician and Lead of the Bronchiectasis and Mycobacterial Diseases Research Group at the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, University of Queensland. She conducts specialized mycobacterial clinics at Greenslopes Private, Prince Charles, and Princess Alexandra Hospitals. She has an international reputation for her research into lung disease due to nontuberculous mycobacteria, currently focussing on immunological and environmental aspects of susceptibility to NTM infection, characteristics of the lung microbiome in NTM, and improving treatment outcomes.
Annapaola Rizzoli
Annapaola Rizzoli is a PhD DVM working in the field of health and environment from the One Health perspective. Her primary scientific interest and expertise are in the field of ecology, epidemiology, and risk assessment of emerging vector-borne and zoonotic infectious diseases driven by global changes.
Natalia Pshenichnaya
Natalia Pshenichnaya graduated from medical university in 1991 and finished her internship in infectious diseases in 1993. In 1996, she received her Ph.D. In 2006, she received her D.Sci. in infectious diseases, and in 2011, she became a diploma Professor in infectious diseases. From 1996 to 2019, Natalia worked as an assistant professor, associate Professor Professor, and head of the Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology department at the Rostov State Medical University. From 2011 to 2012, she acted as the WHO project officer for "Climate Change and Health" in WHO CO in Russia. From 2019 to 2020, she worked at the National Medical Research Center of Phthisiopulmonology and Infectious Diseases as the Head of the International Department in Moscow, Russia.
Since June 2020, she has been working as Deputy Director of the clinic and analytic work at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of The Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) in Moscow, Russia. She is also a Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Moscow Regional Research Clinical Institute and an infectious diseases consultant at the Infectious Diseases Hospital #2 in Moscow.
Since 2004, she has been a ProMED-mail RUS moderator for the International Society for Infectious Diseases. Since 2007, she has been involved in WHO activity as a short-term consultant (Influenza, Severe Acute Respiratory Infections, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, IHR, IPC, COVID-19). Since 2017, she has acted as Associate Editor of the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials and since 2019 - a Russian Academy of Science expert. Natalia was a member of the WHO-China joint technical mission to China to support response operation for the COVID-19 outbreak February 2020, Russian military-medical humanitarian mission on COVID-19 in Bergamo (Lombardia province), Italy, 22 March-10 April 2020; WHO GOARN technical and assessment mission on COVID-19 and WHO IPC and clinical management mission on COVID-19 in Tajikistan (May-September 2020), Rospotrebnadzor technical and consultative missions on COVID-19 in Kyrgyzstan (July and August 2020), South Africa (December 2021), typhoid fever in Republic of Congo (August, 2023).
Natalia's areas of scientific interest are influenza and other acute respiratory infections, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, West Nile Fever, other zoonotic diseases, acute diarrhea, infectious diseases in travelers, viral hepatitis, etc.
David Patterson
Professor Patterson directs ADVANCE-ID (ADVANcing Clinical Evidence for Infectious Diseases) at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. ADVANCE-ID is a clinical trials network comprising more than 40 hospitals across Asia. This network is jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and several Singaporean institutions to conduct clinically essential trials in the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) field. The network comprises trials of antibiotics, diagnostics, and prevention strategies. He is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland and has more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, predominantly in AMR. His research focuses on the molecular and clinical epidemiology of infections with antibiotic-resistant organisms, intending to translate knowledge into optimal prevention and treatment of these infections. Multi-country clinical trials are the primary component of his research portfolio and the predominant focus of ADVANCE-ID.
Eskild Petersen
Professor Petersen of Aarhus University, Denmark, is the longest-serving Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID) since its inception in 1996. He has been instrumental in bringing each author's research to scientific publication. Editors like Professor Petersen are curators of scholarship (Franco et al., 2018). The essential components of journal publishing are the technical tasks of handling submitted manuscripts, coordinating reviews, and managing a data repository for the scientific community (Marcovitch, 2008). As a curator, Professor Petersen has applied these editing skills to translate the research submitted to the journal for the intellectual consumption of readers, which for the IJID means practitioners and academics in infectious diseases in both clinical and public health fields. When we reflect on editorship, Professor Petersen's contributions are testimony to the importance of "human-ware" in medical publishing, which cannot be replaced by the ever-expanding application of automated editing software and hardware even in this era of open-access publishing.
