– Invited Speaker-

Carolina García-Vidal is Senior Specialist in Infectious Diseases at the Hospital Clinic (Barcelona) and associate professor of the University of Barcelona. Her research is focused in infection in onco-hematologic patients and use of artificial intelligence to optimize prevention and management of infectious diseases. She has received important awards such as the ESCMID Young investigator Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. She is author of more than 200 scientific publications and more than 350 national and international conferences.

Patrícia Alexandra Curado Quintas Dinis Poeta, is Full Professor at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Microbiology. Member of CECAV-UTAD and collaborator of LAVQ-REQUIMTE, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University NOVA of Lisbon. PhD in Veterinary Medicine by UTAD and Coordinator of the Research Group MicroArt- Microbiology and Antibiotic resistance Team and Head of Medical Microbiology Laboratory. Her main research interest is the characterization of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria of different origins as humans, animals, food, water and the environment, as well as the performance of studies of molecular epidemiology to characterize the genetic lineages of antibiotic resistant bacteria. With regard to scientific production has published more than 200 articles in journals from the SCI and book chapters and received 38 awards.

Azucena Mora Gutiérrez is Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and member of the Spanish Reference Laboratory for the Detection of E. coli (LREC) in Food included in the EU-NRLs for VTEC. Thematic Coordinator in the TST Sustainable animal production of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) Support Team. With more than 20 years’ experience in E. coli pathogenic for human and animals, her research interest is currently focused in antibiotic resistances “from Farm to Fork” and in the development of strategies to improve food safety, such as vaccine, under a One-Health perspective. She is author of more than 100 scientific works.

Juan Evaristo Suárez- Fernández. Professor of Microbiology at the University of Oviedo. More than 100 research articles published in international journals, 11 in national journals, 12 reviews, 16 book chapters, 2 patents, more than 100 invited conferences at Symposiums, 19 supervised doctoral theses, 26 projects as principal investigator, 3 projects financed by companies and 6 six-year research periods. Reviewer of 16 research journals, National Expert in the General Research Directorate of the European Commission, evaluator of projects and contracts submitted to national and international research agencies and University and CSIC oppositions. Member of several working groups of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of the Principality of Asturias.

Luis Piñeiro is graduated in Medicine, specialist in Microbiology, Doctor in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Since 1996 he has carried out his professional activity in the Microbiology Deparment of the Donostia University Hospital, and since 2006 he has developed the implementation of molecular techniques in the microbiological diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). His research work in this field has focused on STIs caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium, with scientific communications, publications, reviews, and grants (Health Research Found, FIS) in three major areas: 1) Screening in pregnant women; 2) Molecular characterization of the circulating bacterial strains; 3) Detection of mutations associated with antibiotic resistance. Among other teaching activities, he gives lessons on STIs in a Master’s Degree in Preventive Medicine and Public Health on communicable diseases at the Basque Country University. He belongs to the board of directors of the STI Study Group of the Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society.

Jens André Hammerl is the head of the “Consultant Laboratory for Vibrio spp. in food” and the deputy head of the “Consultant Laboratory for Yersinia in food” hosted at the “German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment” in Berlin, Germany. His main research focusses on the genetic dissection of zoonotic and pathogenic bacteria under a ‘One Health’ perspective, but is especially focused on the impact of mobile genetic elements for the evolutionary adaption of bacteria. With more than 15 years’ experience on the characterization of bacteriophages, his research is mainly focused on the suitability and use of antibiotic-free methods for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacteria in human and animals. He is an author of more than 130 scientific manuscripts, but also acts as an active reviewer and editor for various journals.

Dr. Al Edwards trained in fundamental immunology (UCL London, Cambridge) then moved into biomedical engineering, leading research that bridges academic engineering science and industrial technology development. Dr Edwards’ Biomedical Technology group aims to identify and solve current and future healthcare challenges, in UK, Europe and worldwide. A major aim is development of affordable microfluidics for clinical diagnostics and analytical microbiology. We miniaturise microbiological methods exploiting tools ranging from 3D printing, open source hardware, to smartphones. Current projects focus on rapid point-of-care antibiotic susceptibility testing for urinary tract infection, and smartphone bacteriophage measurement. As Associate Professor in Biomedical Technology at the University of Reading, he teaches Pharmacy and leads the Biomedical Technology research group. He is also co-founder of Capillary Film Technology Ltd commercialising Micro Capillary Film technology for clinical diagnostics.

