“Our distinguished speakers will present cutting‑edge research on apicomplexan parasites, spanning Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, Plasmodium, and Babesia. Collectively, their talks highlight advances in drug discovery, vaccine development, genetic regulation, and host‑parasite interactions, with emphasis on parasite survival mechanisms and immune evasion. From population genetics and transmission dynamics to molecular insights into invasion, metabolism, and resistance, speakers will showcase how multidisciplinary approaches are reshaping strategies to combat cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, and malaria. Their contributions underscore the global effort to translate fundamental biology into therapeutic innovation, strengthening our ability to confront these persistent and devastating diseases.” (All speakers are listed in alphabetical order by their first name. Hover over the names to visit their official group website or university’s listed profile.)
Adam Sateriale, PhD
The Francis Crick Institute, United Kingdom
Title: The final countdown: Improving the resolution of transcriptomics for Cryptosporidium
Alyssa Barry, PhD
Deakin University/Burnet Institute, Australia
Title: Genomic insights into the emergence and spread of partial artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in Papua New Guinea
Ana Rita Batista Gomes, PhD
CNRS-Université de Montpellier, France
Title: Cell cycle arrest in “Plasmodium falciparum”
Celia Garcia, PhD
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Title: From melatonin to malaria: discovery of a GPCR-like receptor in Plasmodium falciparum
Clare Harding, PhD
Glasgow University, United Kingdom
Title: Heavy metal parasite: How metal transports in Toxoplasma support metabolism
Ellen Knuepfer, PhD
The Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom
Title: Molecular dissection of parasite motility and erythrocyte invasion of Babesia
Evelien M. Bunnik, PhD
The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center, TX, USA
Title: Will be updated soon.
Hangjun Ke, PhD
Drexel University College of Medicine, PA, USA
Title: Mechanisms of mitochondrial fission in Plasmodium falciparum
John Adams, PhD
University of South Florida, FL, USA
Title: Will be updated soon.
Kasturi Haldar, PhD
University of Notre Dame, IN, USA
Title: Will be updated soon.
Kirk W. Deitsch, PhD
Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
Title: Coordinating var gene expression through lncRNAs, chromatin modifications and nonsense mediated decay
Maria Bernabeu, PhD
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Spain
Title: Breaking barriers: new engineered-based approaches to study malaria pathogenesis
Michael Holmes, PhD
University of Missouri – Kansas City, MO, USA
Title: A bimodular CPSF4 enables hierarchical m6A-dependent polyadenylation logic in Toxoplasma
Moritz Treeck, PhD
Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM), Portugal
Title: Exported effectors at the Venice carnival: How to look like every one else (a host cell protein)?
Peter Back, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
Title: Transmembrane proteins mediate basal complex assembly and individual daughter cell formation
Richard Bartfai, PhD
Radboud University, Netherlands
Title: Will be updated soon.
Roberta O’Connor, PhD
University of Minnesota, MN, USA
Title: The marine natural product, Tartrolon E, targets potential rhoptry chaperonins
Souvik Bhattacharjee, PhD
Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi, India
Title: Biochemical and proteomic profiling of Plasmodium falciparum K13 and human KEAP1 interactomes reveal overlapping nodes in redox response and divergent parasite-specific vesicular signatures
Susan Wyllie, PhD
University of Dundee, United Kingdom
Title: Fishing for targets: chemical proteomics strategies for antimalarial drug target deconvolution
Timothy JC Anderson, PhD
Texas Biomedical Research Institute, TX, USA
Title: Plasmodium falciparum genetic crosses: insights into mosquito and blood-stage parasite biology
Adele Lehane, PhD
Australian National University, Australia
Title: Ion transporters as drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum
Americo Harry Lopez-Yglesias, PhD
Indiana University School of Medicine, IN, USA
Title: Toxoplasma‑driven CNS immunity: How IFN‑g and T‑bet sustain barrier integrity and parasite control
Asif Mohmmed, PhD
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
Title: Organelle dynamics in malaria parasite and identification of key proteins for cellular
homeostasis
Chris Tonkin, PhD
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Australia
Title: Function and druggability of aspartyl proteases in Cryptosporidium
Danny Wilson, PhD
Adelaide University, Australia
Title: Will be updated soon.
Eric Denkers, PhD
University of New Mexico, NM, USA
Title: A punch in the gut: Immunological impact of Toxoplasma gondii in the intestine
Fengrong Wang, PhD
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, IA, USA
Title: Structural Insights into Translation in Toxoplasma gondii
Isabelle Coppens, PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, MD, USA
Title: Transactions across the parasitophorous vacuole membrane of Toxoplasma
Justin Boddey, PhD
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Australia
Title: Long-acting plasmepsin IX/X inhibitors as a late liver-stage chemical vaccine for malaria
Katherine Andrews, PhD
Griffith University, Australia
Title: Application of machine learning and chemical biology approaches to malaria drug discovery
Lilach Sheiner, PhD
University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Title: A novel mitochondrial thioredoxin regulates ATP synthase function in Toxoplasma gondii
Martin Clasby, PhD
University of Michigan, MI, USA
Title: Discovery of selective TgCPL inhibitors for the treatment of latent toxoplasmosis
Mohamed-ali HAKIMI, PhD
Université Grenoble Alpes, France
Title: Decoding the epigenetic blueprint behind Toxoplasma (pre)sexual commitment
Nishith Gupta, PhD
iPEARL, Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Hyderabad, India
Title: Host-cell signaling determinants of intracellular parasitism
Peter Preiser, PhD
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Title: Will be updated soon.
Rita Tewari, PhD
University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Title: Striated Rootlet fibre coordinates replication, cell polarity and cytoskeleton organisation in Plasmodium
Sebastian Baumgarten, PhD
Institut Pasteur, France
Title: Resolving temperature-induced molecular processes during P. falciparum transmission
Sudipta Das, PhD
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
Title: Exploring foundational principle regulating mitotic cell fate in diverse cellular species using Plasmodium as a model system
Taco Kooij, PhD
Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc), Netherlands
Title: Malaria parasites as a model for mitochondrial biology
Tobias Spielmann, PhD
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Germany
Title: Will be updated soon.