Mubarak Mustafa
Dr. Mubarak Elsaeed Mustafa Elkarsany, M.D., is an associate professor of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Karary-Sudan. He has been appointed as a university lecturer since 1996 after obtaining his clinical M.D. in pathology and microbiology. He has pursued a career in public health laboratory work with a particular interest in virology and arboviral research in viral hemorrhagic fevers related to Sudan and the African region. He has done several types of research with published articles in field surveillance activities related to dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, Yellow fever, and Rift Valley fever. He was the first scientist to document the existence of CCHF in Sudan.
Dr. Mustafa has collaborated with the WHO and other partners to develop national guidelines and lab-based surveillance for epidemic-prone diseases. In 2015, he was awarded the International Conference on Emerging Diseases Award by the CDC-USA as a World Health leader. As a temporary consultant, he has collaborated with Public Health-UK, WHO, EMRO, and AFRO regional offices in various part-time missions.
Clemens Müller
Dr. Clemens Müller is Director of Global Medical Affairs at Takeda, Vaccine Business Unit, and has worked with healthcare professionals and medical communities around the globe his entire career. In several functions, he developed and established scientific and medical educational programs globally and lectured at the ETH Zürich (Switzerland) at the Department of Health Science and Technology for almost a decade. He is the author or co-author of >20 peer-reviewed articles.
Mark Miller
Dr. Mark Miller has been an Executive VP and the full-time Chief Medical Officer at bioMérieux, a significant global diagnostics company, since 2012 until his recent retirement in January 2024. He had multiple global roles at bioMérieux, contained within the Medical Office. Dr. Miller was the head of the Global Medical Affairs group comprising over 200 individuals, the creator and head of the Companion Diagnostics activities, and the initiator of the Patient Value Strategy. He was also the originator of the Public and Government Affairs team. His primary focus was defining, advancing, and demonstrating the medical value and health benefits of the company's diagnostic tools, focusing on improving patient outcomes, healthcare institutions, and the entire medical system.
Originally from Montreal, Canada, he is a physician certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Clinical Microbiology. He also possesses a Master's degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Before joining bioMérieux, he worked full-time for over 25 years as the Head of Infectious Diseases, the Chair of Infection Prevention and Control, and the Chief of Clinical Microbiology at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada. He ran a large and active Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit, which researched novel anti-infectives and vaccines, innovative infectious disease diagnostics, and the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections, with particular expertise in C. difficile infections. Doctor Miller is a former Full Professor of the Department of Medicine at McGill University. He currently lives in Montreal, Canada.
Julia Maxwell
Julia Maxwell is a public health professional focusing on low- and middle-income countries. She got her start in public health as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea before completing her MSc in Public Health in Developing Countries at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her previous roles have included working for an HIV research group and managing an occupational health program. Julia has spent significant time working in Haiti in post-earthquake Port au Prince on a large-scale larviciding project to prevent malaria and dengue fever and in the Northern Department opening primary health care clinics.
Before joining ISID in 2021, she worked as the Senior Project Manager on the Primary Health Care team at Ariadne Labs. Julia is the point person at ISID for all disease surveillance activities, including ISID's Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED). ProMED is the most extensive publicly-available system reporting infectious disease outbreaks globally. It is used daily by international public health leaders, government officials at all levels, physicians, veterinarians and other healthcare workers, researchers, private companies, journalists, and the general public. Reports are produced, and commentary is provided by a multidisciplinary global team of subject matter expert (SME) moderators in various fields, including virology, parasitology, epidemiology, entomology, and veterinary and plant diseases.
