The 2026 AID Research Symposium was a great success! With more than 200 attendees, the day showcased the breadth, strengths, and collaborative spirit of infectious disease research across the AID network. The diverse program featured infectious diseases research across sessions on Next generation epidemic intelligence, Climate, vectors & one-health preparedness, Host-pathogen mechanisms and interactions, and Diagnostics and therapeutics.
Highlights of this year’s program included a keynote address by Prof. Helen Marshall from the University of Adelaide, who leads the team awarded the 2025 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research.
Another highlight was an expert panel exploring the spread of Aedes aegypti and other mosquito vectors across Queensland and the implications for mosquito-borne viral infections and public health. The panel brought together Dr Brendan Trewin (CSIRO), A/Prof Leon Hugo (QIMR Berghofer), Dr Cassie Jansen (Queensland Health), and Dr Brian Montgomery (Metro South Public Health Unit), and was moderated by Prof. Nigel Beebe from The University of Queensland’s School of the Environment.
Photo curtesy of TRI
For the first time, the symposium also featured poster presentations, providing students and early-career researchers with an opportunity to showcase their work, discuss their research with colleagues, and build new connections across the AID community. Congratulations to our poster award winners, Esabel Roncon and Madeline Thompson, and thank you to all our student and ECR poster presenters for making the sessions such a successful addition to the symposium.
A huge thank you to the 2026 AID Symposium Organising Committee, whose hard work behind the scenes made our largest symposium to date possible, as well as to our invited speakers, session chairs, poster presenters, and everyone who attended and contributed to the day.
The 2026 AID Research Symposium was a wonderful reflection of the continued growth and strength of the AID research community. We look forward to building on this momentum in 2027!
