Genomic Epidemiology of Malaria

We are pleased to announce the 9th Genomic Epidemiology of Malaria conference. This meeting provides a common forum for malaria scientists, clinicians, and public health professionals working at the interface of genome science and technology, epidemiology and statistical and population genetics, with an interest in understanding the clinical and biological consequences of genome variation in malaria-exposed populations. The conference will bring researchers from across the globe working on various aspects of human, parasite and mosquito genetics together with policy makers to focus on how new biological insights can be used to control malaria.

The elimination of malaria is one of the greatest challenges facing modern medical science, and has been hindered by growing levels of diagnostic and insecticide resistance, invasive vector species and the lack of a highly efficacious vaccine. Knowledge of genome variation in the host, parasite and vector populations is important to overcome these and other obstacles to malaria elimination.

The meeting will explore the genomic epidemiology of the host, vector and parasite, highlighting the practical relevance to malaria control and elimination, including impact on long-term and novel diagnostics and control measures, such as anti-malarial drug therapies, insecticide resistance and vaccines. We will also explore how data standards can be harmonised, sign-post analysis resources for public health, and discuss future priorities for the field.

This interdisciplinary conference will be a hybrid meeting – with onsite or virtual attendance. The programme will also include short oral presentations from submitted abstracts, poster sessions, poster pitch talks, panel discussions and plenty of opportunities for networking at this highly interactive meeting.

The conference will start at approximately 13.00 on Wednesday 18 September and close at approximately 14.00 on Friday 20 September 2024. All times are in BST. See the time where you are here.

Sessions will focus on a variety of exciting topics on various aspects of malaria, including:

• Spatiotemporal genomic epidemiology of parasites and vectors
• Drug, diagnostic and insecticide resistance
• Genomic studies of species interactions
• Vector and parasites: neglected and emerging species
• Harmonising data standards and analysis resources for public health – panel discussion
• What’s next: priorities for genomic epidemiology of malaria – panel discussion

Scientific programme committee

Sarah Auburn
Menzies School of Health Research, Australia

Deus Ishengoma
National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania

Dan Neafsey
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA

Mara Lawniczak
Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK

Confirmed speakers

Alfred Amambua Ngwa  – MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, The Gambia
Lucas Amenga-Etego – West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Ghana
Alyssa Barry – Deakin University, Australia
Martin Donnelly – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
Abebe Fola – Brown University, USA
Dionicia Gamboa – Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru
Anastasia Hernandez-Koutoucheva – Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK
Megan Michel – Harvard University, USA
Aimee Taylor – Institut Pasteur, France
Nguyễn Thanh Thùy Nhiên – OUCRU, Vietnam

Organisers – Wellcome Connecting Science

Jemma Hume – Conference & Events Organiser
Treasa Creavin – Head of Scientific Meetings and Digital Learning

Registration deadline 13 August (in person) |10 September (virtual)

Deadlines close 23.59 BST

The in-person registration fee includes:

• Full access to scientific programme: oral and poster presentations, and networking on campus
• Access to the online conference portal to network with online participants
• Meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have booked onsite accommodation.
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, which will be available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends

Virtual registration fee includes:

• Access to the virtual event portal (Log in details will be emailed a few days before the event starts)
• Live-stream sessions, including posters and online networking channels
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends.

* To promote more inclusive scientific discussions with international colleagues at our conferences, virtual delegates based in Lower and Middle-Income Countries can register for free (see list of countries here).

If you are an editor or journalist, please contact the conference organiser for more information about the discounted fee.

Accommodation
Booked accommodation is for the nights of 18 and 19 September 2024.
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 campus accommodation either side of the conference dates, please contact the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre directly.

Accommodation services phishing scam – please be vigilant. More information.

Travel visas
Citizens of many countries can travel to the UK to attend a course or conference without needing a visa.

Please check the UK government website for visitor information: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor.

Confirmed attendees requiring a letter to support a visa application should contact the event organiser.

Bursaries

Bursary deadline: 5 June 2024 at 23.59 BST

Thanks to the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Burroughs Wellcome Fund, we can offer a limited number of full registration and travel bursaries to researchers to support their attendance at this conference.

In addition a limited number of registration only bursaries (up to 50% of the registration fee)  are available (from Wellcome Connecting Science) to enable researchers to attend this conference in person.

Priority will be given to PhD students (from malaria-endemic regions) submitting abstracts, who are facing financial barriers.

Bursary applications need to be completed during the registration process. You will need to answer the bursary-related questions, explaining why you need support, how you will benefit from attending the conference and submit an abstract. Submit your application by the bursary deadline for your application to be considered.

Additional funding opportunities

Visit our support page for information on financial support, including carer grants to help delegates with the costs of caring for children or dependent family members while attending a course or a conference.

Abstract deadline: 4 June 2024 at 23.59 BST

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. Presenters of oral presentations are expected to be onsite for the duration of the conference, whereas those presenting posters can do so in person or virtually.

To submit an abstract, you must first register for the conference. Once your registration is completed, you will be emailed a link to submit to the abstract submission portal. If you wish to edit your abstract following submission, please use the link in the abstract acknowledgement email.

All abstracts must be submitted and, if desired, edited by the deadline. The scientific programme committee will then assess your abstract and you will be notified about 2 weeks after the deadline whether you have been selected to present an oral or poster presentation. If you require acknowledgment that your abstract has been accepted earlier than this, please contact the event organiser.

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; poster board numbers will be allocated at the conference.

All those accepted for a poster presentation will also have the opportunity present a ~1 min ‘poster pitch’ summarising their work.

If you are interested in supporting this meeting, please contact us.

For more information about the benefits of having a presence at this conference, see our sponsorship page.