Ghassan Matar
Dr. Ghassan M. Matar is currently a Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology & Microbiology, Associate Director & Laboratory Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), and Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference & Research on Bacterial Pathogens at the Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut (AUB). Professor Matar is a resource advisor in the WHO-Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Agents (AGISAR) and served as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Ambassador to Lebanon and Chair of the ASM Ambassador Leadership Circle (2011-2017). He has served as an academic advisor to 52 graduate students, published 113 articles in refereed international journals, and delivered 130 abstracts at global, regional, and local conferences. Professor Matar received funding from various extramural sources such as the CDC, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), WHO/AGISAR, PulseNet (CDC, WHO, MOPH), and others. His laboratory is involved in PulseNet International/Middle East (MoPH/CDC/WHO) and a WHO Collaborating Center for Reference & Research on Bacterial Pathogens.
Helena Maltezou
Professor Maltezou is a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at the National Public Health Organization in Greece. She received her MD at the University of Crete. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Athens and infectious diseases at the University of Texas, Houston, and the University of Marseille. She has over 250 published articles and edited the book Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases (2010). She received the 2001 European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases Award. Dr. Maltezou is a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Bari and Catania, Italy, and academic institutions in China. Her main interests include COVID-19, influenza, and vaccinations.
Neelika Malavige
Neelika Malavige is a Professor at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and a member of the International Society of Infectious Diseases Executive Committee. She is an academic visitor at the MRC Human Immunology Unit, University of Oxford, and has been focusing on immunopathogenesis of dengue biomarkers and translating these findings into clinical trials. She heads the Global Dengue Program at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative and works on COVID-19 vaccine responses, pathogen surveillance, and host-pathogen interactions.
Sadaf Lynes
Sadaf Lynes, MSc, MBA, MPH, IPFPH, MRCPH, has 23 years of experience at the executive director level across health system strengthening and public health in the United Kingdom and internationally. Her expertise includes: • Strategy and implementation. • Greenfield development. • Research and development. • Program and business development through full-time positions. • Consultancy work.
She also teaches on a UK Russell Group level 7 Masters in Public Health and Health Promotion. She has a Master's degree in Zoology, a Master's degree in Business Administration (UK), and a Master's in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is originally from the UK but resides in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Larry Lutwick
Dr. Larry Lutwick has almost 50 years of experience in academic Infectious Diseases. With postgraduate training at Barnes Hospital and Stanford University Medical Center, he has written or co-written over 100 papers, almost two dozen book chapters, and edited several books. He was the Founding Editor-in-Chief of ID Cases and is a moderator for the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED).
David Lewis
David Lewis is the Director of Western Sydney Sexual Health Centre and holds Professorships at the Universities of Sydney and Cape Town. His research interests include antimicrobial resistance, STI surveillance, genital ulcer disease, and STI care in resource-poor settings. He is an elected Council member of the International Society for Infectious Diseases and a Past President of the International Union against STIs. For over a decade, David served as Deputy Editor for Sexually Transmitted Infections and remains an Editorial Board member. David is a Member of the World Health Organization’s Strategic Technical and Advisory Committee for HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs.
Ramanan Laxminarayan
Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan is the founder and president of the One Health Trust, founded as the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP). He is a senior research scholar at Princeton University. He is an affiliate professor at the University of Washington, a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. Dr. Laxminarayan chairs the board of GARD-P, a global product development partnership created by the World Health Organization to develop and deliver new treatments for bacterial infections. He is the founder and board chair at HealthCubed, which works to improve access to healthcare and diagnostics worldwide.
Kyeng Mercy Tetuh
Kyeng Mercy Tetuh is an Epidemiologist with over ten years of experience in strengthening health systems to detect and respond promptly to public health threats. She currently leads the Epidemic intelligence unit of Africa CDC. The unit supports the establishment of early warning systems which involves digitalizing EBS processes, strengthening EBS workforce, developing EBS standards and procedures, and establishing Epidemic intelligence networks at national, regional and continental levels to foster early detection and information exchange using the all hazard multisectoral approach. Prior to joining Africa CDC, Kyeng served as the Executive Director of Value Health Africa where she developed and coordinated projects on early detection and reporting of national priority diseases.