Belén Cabal is a Tenured Scientist at the Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN-CSIC). Her main research areas are focused on the design, synthesis and evaluation of inorganic antimicrobial materials, mainly nanomaterials and novel formulations of glasses and glass ceramics for various medical and antimicrobial applications. She is an author of more than 40 research articles, also acts as reviewer of high impact factor journals and external expert evaluator of R&D projects. She has been involved in several technology transfer activities, participating in research contracts, generating 3 patents, one licensed. Dr Cabal has been an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports since 2015.

M. Rosario Rodicio is Full Professor of Microbiology at the University of Oviedo, Spain. Her scientific work was performed at the University of Oviedo, the John Innes Institute of Norwich, England and the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry at the University of Osnabrück, Germany. Her initial research focused on the development of techniques for genetic manipulation in Streptomyces species, and the characterization of bacteriophages and restriction-modification systems in different bacteria. As of 2002, she predominantly worked on pathogenic bacteria of clinical and agricultural interest, performing studies on molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial drug resistance, virulence, mobile genetic elements and bacterial genomics. She has participated in numerous research projects, published more than 100 articles in prestigious journals and directed 20 Doctoral theses.

Marina Oviaño is a clinical microbiologist at the University Hospital of A Coruña. She is in charge of the multiresistant microoganisms section and nosocomical infection. She is also tutor of intern residents. As a senior researcher, she is part of the Juan Rodés program of the Carlos III National Health Institute of Spain. Her research is focused in applied proteomics for rapid microbiology diagnosis and especially, in the detection of antimicrobial resistance. She is PI of different national and international projects and has published several high impact papers in the field. She is also involved in software development strategies and artificial intelligence improvements with the private industry for clinical application of proteomics. She is reviewer of high impact factor journals and expert evaluator of R&D projects. She is also member of several working groups as the Antimicrobial Resistance and Action Mechanisms Study Group in SEIMC and the Genomic and Molecular Diagnostics in the ESCMID Society.

Amparo Fernandez-Rodriguez is a Spanish Pharmacist Doctor and specialist in Clinical Microbiology and Parasitology. Since 1993 she has worked in clinical microbiology and forensics as a faculty at the Madrid Seat of the Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, where she held the post of head of the Biology Department between 2014 and 2019. Currently she is fully involved in the Forensic Microbiology Laboratory of this Department, which is mainly dedicated to the study of sudden-unexpected death of infectious origin in medico-legal cases. With long experience as judicial expert in criminal cases, her research interests are the microbiological diagnosis of infectious causes of death including the application of new molecular methods such as NGS to forensic microbiology and the standardization of the STI studies in sexual abuse cases. 

She is the current secretary of the ESCMID Study Group for Forensic and Post-mortem Microbiology (ESGFOR) and she is coordinating the ESGFOR activity «Improving the management on STIs in the context of sexual assault» in collaboration with the GeITS (SEIMC STI Study Group).

Jorge Amich is a Research Scientist at the Spanish Mycology Reference Centre (ISCIII, Madrid) and an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Manchester. With over 15 years of experience, he is an internationally recognized expert in fungal metabolism, virulence determinants, antifungal targets, antifungal resistance and persistence. He is and has been PI of various national and international projects and has published numerous high impact papers in the field. He is member of the Spanish Society for Microbiology (SEM), the British Society for Medical Microbiology (BSMM) and the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM).t.

Dr. Hidalgo Cantabrana is currently the CEO of Microviable Therapeutics and a member of the board. Claudio obtained his PhD at the University of Oviedo (2015) focused on microbial genetics, probiotics and microbiota, after MS Biotechnology and BS Biology. He has worked in several research international organizations across Europe, and later on we worked over four years in the USA.

