Antimicrobial Resistance - Genomes, Big Data and Emerging Technologies

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major challenge in our globalised world and tackling it will take the combined resources and effort of researchers working across different disciplines.

Technical advances in recent years continue to expand our ability to collect huge amounts of genomic information on pathogens and their hosts, and a wealth of data is being collected in epidemiological and surveillance studies, including on the socio-economic burden of AMR. With a quantum leap in computer science, researchers have also started to explore novel technological approaches such as machine learning to analyse and predict AMR, together with modelling of the global burden from drug-resistant infection. To help facilitate this cross-discipline interaction and tool development, we would like to invite basic researchers, computer scientists, clinicians and policy makers interested in pathogen and human/host genomics, machine learning, development of novel diagnostic tools and translation of AMR-data into clinical practice, to join us for this new conference.

This meeting will highlight the importance of Big Data and genomics in the fight against AMR. It will showcase recent advances in the rapidly emerging field of machine learning to predict AMR, approaches to monitor and evaluate the global burden of disease, novel technologies for the diagnosis of drug-resistant infections, and the use of pathogen genomics to address critical questions relating to surveillance, epidemiology, transmission and treatment of drug-resistant infections.

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted.

Conference poster

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The conference will start at approximately 1pm on Tuesday 27 November and close at approximately 2pm on Thursday 29 November 2018.

Scientific sessions

• Machine learning and prediction of antimicrobial resistance
• Genomic surveillance and epidemiology: its role in detection, tracking and control of antimicrobial resistance
• Genomic evidence that informs the debate on ‘farm to fork’ transmission of resistant pathogens
• Translating bacterial genomics into routine clinical practice
• Global burden of disease from drug-resistant infections: monitoring and evaluation
• Emerging technologies for the generation and use of multiplex data for decision support

A draft programme will be available shortly.

Scientific programme committee

Sharon Peacock
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK

Iruka Okeke
University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Susanna Dunachie
Nuffield Department of Medicine, UK

Julian Parkhill
Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Till Bachmann
University of Edinburgh, UK

Keynote speaker

Ramanan Laxminarayan
Center For Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, USA

Mark Woolhouse
University of Edinburgh, UK

Confirmed speakers

Daniela Bezdan – Weill Cornell Medicine, USA
Debby Bogaert – University of Edinburgh, UK
Annie Browne – University of Oxford, UK
Alessandro Cassini – ECDC, Sweden
James Davis – Argonne National Laboratory, USA
Susanna Dunachie – Nuffield Department of Medicine, UK
Zamin Iqbal – EMBL-EBI, UK
Claire Jenkins – Public Health England, UK
Gwyn Jones – RUMA, UK
Sharon Peacock – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
Lance Price – George Washington University, USA
Timothy Sweeney – Inflammatix, USA
Nicholas Thomson – Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Scientific Conferences Team

Nicole Schatlowski, Scientific Programme Officer
Laura Hubbard, Conference and Events Manager

Registration Fees:

The registration fee includes entrance to the lectures and poster sessions, an abstract book, meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have booked accommodation.

Registration deadline: 30 October 2018

Accommodation

Accommodation is provided for the nights of 27 and 28 November 2018.
Please note: there is limited onsite accommodation and this will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, early registration is recommended.

If you wish to book onsite accommodation either side of the conference dates, please contact the Conference Centre directly.

Travel visas
Contact the conference organiser if you require a letter to support a travel visa application. Please note: letters will only be provided to confirmed registrants.

Non-European Economic Area or Swiss nationals may be required to have a visa to enter the UK. Early application is strongly advised, as this process can take 6-8 weeks or longer.

Please visit the following websites for further information:
UK Border Agency website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/

Information for general visitors and business visitors: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/business/business-activities/

A limited number of registration bursaries are available for PhD students to attend this conference (up to 50% of the standard registration fee) from Wellcome Genome Campus Scientific Conferences.

To apply, please contact the conference organiser. You will be sent a unique registration link which will hold your place, without taking
payment, until you have been notified of the outcome of your application.

The following documents will need to be provided as part of the bursary application:

• Abstract (to be submitted via the portal during the registration process)
• CV
• A justification letter (explain how you will benefit from attending the conference)
• A supporting letter from supervisor stating financial need

If you have already registered for the conference you are still welcome to apply for a bursary, please contact the conference organiser.

Bursary deadline: 18 September 2018

Additional funding opportunities
Visit our support page for additional financial support currently available.

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral
presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted.

• Abstracts will be considered from registered delegates, who have paid the registration fee
• The presenting author must submit the abstract
• All abstracts must be submitted by the relevant deadline
• Registered delegates are permitted to submit up to two abstracts
• Please use our online abstract submission system
• Abstracts can be edited via the website up until the abstract deadline

Abstract deadline: 30 October 2018 (for posters only)

Please note you will not receive a separate email when your abstract has been submitted. To confirm that your abstract has been received, go to ‘my basket’ and view ‘my account’. You will see the abstract document if it has been submitted correctly.

The scientific programme committee will assess all abstracts after the deadline has passed and all those who submitted an abstract will be notified.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the conference programme book.

Big gaps in our knowledge about AMR

Keynote lecture by Mark Woolhouse (University of Edinburgh, UK) at Antimicrobial Resistance - Genomes, Big Data and Emerging Technologies.

State of the World's Antibiotics in 2018

Keynote lecture by Ramanan Laxminarayan (Center For Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, USA/India) at Antimicrobial Resistance - Genomes, Big Data and Emerging Technologies.