Mercy holds a Master's in Public Health and Epidemiology and PHDc in Tropical and infectious disease at the school of health sciences in the University of Nairobi
Keith Klugman
Professor Keith Klugman is the Director of the Pneumonia, Meningitis, Neonatal Sepsis, Antimicrobial Resistance and Surveillance and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington. He is the Emeritus William H. Foege Chair of Global Health at the Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, he serves as an Honorary Professor in the Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Professor Klugman is a past president of the International Society of Infectious Diseases and a past chair of the International Board of the American Society for Microbiology. In 2015, Keith was elected to membership in the US National Academy of Medicine. He has chaired or served on numerous expert committees for the World Health Organization (WHO), the Welcome Trust, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He serves as an editor or member of the editorial advisory board of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, and MBio.
Professor Klugman has made significant contributions in the field of pneumococcal research, including antimicrobial resistance. His work demonstrating pneumococcal conjugate vaccine efficacy in the developing world has led to interventions that continue to save millions of lives, especially in Africa and Asia. He has published more than 650 scientific papers, which have been cited more than 44,000 times to date. During the COVID pandemic, he has kept the staff of the Gates Foundation up to date on developments with weekly or biweekly one-hour Zoom calls open to all the staff. His current position allows him the opportunity to contribute to the mission of the Gates Foundation to reduce deaths from pneumonia (including COVID-19), neonatal sepsis, and meningitis in children, thus allowing them the chance to lead healthy and productive lives.
Gagandeep Kang
Gagandeep Kang is the Director of the Enterics, Diagnostics, Genomics, and Epidemiology team in the Division of Global Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Until 2023, she was at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, leading a program on enteric infectious diseases and nutrition. Her group’s research has focused on the needs of India’s underprivileged populations over three decades. The work has resulted in surveillance that has informed government prioritization and in the evaluation of vaccines that are now being used worldwide.
Kassim Jimale
Mr. Kassim Jimale is the VP of research and development for Jamhuriya University of Science and Technology (JUST) in Mogadishu, Somalia. He is also a senior Somali National University (SNU) lecturer. He served as the incident Manager of COVID-19 preparedness and Response in Somalia. One of his significant achievements in the Somali public health sector is reestablishing Somalia's National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) after its destruction during the war in Somalia. Mr. Jimale is completing a Master's of Global Health Delivery (MGHD) at the UGHE in Rwanda. Mr. Jimale also holds a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Medical Microbiology from Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan. He is passionate about global health delivery and research.
Aamer Ikram
Professor Aamer Ikram is currently Chair of the Advisory Board for Training Programs in Epidemiology & Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET); member of Technical Advisory Group–Biosafety, WHO; Executive Board International Association of National Public Health Institutes; Board Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; Global Council International Vaccine Institute; Executive Committee Institute of Safety in Technology & Research, UK. Previously, he was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Federation of Biosafety Associations and other influential bodies. He focuses on IHR, GHSA, IDSR, One-Heath, Biosafety & Biosecurity, and AMR. He has made immense contributions as CEO of the National Institutes of Health Pakistan, including the COVID-19 pandemic response. He has a microbiology doctorate and has earned fellowships in the field, accompanied by a substantial body of published work.
Alison Holmes
Alison has a longstanding clinical and research career in global infectious diseases, with particular interests in antibiotic use, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), epidemiology, and public health within healthcare and has served on the Executive Committee of the ISID, chairing the Education and the Publications Committee and introducing the Emerging Leaders initiative. She is a Professor of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College, a Fellow of the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences, and a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. Professor Holmes leads a large multidisciplinary research group and network with solid international collaborations. She is the Director of the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) and AMR and the Centre of Antimicrobial Optimisation at Imperial College. She is an Associate Medical Director in the National Health Service, leading a multi-professional service, and a senior ID consultant.
