Monday 22 June
13.00-14.00
Registration and welcome coffee
14:00-15.00
Workshop: Gender, sex and tuberculosis
Chairs:
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14:00 Bianca Schneider, Research Center Borstel
IP-3α-antigen fusion DNA vaccine enhances sex differences in tuberculosis model and alters dendritic cell activity early post vaccination
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14:20 William Bishai, John Hopkins University, Baltimore
Sex differences in risk factors for unsuccessful tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Eastern Europe from 2020 to 2022: a multi-country retrospective cohort study
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14:40 Ole Skouvig Pedersen,
Sex differences in Immunity: the case of tuberculosis
15:00-16.00
Industry sponsored Symposium
Chairs:
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15:00
16.00-16.30
Coffee Break​​​
16:30-19.00
Opening session
Chairs: Troels Lillebaek, Daniela Cirillo
16:30
Welcome words, ESM and congress Presidents
Troels Lillebaek – President of European Society of Mycobacteriology ESM
Daniela Cirillo – Chair of ESM 2026
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Opening Keynote
16:15 Lorenzo Guglielmetti,
GL01
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17:00
Gertrud Meissner Award presented by S. Niemann​​​
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17:20
GL02 Gardner Middlebrook Award
18.00-21.00
Networking drinks and light dinner snacks
Tuesday 23 June
08:00-08:30
Registration
08:30-10:00
Session 1: Molecular Biology and Mycobacterial Evolution
Exploring the molecular underpinnings of mycobacterial evolution, this session connects genetic diversity, functional biology, and host-pathogen interaction to inform future TB research and innovation
Chairs:
08:30 Christophe Sola, Institut Pasteur, Paris
GL03 Towards the reconstruction of a global history of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using large dataset ; what are the still unanswered questions (and the bias!)
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10:00-10:30
Coffee Break
10:30-12:00
Session 2: TB Short Regimens in trials
•How short can you go? This session examines the latest clinical trials testing the limits of tuberculosis treatment shortening, balancing efficacy, safety, and implementation feasibility
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Chairs:
10:30 Jodie Schildkraut, Radboud University Medical Center
GL04 U4TB interim analysis
12:00-12:45
Poster pitches - Session 1
Chair: Leen Rigouts
1 minute per poster (29 posters)
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12:45-13:30
Lunch
13:30-14:45
Poster Session 1
All posters with uneven numbers (P001, P003 etc)
14:45-16:15
Session 3: Exploring new strategies for diagnosis of TB and other pathogens
This session explores innovative diagnostic strategies for tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining high positive predictive value in low-incidenceresource-rich European settings.​
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Chairs:
14:45 Claudia Denkinger,
GL05 Alternative diagnostic approach and applicability in low incidence contests
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16:15-16:45
Coffee Break
16:45-18:15
Session 4: New Diagnostics for MDR-TB
This session highlights advances in molecular and phenotypic diagnostics for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, focusing on tools that enable faster, more precise detection to guide effective treatment
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Chairs:
16:45 Andrea M Cabibbe
GL06 Sequencing from sputum samples: how far are we?
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17:15 Elisa Nemes
GL07 ​​
18:30
Traditional evening
Wednesday 24 June
08:30-09:00
Registration
09:00-10:00
Session 5: Recent Advances in Research on Mycobacterial Pathogenesis
•This session presents recent insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of mycobacterial pathogenesis, illuminating how Mycobacterium tuberculosis interacts with and evades host defences.
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Chairs:
09:00 Caroline Barrish, Research center Borstel ​
GL07 In vitro infection model​​
10:25-11:00
Coffee Break
11:00-12:30
Session 6: Omics in diagnosis of mycobacteria infection and disease
This session explores how genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic approaches are transforming the diagnosis and characterization of mycobacterial infection and disease.
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Chairs:
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11:00 Nicola Ivan Lorè
GL08 Host immune response in the NTM pulmonary disease​​
12:30-12:50
Poster pitches - Session 3
Chair: Daniela Maria Cirillo
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1 minute per poster (15 posters)
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12:50-13:45
Lunch
13:45-15:00
Poster Session 2
All posters with an even number (P002, P004, etc)
15:45 - 16:15
Session 7: Therapeutic strategies for NTM
This session addresses current and emerging therapeutic strategies for nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, tackling challenges of drug resistance, treatment duration, and clinical outcomes.
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Chairs:
15:45 Lucas Boeck, University Hospital Basel
​GL09 Optimizing current treatment to fight NTM pulmonary disease
16:15-16:45
Coffee Break
16:45-18:15
Session 8: AI in diagnosis of Drug resistance
This session explores how artificial intelligence might reshaping mycobacteriology research? From image analysis and molecular diagnostics to genomics and drug discovery, offering new insights into complex datasets and decision-making.
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Chairs:
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16:45 Philip Fowler, University of Oxford
GL10 Revisiting phenotypic strategies for DR detection​
18:15
General Assembly
19:30
Social activity: Dinner and party
Thursday 25 June
08.30-09:00
Registration
09.00-11.00
Session 9: Revisiting Microscopy
Can the oldest diagnostic method for mycobacteria be improved? This session explores how advances in imaging, digital analysis, and fluorescence techniques may redefine the future of microscopy in TB diagnosis
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Chairs:
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09:00 Giulia Manina, Institut Pasteur, Paris
GL11 Advanced imaging of mycobacterial phenotypes to improve treatment and detection
11.00-11:30
Coffee Break
11:30-13.00
Session 10: Innovative models to study mycobacterial infections
Sessions explores new alternatives to study TB pathogenesis and response to new drugs
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Chairs:
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11:30 Sebastien Gagneux, Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute
GL12
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13:00-13.15
Poster Awards and Closing Ceremony
Chairs: Troels Lillebaek, Leen Rigouts