Detailed Program

Saturday, May 16, 2026

3:00 PM Registration

7:00 PM Dinner

8:10 PM Welcome addresses

8:40 PM Keynote lecture

Stuart M. Levitz (University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA)
Tackling human fungal infections, from fungal antigens to therapy

9:30 PM Welcome Reception

Sunday, May 17, 2026

7:30 AM Breakfast

8:30 AM Plenary Session 1: Clinical Challenges and Molecular Mechanisms of Fungal Infections and Antifungal Resistance

8:30 AM Bridget M. Barker (Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA) Introduction

8:50 AM Fariba M. Donovan (University of Arizona, Tucson, USA) Advancing Diagnosis and Treatment: Insights from Clinical Mycology

9:20 AM Katrien Lagrou (KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium) Advancing Diagnostics and Understanding of Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Europe

9:50 AM Coffee Break

10:20 AM Jeniel E. Nett (University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, USA) Host-Pathogen Interactions in Fungal Biofilm Infections

10:50 AM Chris Kosmidis (University of Manchester, Manchester, UK) Advancements in Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis

11:20 AM Fanny Lanternier (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France) Advancements in Mycosis Surveillance and Management in Europe

12:15 PM Lunch

3:30 PM FEBS Presentation

3:45 PM Workshop 1: Clinical Challenges and Molecular Mechanisms of Fungal Infections and Antifungal Resistance

4:45 PM Coffee Break

5:15 PM Elevator talks, Session A

7:00 PM Dinner

8:00 PM Poster Session A

Monday, May 18, 2026

7:30 AM Breakfast

8:30 AM Plenary Session 2: Molecular Mycology: Next-Generation Insights into Fungal Virulence

8:30 AM Iuliana Ene (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France) Introduction

8:50 AM Jane Usher (University of Exeter, Exeter, UK) Exploring the Sexual Cycle and Drug Resistance Mechanisms in Candida glabrata

9:20 AM Victoriano Garre (University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain) Epigenetic Regulation of Virulence Traits in Mucorales

9:50 AM Coffee Break

10:20 AM Geraldine Butler (University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland) Genomic Insights into Candida Species: Pathogenicity and Virulence

10:50 AM Evelina Tutucci (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Advanced RNA Imaging Techniques Reveal Pathogenic Mechanisms in Candida albicans

11:20 AM Matthew G. Blango (Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany) Unraveling Fungal RNA Dynamics: Implications for Aspergillus Pathogenesis

12:30 PM Lunch

3:45 PM Workshop 2: Molecular Mycology: Next-Generation Insights into Fungal Virulence

4:45 PM Coffee Break

5:15 PM Elevator talks, Session B

7:00 PM Dinner

8:00 PM Poster Session B

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

7:30 AM Breakfast

8:30 AM Plenary Session 3: Molecular Mechanisms of Cross-Kingdom Interactions and Their Impact on Pathogenesis

8:50 AM Iliyan D. Iliev (Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA) Fungal Microbiota's Influence on Host Immunity and Disease Pathogenesis

9:20 AM Aurélie Deveau (INRAE, Université de Lorraine, Champenoux, France) Mechanisms of Fungal-Bacterial Interactions in Forest Soils

9:50 AM Coffee Break

10:20 AM Kevin Kavanagh (Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland) Interkingdom Interactions: Aspergillus-Pseudomonas Dynamics and Their Implications

10:50 AM Ilse D. Jacobsen (Leibniz-HKI, Jena, Germany) Cross-Kingdom Interactions: Unveiling the Synergy Between Candida and Bacterial Pathogens

11:20 AM Ioly Kotta-Loizou (Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK) Exploring Mycoviruses: Their Roles and Applications in Fungal Biology

12:30 PM Lunch

Free Afternoon and Evening

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

7:30 AM Breakfast

8:30 AM Plenary Session 4: Beyond Mycology, Interdisciplinary Approaches to Fungal Research

8:50 AM Dominique Ferrandon (Université de Strasbourg, France) Insights into HostPathogen Interactions: Drosophila Models Uncover Mechanisms of Immune Response

9:20 AM Christian R. Landry (Université Laval, Québec, Canada) Innovative Approaches in Evolutionary Systems Biology

9:50 AM Coffee Break

10:20 AM Toni Gabaldón (IRB and BSC, Barcelona, Spain) Hybridization and Adaptation of Fungal Pathogens in Changing Environments

10:50 AM Antonio Di Pietro (University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain) Experimental Evolution and Reverse Genetics: Deciphering Fusarium Adaptation Mechanisms

11:20 AM André Fleissner (Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany) Intra- and Interspecies Communication in Filamentous Fungi: Implications for Plant Pathogenicity and Forest Health

12:15 PM Lunch

3:45 PM Workshop 4: Beyond Mycology, Interdisciplinary Approaches to Fungal Research

4:45 PM Coffee Break

5:15 PM Elevator talks, Session C

7:00 PM Dinner

8:00 PM Poster Session C

Thursday, May 21, 2026

7:30 AM Breakfast

8:30 AM Plenary Session 5: Molecular Insights into Host-Pathogen Interactions: Fungal Evasion and Immune Defenses

8:50 AM Margherita Bertuzzi (University of Manchester, Manchester, UK) Epithelial Cell Responses to Fungal Pathogens: Unveiling Host-Pathogen Interactions

9:20 AM Joshua J. Obar (Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth, USA)

9:50 AM Coffee Break

10:20 AM Kelly M. Shepardson (University of California, Merced, USA) Immune Mechanisms in Response to Pulmonary Aspergillosis

10:50 AM Rebecca Hall (University of Kent, Canterbury, UK) Adaptation Mechanisms of Pathogenic Fungi within the Human Host

11:20 AM Eva Pericolini (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy) Host-Pathogen Interplay in Vaginal Candidiasis: Insights into Fungal Evasion and Immune Response

12:15 PM Lunch

3:45 PM Workshop 5: Molecular Insights into Host-Pathogen Interactions: Fungal Evasion and Immune Defenses

4:45 PM Coffee Break

5:15 PM Keynote lecture

Nancy P. Keller (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) 

Fungal secondary metabolism—from biochemistry to genomics

6:00 PM Award ceremony

6:30 PM Drinks, dinner and farewell party

Friday, May 22, 2026

Departure