MCID Postcards

EPIZONE 2026

We continue our MCID Postcards series, this time joining the MCID members who headed to Ittigen for the EPIZONE 2026 Annual Meeting. With delegates giving talks, presenting posters and representing the MCID at the meeting, it was a busy couple of days and, conveniently, just a short train journey from Bern!

A particular highlight was the Young EPIZONE session, which kicked off the meeting. Prof. Carmen Faso joined a panel discussion where she and fellow panelists shared their experiences after completing their PhDs and reflected on the different and sometimes unexpected paths their careers have taken. It was fascinating to hear about their experiences, including what they might have done differently and to get an insight into the realities of building a career in science.

After lunch, the scientific programme got properly underway, opening with Shamonda virus, which was first detected in Switzerland in July 2026. Dr. Jakub Kubacki from the Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI) gave an insight into the investigation of the virus from the first samples received in July onwards. It was particularly interesting to see the logic and decision-making involved in responding to a newly emerging disease threat. Over the two days, further talks covered diseases as diverse as foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, and lumpy skin disease, alongside presentations on diagnostic tools, surveillance and crisis preparedness.

The meeting was rounded off perfectly with a lovely evening meal and traditional Swiss dancing on the Gurten, Bern’s home mountain. Many thanks to the organisers from the IVI for putting together such a great meeting!

The MCID was one of the sponsors of Epizone2026, with Dr. Lisa Thomann, representing the management team and manning the MCID stand throughout the meeting.

A particular highlight, especially among the students, was our new MCID Quiz, with a special focus on animal diseases. Want to test your knowledge and see how you compare with our winners? Try the quiz here!

Thank you to everyone who took part!

More highlights from the meeting can be seen in the video produced by the FDHA.

Greetings from ICOPA2026!

As part of our new MCID Postcards series, MCID members are sending a few impressions home from the conferences, meetings and events they visit around the world. Our first postcard comes from Montréal, Canada, where the International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA2026) brought together parasitologists and infectious disease researchers from across the globe at the end of August. The MCID was well represented, with Prof. Carmen Faso, Prof. Britta Lundström-Stadelmann, Prof. Dr. med. vet. Walter Basso and PhD student Emily Bessell among those attending.

Two speakers particularly made an impression: Prof. Peter Hotez and Prof. Adrian Hill. Peter Hotez opened the congress with a powerful lecture on neglected tropical diseases and the communities that continue to bear their enormous health and socioeconomic burden. He also turned his attention to the growing challenge of anti-science movements, particularly anti-vaccination narratives, which have become increasingly sophisticated and widespread alongside social media, health influencers and other online science communicators. On a more hopeful note, Adrian Hill brought plenty of optimism with his presentation on the latest malaria vaccine developed by his team. The combination of its efficacy, relatively straightforward production and, particularly, the level of protection seen in very young children four years after vaccination was hugely encouraging. Given the decades of work by parasitologists and vaccinologists to develop effective malaria vaccines, these results could represent an important step forward.

And perhaps one of the most encouraging things about ICOPA2026 was simply its truly global nature. With colleagues from all over the world, around 1,600 posters and a strong presence of early-career researchers, the congress was a great reminder of the breadth, diversity and international collaboration at the heart of parasitology research.

If you would like to be featured in a future “MCID postcard”, then please reach out to the MCID management team.