2nd International Virtual Conference on Frontiers in TB & Mycobacteriology

About the Conference

We are pleased to welcome you to join the premier-event, 2nd International Virtual Conference on Frontiers in TB & Mycobacteriology, taking place online on March 2–3, 2026. Chaired by Prof. Sanjib Bhakta (Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, UCL and Birkbeck, University of London, UK) and organized by Impact Research Communications.

This global gathering will convene leading researchers, clinicians, and innovators to explore transformative advances in tuberculosis (TB) and mycobacterial science covering diverse perspectives from basic science to translational research. With TB remaining a formidable global health challenge—compounded by the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains—this conference provides a timely and interdisciplinary platform to accelerate scientific discovery and collaborative solutions.

Scientific Themes and Highlights

The 2026 program will spotlight cutting-edge research across:

Molecular pathogenesis and host-microbe interactions
Immunological responses and vaccine innovation
Novel diagnostics and therapeutic strategies
Drug resistance mechanisms and antibiotic discovery
Precision epidemiology and genomic surveillance
Host-directed therapies and model systems for TB

Early Career Researchers Flash Talks Contest

We welcome submissions from Early Career Researchers (ECRs), defined as final-year PhD students and researchers in the early stages of establishing an independent research profile, typically within eight years of completing a doctoral degree or equivalent training. This includes late-stage doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers and those transitioning to independence. Allowances are made for career breaks and non-linear career paths, with ECR status determined by career stage and opportunity rather than job title or length of service.

Submit Your Proposal

Why Attend?
The virtual format ensures:

Cost Efficiency – Low-cost registration fees with no travel or accommodation expenses
Global Accessibility – Join from anywhere with flexible scheduling
Frontline Science – Access pre-publication insights and novel findings
Networking Opportunities – Engage directly with global experts and peers
Mentorship and Visibility – Dedicated sessions for early-career researchers

Join us in shaping the future of TB research and innovation.

We look forward to welcoming you online on March 2–3, 2026.

Speakers

Adrie Steyn, PhD

Africa Health Research Institute, South Africa

Talk: One Infection, Many Outcomes: Host- Pathogen Interactions across Human TB Lesions

Amy Barczak, MD

The Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, USA

Talk: Mtb Containment or Escape: A Dynamic Battle at the Phagosomal Membrane

Anthony D. Baughn, PhD

University of Minnesota, MN, USA

Talk: Repurposing an Antiviral Nucleotide Analog for TB Drug Discovery

Anil Koul, PhD

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Talk: Discovery of New Antibiotic – JNJ6640 - for TB Treatment: Next Generation beyond Bedaquiline

Bavesh Davandra Kana, PhD

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Talk: Harnessing Peptidoglycan Amidation to Engineer a Better TB Vaccine

Bernadette Saunders, PhD

University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Talk: Comparing Prognostic Biomarkers for Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Response

Celine Cougoule, PhD

French National Centre for Scientific Research, France

Talk: Innovative Human Systems for Mycobacteria Infection Modelling and Drug Testing

Deepak Kaushal, PhD

Texas Biomedical Research Institute, USA

Talk: Concurrent TB and HIV Therapies Control TB Reactivation during Co-infection but not Chronic Immune Activation - Implications for the Development of Host-Directed Therapies for the Mtb/HIV Co-infected

Dirk Lamprecht, PhD

University of Cape Town, H3D, South Africa

Talk: Targeting de novo Purine Biosynthesis as a Therapeutic Strategy for Tuberculosis

Esther Julian Gomez, PhD

Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain

Talk: Exploring Structural Drivers of Immune Modulation in Mycobacteria-Based Immunotherapy

Hazel Dockrell, PhD

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom

Talk: Human Biomarkers as Correlates of Protection in TB Vaccine Trials

Hedia Marrakchi, PhD

CNRS - University of Toulouse, France

Talk: Exploring Old Scaffolds for Enhancing the Discovery of Novel Antituberculosis Molecules

Howard Takiff, MD, MPH

Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, Venezuela

Talk: M. tuberculosis ESX-3 and pe-pgrs Genes Increase M. smegmatis Iron Content and Survival in Macrophages

Joel S. Freundlich, PhD

Rutgers University, USA

Talk: Recent Advances with M. tuberculosis KasA Inhibitors

Johannes Nemeth, PD, Dr. med. Univ

University Hospital Zuerich, Switzerland

Talk: Novel Insights into TB-HIV Interaction

Kyle Rohde, PhD

University of Central Florida, USA

Talk: Halogenated Phenazines Kill Replicating and Dormant Mycobacteria via a Complex Mechanism that Thwarts Resistance Emergence

Lucas Boeck, MD

University of Basel, Switzerland

Talk: Determinants and Consequences of Antibiotic Killing in Mycobacteria

Pere Joan Cardona Iglesias, MD

Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Talk: Coevolutionary Arms Race between Drosophila and Mycobacterium: Insights into the Impact of Host-directed Therapies

Richard Anthony, PhD

Scientist at RIVM- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands

Talk: Precision Epidemiology: Understanding the Epidemiology of Clustered Cases of Tuberculosis using Whole Genome Sequencing lots of information and some noise

Smriti Mehra, PhD

Texas Biomedical Research Institute, USA

Talk: Investigating the Role of Indoleamine Dioxygenase in Modulating Immune Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Host and Pathogen Heterogeneity in Tuberculosis

Stephen Carpenter, MD, PhD

Case Western Reserve University, USA

Talk: Specificity and Diversity of Human CD4+ T cell Responses to Macrophages Infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Zhang Tianyu, PhD

Guangzhou Laboratory, China

Talk: Research Progress on the Synergistic Lethal Mechanism of Mycobacteria

Frontiers in TB & Mycobacteriology

Best Presenters – ECR Winners

About the Conference