Over his scientific career, he has developed and licensed several patents, published numerous scientific manuscripts and received international fellowships and awards. Claudio is a co-founder of Microviable Therapeutics and former CEO since 2021, leading the company towards the next level with a strategic vision focused on microbiota-based biotherapeutic products development.

Dr. Jon Salmanton-García, PhD in Health Sciences by the University of Cologne (Cologne, Germany) is a postdoctoral researcher and project manager in the group of Prof. Dr. Oliver A. Cornely, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne (Cologne, Germany). He did his PhD thesis on emerging invasive fungal infections, namely mucormycosis, and extremely rare invasive fungal infections within the FungiScope – Global Registry of Emerging Fungal Infections team (www.fungiscope.net). Currently, he is a member of the Coordination Office of the VACCELERATE Consortium, a pan European clinical research network for the coordination and conduction of COVID-19 vaccine trials (www.vaccelerate.eu), managing the EUVAP –  European Vaccine Trial Accelerator Platform (www.euvap.eu), so as the VACCELERATE Volunteer Registry (www.vaccelerate.eu/volunteer-registry). In parallel, he also coordinates the EPICOVIDEHA survey – Epidemiology of COVID-19 infection in patients with haematological malignancies: A European Haematology Association Survey (www.ehaweb.org/covid-19/epicovideha-survey/). Additionally, he is in charge of the research series “The current state of laboratory mycology in…”, an online survey where institutions from different geographical regions are being asked about their diagnostic and treatment capacities for invasive fungal infections. He has a special interest in registries and questionnaires, database management, invasive fungal infections and infectious diseases in general.

Pediatrician and Clinical Research at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid since 2019. Her research is focused on the field of Infectious Diseases, having experience mainly on HIV infection in children and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in adolescents. Member of the Spanish Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (SEIP) HIV and STI study group and the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (Young ESPID) since 2018. She has been involved in national and European research projects related to HIV and STIs in children and adolescents, vaccination or SARS-COV-2, among others. She received the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal (PIDJ) Award for the best publication on 2021.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

✓ LICENSED  IN MEDICINE: Universidad Autónoma  de Madrid,  2002.  Final average grade  “A”. Erasmus Grant in 2001 in Århus, Denmark. 

• • Medicine title validated in USA: USMLE STEP 1 and 2 passed in 2001. 

✓ Specialized in:

• • Two  years  of  CARDIOLOGYvia  MIR  (ranked  number  81  in  MIR  exam  2003).  Hospital  Ramón  y  Caja,  Madrid  (May2003-October  2004). This  period  included  more  than  40  24h  long  shifts  at  the  coronary  unit.  Withdrew  in  2004  for  professional reasons. 
  • INTERNAL MEDICINE, via MIR (ranked number 111 in MIR exam 2005). Hospital  Universitario de Móstoles, Madrid (2005-2010). 
  • CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY and PARASITOLOGYvia MIR. Hospital Universitario  Gregorio Marañón, Madrid (2012-2016). 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (staff doctor) 

✓ Internal  Medicine  Service,  Hospital  Sanitas  La  Moraleja.Infectious  Diseases  consultant. September 2010-April 2012. 

✓ Emergency Service Hospital Universitario de Móstoles: six months during the period  of 2011-2012, mainly 24h shifts. 

✓ Internal Medicine Service, Hospital de Arganda: from 15-6-2010 to 15-9-2010.   

✓ Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital de Burgos  from 11-5-2016  to March 8th 2020.  This unit was created in May 2016 after my arrival from Madrid (there was not a  solid  structure  before).  Full  time  occupation  in  infectious  diseases,  including  ID  consultancy  in  nosocomial  infections  to  to  other  services,  antimicrobial  stewardship  activities (including taking care of all episodes of S.aureus bacteremia and candidemias of  our institution in adults with  the exception  of  those  cases  taking  place at  the intensive  care unit), HIV patients, ID ward, amongst other activities… 

✓ Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Chief department since March 8th 2020. 

He works as a clinician in the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Unit at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville. His area of special interest is cardiovascular infections and and those related to cardiac surgery, being a very active member of GAMES (Grupos para el Manejo de la Endocarditis en España). He has published numerous papers in this field, with special emphasis on enterococcal endocarditis and cardiac electrostimulation devices.