aids2018

Theme : innovation to accelerate the response to infectious diseases

The theme for the 2026 edition will be ‘Innovation to accelerate the response to infectious diseases’. Epidemic crises are major health emergencies which, in addition to mobilising all healthcare actors, also also have a powerful effect in accelerating innovation.

Over two days, our speakers will present recent advances in research against infectious diseases: from prevention, particularly with vaccines, to treatment and diagnosis, as well as economic challenges, international cooperation and public-private partnerships.

Registration

In-person and remote registrations are now open.

Programme

WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL 2026

9:15 a.m. Welcome reception (coffee)

10:00 a.m. Introduction

• Didier LEPELLETIER, Director general of Health, ministry for Health, Families, Autonomy and Disabled Persons, France
• Jean-Luc MOULLET, Director general of Research and Innovation, ministry for Higher Education, Research and Space, France
• Yazdan YAZDANPANAH, Director of ANRS Emerging infectious diseases, France

10:30 a.m. Keynote Lectures to be confirmed

11:00 a.m. Session 1 – New surveillance and diagnostic tools

• DIATROPIX: a model for the development and local production of diagnostic tools to strengthen health security in Africa, Cheikh Tidiane DIAGNE, Institut Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal
• Investigating the animal reservoir of the monkeypox virus using museum specimens, Antoine GESSAIN, Institut Pasteur, France
• Pandemic preparedness to Respiratory Virus X: integrative modelling from first cases to early public health countermeasures, Mircea SOFONEA, University of Montpellier, Nîmes University Hospital Center, France

12:30 p.m. Lunch break

1:45 p.m. Session 1 (continued) – New surveillance and diagnostic tools

• Decentralizing molecular diagnostics with synthetic biology, Margot KARLIKOW, En Carta Diagnostics, Paris, France
• Non-invasive diagnosis of respiratory infections through the analysis of volatile organic compound and breath signature, Early career researcher: Delphine PARRAUD, Civil Hospices of Lyon, France

3:00 p.m. Coffee break

3:45 p.m. Round table 1 – Translating academic research: opportunities and support

Moderator: Paul DE BREM, science journalist

• Pascale AUGÉ, Inserm Transfert, Paris, France
• Pierre Olivier FARENQ, ANSM, Saint-Denis, France
• Jean-Philippe HERBEUVAL, University of Paris Cité, France
• Joël LELIEVRE, GSK, Madrid, Spain
• Rosalie MAURISSE, BPI France, Paris, France

5:00 p.m. Keynote Lectures

• Artificial Intelligence agents for accelerating biomedical discoveries, James ZOU, Standford University, USA

5:30 p.m. Closing Day

• Didier SAMUEL, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Inserm, France

6:00 p.m. Cocktail reception

THURSDAY 2 APRIL 2026

8:15 a.m. Welcome coffee

9:00 a.m. Opening Day

• Charles-Edouard ESCURAT, Director general of French Health Innovation Agency, General secretariat for Investment, France
• Isabelle RICHARD, Chair of the ANRS MIE Advisory Board, Director of the EHESP, French School of Public Health, France

9:30 a.m. Keynote Lectures

• Novel approaches to vaccine research in HIV: is it translatable to other infectious diseases?, Glenda GRAY, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

10:00 a.m. Session 2 – Vaccination in the era of emerging technologies

• Reverse vaccinology 3.0: the Artificial Intelligence revolution accelerating vaccine development, Emanuele ANDREANO, Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Italy

10:30 a.m. Coffee break

11:00 a.m. Session 2 (continued) – Vaccination in the era of emerging technologies

• Designing mRNA vaccines using Artificial , Saranya SRIDHAR, Vaccines Sanofi, London, United Kingdom
• From mucosal immunology to nasal vaccines: a scientific journey, Isabelle DIMIER-POISSON, University of Tours / Inrae, France
• Enhancing self-amplifying mRNA technology activity in mammalian cells, Early career researcher: Raul Yusef SANCHEZ DAVID, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

12:15 a.m. Lunch break

1:30 p.m. Session 3 – Innovative therapeutic approaches

• Human antibody production within the body: application to SARS-CoV2, Bruno PITARD, University of Nantes, CNRS / Inserm, France
• A new TB drug candidate: the story behind the science, Alain BAULARD, Institut Pasteur of Lille, Centre for Infection and Immunity of Lille, France
• Taking away a virus’ superpowers by outsmarting its evolutionary strategies, Marco VIGNUZZI, A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs, Singapour

3:00 p.m. Coffee break

3:45 p.m. Session 3 (continued) – Innovative therapeutic approaches

• Large-scale biomanufacturing of human mini-organs for infectious disease research, Edwin ROSADO-OLIVIERI, New York University, USA
• A host metabolite as a new therapeutic approach against influenza, Early career researcher: Adeline CEZARD, Centre for the Study of Respiratory Diseases, Tours, France
• Harnessing host factors associated with virus induced structures to design antiviral strategies against Orthonairoviruses, Early career researcher: Solène DENOLLY, Inserm, Lyon Cancer Research Centre, France

4:45 p.m. Round table 2 – How to ensure global access to new treatments? The example of HIV

Modérateur: Paul DE BREM, science journalist

• Samia DAKHIA, ViiV Helthcare, London, United Kingdom
• Michel JOLY, Gilead Sciences, Paris, France
• Carmen PEREZ CASAS, Unitaid, Geneva, Suisse
• Ibrahima SOCÉ FALL, Pasteur Institute of Dakar, Senegal
• Mitchell WARREN, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, New-York, USA

6:00 p.m. Closing Day2 / Concluding Remarks

• Anne-Claire AMPROU, Ambassador for Global Health, ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France
• Yazdan YAZDANPANAH, Director of ANRS Emerging infectious diseases, France

Scientific Advisory Board