In addition to her work in infectious diseases, she has served as a medical advisor to VSO, UK, and was involved in refugee health, health, and human rights. She was an expert member of the Governmental Advisory Committee on AMR and HCAI for nine years. Professor Holmes now chairs the Technical Advisory Group for the Fleming Fund. She sits on various WHO expert groups and committees and sits on or chairs numerous national and international scientific advisory boards, funding panels, and editorial boards.
Alison spent much of her life overseas. She attended Cambridge University as an undergraduate and then went to St George’s Medical School in London. She worked in communicable diseases and tropical medicine in Oxford, gained her DTM&H from London, and was awarded an ID fellowship to spend at Boston University, where her research was conducted in the Maxwell Finland Laboratories and where she gained an MPH in International Health from Harvard School of Public Health. Professor Holmes serves on the Finance Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
Robert Heyderman
Professor Robert Heyderman is a clinician scientist whose work bridges clinical practice, disease prevention, and the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of infectious disease. He has established a Mucosal Pathogens Research Group at UCL, whose research in the UK and Africa addresses the microbial and immunological basis of severe infection caused by mucosal pathogens and their prevention through vaccination, the regulation of inflammation, and diagnosing and managing meningitis and sepsis. He is the Director of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Mucosal Pathogens (MPRU), which is an interdisciplinary translational partnership that brings together internationally recognized UK and African investigators to tackle limitations in the long-term effectiveness of existing vaccines to prevent meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis through new approaches to interrupting mucosal pathogen carriage/transmission. His research at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Programme (www.mlw.mw) combines internationally-leading science and research training to improve people's health in sub-Saharan Africa.
Abdulrazaq Habib
Abdul Habib is a professor of infectious and tropical diseases and epidemiology and a consultant physician at Bayero University Kano (BUK) and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. His research focuses on clinical infectious diseases, global health, and tropical snakebite. He is a former dean and foundation provost of BUK College of Health Sciences. He is a member of the Nigerian Immunization Technical Advisory Group, Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) workgroup on meningitis vaccines, and Snakebite antivenom experts at WHO Geneva. He is the immediate past president of the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society and the current chair of the International Society on Toxinology - Africa & Middle East section.
Nicolette du Plessis
Professor Nicolette du Plessis, a registered Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist, is an Associate Professor and Head of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Division of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Pretoria and Kalafong Hospital. Her interests and research in the field of Paediatric Infectious Diseases led to her PhD, which focused on early HIV diagnosis and treatment. Other interests include immunology, allergy, travel medicine, tuberculosis, immunization, vaccine-preventable diseases, outbreak investigation, and antibiotic stewardship. Her recent research projects focus on pediatric COVID-19 and HIV. She is currently the president of FIDSSA and serves on numerous advisory boards locally and nationally.
Scott Dowell
Scott F. Dowell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist by training, serves as Senior Advisor, Global Health Emergency Corps at the World Health Organization (WHO). Before that, he spent a decade overseeing disease surveillance work at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He led its $2 billion response to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing a small amount to saving some 19 million lives. Dr. Dowell spent 20 years at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he studied viral and bacterial pneumonia and responded to outbreaks of Ebola and other pathogens. He established and directed the International Emerging Infections Program in Thailand, a collaboration that received accolades from both the Thai and U.S. governments for its prominent role in responding to the SARS crisis and for its leadership in defining the response to avian influenza A (H5N1) in Southeast Asia. He led CDC’s response to the earthquake and cholera epidemic in Haiti, helping to rebuild the public health infrastructure and contributing to the saving of an estimated 7,000 lives.
Dr. Dowell established the agency's Global Health Security Agenda as the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for International Health Regulations and the Division of Global Disease Detection and Emergency Response. In 2014, he retired from the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General. Dr. Dowell has co-authored more than 190 publications, holds an Uber rating of 4.89, and is particularly interested in targeted reductions of childhood mortality.
