COMBAT - Virology Next 2026: Pandemic Preparedness and Virus–Host Interactions
Virology Next 2026: Pandemic Preparedness and Virus–Host Interactions
From Mechanisms to Translation
Campus Flemingsberg, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, 1–2 October 2026
Virology Next 2026 is an international conference bringing together leading researchers in virology, immunology, emerging infectious diseases, antiviral and vaccine development, and pandemic preparedness.
The meeting will focus on virus–host interactions, immune responses, viral pathogenesis, viral immune evasion, emerging viruses, and translational approaches spanning molecular mechanisms to public health preparedness.
The conference aims to strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations across academia, healthcare, public health agencies, and industry while highlighting the growing life science ecosystem at Campus Flemingsberg.
Confirmed keynote and invited speakers include:
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO, Switzerland
Adolfo García-Sastre, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
Eric Bergeron, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA
Debby van Riel, Erasmus MC, The Netherlands
Stefan Pöhlmann, German Primate Center (DPZ), Germany
Susana Guerra, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Clive M. Gray, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Nerea Irigoyen, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Elena Martinelli, Northwestern University, USA
Isabelle Imbert, CNRS, France
Asier Sáez-Cirión, Institut Pasteur, France
Jayanta Bhattacharya, THSTI, India
Magnus Evander, Umeå University, Sweden
Jonas Klingström, Linköping University, Sweden
Leo Hanke, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
The conference is organized by the Systems Virology Lab, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, in collaboration with Flemingsberg Science Foundation and the EU-COMBAT consortium.
Selected abstracts will be chosen for:
- Short oral presentations
- Poster presentations
Submission deadline: 1 September 2026
Please submit abstracts by email to: virologynext2026@ki.se
More information, scientific program and confirmed speakers are available on the KI event page (Virology Next 2026 | Karolinska Institutet).
Photos will be taken during the conference. If you do not wish to be photographed, please contact virologynext2026@ki.se.