Events
IIZD Symposia
IIZD hosts an annual symposium that brings together scientists, clinicians, veterinarians, and public health experts to exchange ideas on the emergence, spread, and control of infectious and zoonotic diseases.
2026 IIZD Symposium | Robert R. Marshak Keynote Lecture
We were honored to welcome Anthony Fauci, MD, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1984–2022) and Chief Medical Advisor to the President (2021–2022), as the Robert R. Marshak Keynote Speaker on March 18, 2026.
HIV/AIDS: Science, Policy, and a Personal 44-Year Journey
The lecture was introduced by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine. The Q&A session was moderated by Katie Ballie, Director of University and Community Engagement at Penn Climate.
Anthony Fauci, MD
2026 IIZD Symposium | Scientific Program
Our full-day scientific program on March 19, 2026, brought together researchers from across the country to discuss the emergence, spread, and control of infectious and zoonotic diseases.
- Trevor Bedford, PhD
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fitness flux in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza H3N2 - Nita Bharti, PhD
Pennsylvania State University
The route of the problem: human mobility and disease ecology - Adam Lauring, MD, PhD
University of Michigan
Constraints on the evolution of new viral variants - Joe Pedra, PhD
University of Maryland
An epidermal signaling circuit orchestrating neuroimmune circuits at the skin barrier - Víctor Torres, PhD
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Mechanistic insights into the tug-of-war of Staphylococcus aureus pathobiology - Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, MD, PhD
Columbia University
Within-host evolution of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Robert R. Marshak Keynote Lecture
Keynote speaker Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine, delivered the Marshak Public Lecture on March 19, 2025. His talk, Vaccines and Immunizations in a Time of Global Boiling and Anti-Science, set the stage for the symposium.
The lecture was moderated by Michael Mann, PhD, Penn’s Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action. Mann and Hotez are co-authors of Science Under Siege, released in September 2025.
The public lecture was co-hosted by Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Scientific Program
Distinguished experts from across the country showcased their latest breakthroughs in zoonotic disease research during the scientific program on March 20, 2025.
- Christine Johnson, VMD, MPVM, PhD
UC Davis
On the frontlines: surveillance for emerging infectious diseases - Marc Johnson, PhD
University of Missouri
Flush with data: using wastewater surveillance to monitor expected and unexpected pathogens - Erin Mordecai, PhD
Stanford University
More than warming: climate change is transforming the landscape of vector-borne diseases - Salvador Almagro Moreno, PhD
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Emergence and evolution of bacterial pathogens: deciphering a complex phenomenon - Bill Petri, MD, PhD
University of Virginia
Immunologic mechanisms of FMT for recurrent C. difficile infection - Jürgen Richt, DVM, PhD
Kansas State University
Experimental infection of livestock with bovine H5N1 - Mark Wilber, PhD
University of Tennessee
Challenges and opportunities when identifying pathogen reservoirs in wildlife communities
Also featured were talks by the 2024 Martin and Pamela Winter Infectious Disease Fellows:
- Raegan Petch
Bates Lab
Mutations that positively affect bandavirus glycoprotein function on VSV - Daana Roach
Hamilton Lab
LCN2 Contributes to an altered secretory environment in the intestinal epithelium in Crohn’s disease - Helen Stillwater
Weiss Lab
Clade C MERS coronaviruses circulating in northern Africa differentially activate the innate immune response
Peter Jay Hotez, MD, PhD
Global Parasitology Seminar Series
The Global Parasitology Seminar Series brings together speakers and audiences from around the world to share the latest research in parasitology, immunology, and molecular biology.
Seminars are open to all and are held in a hybrid format on select Mondays at 12:00 PM ET. The series will resume in Fall 2026. Email Nicole Hurd to be added to the announcement list.
Parasitology Research in Progress (P-RIP) Series
Parasitology Research in Progress (P-RIP) is a parasite biology forum where students, postdocs, and staff present their research and receive feedback in an informal, comfortable setting.
P-RIP provides an opportunity for trainees to present ongoing work in a relaxed atmosphere and to strengthen connections in the parasitology community across campus and the greater Philadelphia area.
P-RIPs are held monthly on Wednesdays at 4:00 PM in Hill 301 and feature two presenters. The series will resume in Fall 2026.