Shui Shan Lee
Dr. Lee is a clinician and specialist in internal medicine, immunopathology, and public health. He joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2005 and is currently a Professor and Deputy Director of the University’s S.H. Ho Research Centre for Infectious Diseases. Between 1991 and 2005, Dr. Lee headed the Hong Kong Government’s AIDS programme, directing the territory’s HIV prevention, control and treatment services. He is the founding president of the Hong Kong Society for HIV Medicine and was chairman of the government’s scientific committee on AIDS and STIs between 2016 and 2022. Since 2022, he’s been serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Infection Diseases. Dr. Lee has, on various occasions, served as a consultant to national and international organisations in the assessment of HIV situations, programme evaluations, and advice on harm reduction development. His primary areas of research interest include a biomedical approach to HIV/STI prevention, infectious disease epidemiology, and emerging infectious diseases. Dr. Lee has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and 40 book chapters and is the editor of the HIV Manual in Hong Kong.
Sean Wasserman
Sean Wasserman is a clinical academic with training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. He has an active programme of clinical research on treatment optimisation for tuberculosis, HIV, and associated opportunistic infections. His research aims to address clinically important questions through translational studies, emphasizing reducing the infection burden in underserved populations. Sean has spent most of his career in Cape Town, South Africa. After completing specialist training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, he undertook a PhD in the clinical pharmacology of linezolid for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Sean recently took up a position at St George’s, University of London, as a Reader in Infectious Diseases at the Institute for Infection and Immunity. Sean maintains an adjunct appointment as Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town, where he is a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa). He also holds honorary appointments as an Associate Professor at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, and as an International Fellow at the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University. Sean served as a pharmacologist on the ACTG Tuberculosis Transformative Science Group from 2019 to 2023 and is a member of the NIH-CDC-HIVMA/IDSA Guidelines Committee for Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV. The Lancet journal profiled Sean as a ‘rising star in TB-HIV research and medicine’ and has received awards from the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), the InterAcademy Partnership, and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. He is an ISID council member.
Sally Roberts
Dr. Sally Roberts is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Until recently, she was the Clinical Director for the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (LabPlus). She is the Clinical Lead for Microbiology at Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) Te Toka Tumai Auckland district. She is an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Auckland and an associate investigator for the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, one of the seven Centres of Research Excellence in New Zealand. She also works for Te Tāhū Hauora, Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand as the National Clinical Lead for the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programme supporting the Hand Hygiene New Zealand, Surgical Site Infection Improvement programme and other quality improvement programmes. This role fosters her strong interest in clinical governance and patient safety. Over the last five years, Dr. Roberts has been on the Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Group, the MOH National COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, and chaired the IPC TAG. She enjoys teaching and has contributed to the professional development of many of her junior colleagues across New Zealand.
Paul Tambyah
Paul Tambyah is the current International Society for Infectious Diseases president. He is a Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore and a Senior Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at the National University Health System. After graduating from the National University of Singapore Faculty of Medicine and completing national service in the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps, he trained in Infectious Diseases under Dr. Dennis Maki at the University of Wisconsin. Since returning to Singapore more than 20 years ago, he has served on several national and international committees. He is also past President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection. His research interests are in device-associated infections and emerging infectious diseases.
Linda MacKinnon
Linda is the Chief Executive Officer of the ISID. A dedicated and long-standing champion of healthcare equity, infectious disease advocacy, and epidemic intelligence innovations, Ms. MacKinnon leads the Society’s extensive Program Portfolio mission. Ms. MacKinnon believes that early warning detection, management, and education of infectious diseases in a One Health context is necessary to empower those shouldering the heaviest burden of diseases, especially those living in low- and low-middle-income countries. Before joining ISID, Linda spent years leading ongoing information technology support and onsite subject matter expertise to further directives for AIDS relief in various countries, including Eswatini, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Vietnam, and Ukraine. Linda served as lead Epidemiologist at Atlanta’s US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases. Prior to the CDC, Linda lived and worked in West Africa, working with frontline community workers to improve the lives of those most in need.
Elkin Bermudez
Dr. Bermudez holds an MD degree from the Universidad del Rosario, completed an MSc in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases in Fiocruz, and holds a Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases from UNIFESP, Brazil, where his research project focused on resistance to HIV antiretroviral treatment. He has been working internationally in the global health field for more than 15 years in international organizations such as MSF and FIND in the areas of Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Operational Research, supporting field teams in countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and from headquarters in Europe. Previously, he worked in clinical research and participated in projects on treating neglected diseases in South America. Dr. Bermudez joined ISID in 2022 and collaborated with the team in advancing the management of scientific agenda-related activities and grant coordination.
Aisha Abubakar
Aisha Abubakar (nee Ahmed Umar) [MBBS, MPH Field Epidemiology, PhD Public Health FWACP] is a seasoned epidemiologist and Public Health Physician. She is a Professor/Consultant with the Ahmadu Bello University and the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria. Professor Abubakar has a Master's in Public Health in Field Epidemiology from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research from the University of Lancaster, UK, and a Ph.D. in Public Health from the Atlantic International University, USA. She is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Community Health of the West African College of Physicians (FWACP). She has taken a step from academia and is now a Manager of Scientific Programs at the International Society for Infectious Diseases. She is also a ProMED Anglophone Africa moderator for the International Society for Infectious Diseases. Her main interests are Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Infection Prevention and Control, and Public Health Surveillance. She is passionate about Infectious Diseases and Global Health.
Afreenish Amir
Dr. Afreenish Amir (MBBS, M.Phil, Ph.D. (Microbiology), MPH, CHPE, DHM, Ph.D. Public Health Scholar) is a medical microbiologist with over fifteen years of experience in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases. She is working on implementing the Pakistan National Action Plan on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance, Laboratory systems, AMR and AMC Surveillance, Stewardship, and Advocacy. She has been engaged in the Pakistan AMR Surveillance System (PASS), Candida auris fungal diagnostics, Asia Pathogens Genomics Initiative, Tricycle One Health Integrated AMR Surveillance (WHO), Environmental Surveillance of Cholera, LQMS training and National Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. She has 80 publications in national and international journals, and many are underway. She is a Harvard Kennedy School and GCSP Geneva alumna (on Global Health Security), GIBACHT fellow on biosafety and biosecurity (Germany), Lead Auditor ISO 9001:2015 (CQI, IRCA UK), Ex-Chair Emerging Leaders program in Infectious Diseases ISID (USA), Visiting Faculty Rawalpindi Medical University, a member of the WHO Advisory Group on the Bacterial Priority Pathogen List, a member of the Expert Group for WHO Global AMR Research Agenda in human health, Pakistan Biological Safety Association, Federal Region Chapter Head, Board Director for Mehnaz Fatima Foundation Gilgit, and Consultant Clinical Microbiology for American Society of Microbiology (USA).
Adeeba Kamarulzaman
Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman is the President and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia. Prior to this appointment, she was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, and continues as an Honorary Professor at UM and as Adjunct Associate Professor at Yale University, USA. An infectious diseases physician by training, Professor Kamarulzaman is a passionate advocate for social justice, especially as it pertains to HIV prevention, treatment and care, and drug policies. She serves as the Chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation and is the immediate Past President of the International AIDS Society. She is also the founding Chair of the ROSE Foundation, an organization committed to eliminating cervical cancer in Malaysia and regionally. At the international level, Professor Kamarulzaman has been an advisor to numerous WHO, UNAIDS, and UNODC committees on HIV/AIDS and substance use. She is presently Vice Chair of WHO’s Science Council and is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and the Global Council on Inequalities, HIV and Pandemics. Her achievements have been recognized through several national and international awards, including as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Merdeka Award and recently as Tokoh Akademik Negara. In April 2015, she was honored with a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from her alma mater, Monash University, for her role as a health advocate and contributions to medicine.
Sipho Dlamini
Sipho Dlamini, MBChB, FCP(SA), Cert ID(SA)Phys is an Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, the Department of Medicine, in Cape Town, South Africa. He is a clinical Infectious Disease specialist with a research interest in HIV and tuberculosis and the use of vaccines for vaccine-preventable diseases in adults living with HIV infection. He has published over 44 peer-reviewed papers and three book chapters. His clinical and research activities have allowed him to be involved in exciting studies. He is actively engaged in teaching and mentoring students locally and internationally. He has been an invited speaker to local and international conferences.
He serves as a member of the following committees: the National Immunization Safety Expert Committee (NISEC) for the National Department of Health South Africa, the WHO African Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group, and the ESCMID Professional Affairs Subcommittee (PAS).
Lucille Blumberg
Professor Lucille Blumberg is a highly respected infectious diseases specialist who sits on many national and international expert groups. Her contribution to protecting the public from infectious disease has been hailed as the epitome of sustainable groundbreaking research.
Born in Johannesburg, after enrolling at Parktown High School for Girls, she studied medicine at Wits, graduating in 1974. She did her internship at what is now Helen Joseph Hospital and followed this with a distinguished postgraduate academic career. Her specialist qualifications include a Diploma in Child Health, a diploma in Occupational Health, and one in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. She obtained a specialist Master of Medicine degree in Microbiology from Wits in 2003 and became a subspecialist in Infectious Diseases in South Africa in 2010.
Her work experience started at what is now Chris Hani Baragwanath before becoming Principal Medical Officer at what was then Rietfontein and is now Sizwe Tropical Diseases Hospital. In 2002, she became a deputy director at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. She still holds this position today. She was the founding head of the Institute’s Division of Public Health, Surveillance and Response. Now, she consults for this division, which includes travel medicine and clinical infectious diseases. Professor Blumberg is a sought-after expert in viral outbreaks, evidenced by her membership in many national and international committees.
Gonzalo Bearman
Gonzalo Bearman is Chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Richard P. Wenzel Professor of Internal Medicine (Tenure), focusing on clinical infectious diseases, public health, and healthcare epidemiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. He is a graduate of Colgate University (BA), SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (MD), and Columbia University (MPH). Dr. Bearman completed a residency in Internal Medicine and was Chief Resident at SUNY at Buffalo. He then completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases and a Preventive Medicine/Public Health residency, both at Cornell University. Dr. Bearman is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, General Preventive Medicine, and Public Health.
Arun Balajee
Dr. Balajee is the Senior Technical Advisor for Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. She is seconded to The Global Fund from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia. She has worked in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asian Middle East, and Central Asia and understands surveillance systems in these settings deeply. She is an expert in implementing pandemic surveillance and has several peer-reviewed publications.
Patrick Baffuto
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Kokou Alinon
Dr. Kokou Alinon has over 17 years of experience as a healthcare professional and over 14 years as a Public Health professional with solid academic knowledge and professional experiences in Public Health Policy and Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Disease Surveillance. He is from the Republic of Togo in West Africa and has a Master’s degree (DEA and DESS) in Health Psychology. Before joining Africa CDC, he worked for Togo’s Ministry of Health as the Palliative Care National Program Coordinator, ensuring the development, management, and implementation of palliative care programs. He has been the Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Division Lead for over four years.
Jaffar Al-Tawfiq
Dr. Jaffar Al-Tawfiq is the Accreditation & Infection Control Director at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. He is also a Consultant of Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases and the Director of Accreditation and Infection Control at JHAH. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Al-Tawfiq has received several accomplishment awards locally and internationally. He is recognized as a world leader in coronaviruses and a top global infection control expert. Dr. Al-Tawfiq is a scientist and researcher, and his current interests include hospital epidemiology, healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic stewardship, and emerging respiratory pathogens, including MERS-CoV and COVID-19. He is also renowned as a researcher in mass gatherings.
