Emerging Respiratory Disease Website

Program Overview

Saturday 2 August 2025

9.00am SESSION 4 - Viral Therapeutics and Prevention Strategies in High-risk Populations
Chair: Dr Irene Kourtis, CEO, ASID
9.10am Protecting aged care residents from infection and infectious disease related preventable adverse events – Project HIRAID
Professor Ramon Z. Shaban, Chief Infection Control Practitioner and Associate Director, NSW Specialist Service for High Consequence Infectious Diseases, Research and Education Network, Western Sydney Local Health District
9.30am Respiratory Viral Infections in CAR-T and Bispecific Therapy: Risks, Prevention, and Treatment in the Era of Novel Immunotherapies
Dr Gemma Reynolds, Infectious Diseases Physician; Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
9.50am
Respiratory High Consequence Infectious Diseases – Recognition and Management
Dr Patricia Ferguson, Infectious Diseases Physician, Associate Director, Education and Training, NSW Biocontainment Centre
10.10am Treatment and Prevention of Severe Respiratory Virus Infection in Immunocompromised Adults
Associate Professor Krispin Hajkowicz, Senior Staff Specialist at the Herston Infectious Diseases
10.30am Morning tea
11.00am SESSION 5 - Infection X – Viral Emergence, Evolution and Diagnosis
Chair: Professor Martyn Kirk, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University
11.00am Detection and Investigation of Emerging Pathogens – from Hantavirus to the Next Pandemic
Dr Craig Dalton, Public Health Physician, Conjoint Assoc. Professor, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
11.20am Genomics at the Human–Animal Interface: A One Health view of Viral Emergence
Dr John-Sebastian Eden, Research Scientist in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Senior Research Fellow, Sydney Medical School
11.40am Laboratory Surveillance in the Age of Pathogen Genomics
Professor Vitali Sintchenko, Clinical Microbiologist, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty Member, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (SydneyID)
12.00pm Panel Discussion
Dr Craig Dalton, Dr John-Sebastian Eden, Professor Vitali Sintchenko, A/Prof Matthew O'Sullivan AM
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm SESSION 6 - Preparing for the Next Pandemic – Public Health, Research and Vaccine Development
Chair: Professor Katie Flanagan, Senior Staff Specialist in Infectious Diseases, Westmead Hospital
1.30pm Lessons Learnt from the Last Pandemic
Professor Catherine Bennett, Deakin Distinguished Professor and Chair in Epidemiology
1.40pm Cost-saving One Health Practices for Pandemic Prevention of Pathogen Spillover at Source
Dr Andrea Britton, One Health Co-convenor Public Health Association of Australia and One Health Lecturer Adelaide University
2.00pm Development of the next Coronavirus Pandemic Vaccine
Dr Megan Steain, Lecturer, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
2.10pm Panel Discussion
Dr Andrea Britton, Professor Catherine Bennett, Dr Megan Steain, Dr Kerry Chant AO PSM, Prof Kristine Maccartney
3.00pm Conference Close - Summary and Reflections
Dr Irene Kourtis, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases

9.00am	SESSION 4 - Viral Therapeutics and Prevention Strategies in High-risk Populations Chair: Dr Irene Kourtis, CEO, ASID
9.10am	Protecting aged care residents from infection and infectious disease related preventable adverse events – Project HIRAID Professor Ramon Z. Shaban, Chief Infection Control Practitioner and Associate Director, NSW Specialist Service for High Consequence Infectious Diseases, Research and Education Network, Western Sydney Local Health District
9.30am	Respiratory Viral Infections in CAR-T and Bispecific Therapy: Risks, Prevention, and Treatment in the Era of Novel Immunotherapies Dr Gemma Reynolds, Infectious Diseases Physician; Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
9.50am	Respiratory High Consequence Infectious Diseases – Recognition and Management Dr Patricia Ferguson, Infectious Diseases Physician, Associate Director, Education and Training, NSW Biocontainment Centre
10.10am	Treatment and Prevention of Severe Respiratory Virus Infection in Immunocompromised Adults Associate Professor Krispin Hajkowicz, Senior Staff Specialist at the Herston Infectious Diseases
10.30am	Morning tea
11.00am	SESSION 5 - Infection X – Viral Emergence, Evolution and Diagnosis Chair: Professor Martyn Kirk, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University
11.00am	Detection and Investigation of Emerging Pathogens – from Hantavirus to the Next Pandemic Dr Craig Dalton, Public Health Physician, Conjoint Assoc. Professor, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
11.20am	Genomics at the Human–Animal Interface: A One Health view of Viral Emergence Dr John-Sebastian Eden, Research Scientist in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Senior Research Fellow, Sydney Medical School
11.40am	Laboratory Surveillance in the Age of Pathogen Genomics Professor Vitali Sintchenko, Clinical Microbiologist, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty Member, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (SydneyID)
12.00pm	Panel Discussion Dr Craig Dalton, Dr John-Sebastian Eden, Professor Vitali Sintchenko, A/Prof Matthew O'Sullivan AM
12.30pm	Lunch
1.30pm	SESSION 6 - Preparing for the Next Pandemic – Public Health, Research and Vaccine Development Chair: Professor Katie Flanagan, Senior Staff Specialist in Infectious Diseases, Westmead Hospital
1.30pm	Lessons Learnt from the Last Pandemic Professor Catherine Bennett, Deakin Distinguished Professor and Chair in Epidemiology
1.40pm	Cost-saving One Health Practices for Pandemic Prevention of Pathogen Spillover at Source Dr Andrea Britton, One Health Co-convenor Public Health Association of Australia and One Health Lecturer Adelaide University
2.00pm	Development of the next Coronavirus Pandemic Vaccine Dr Megan Steain, Lecturer, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
2.10pm	Panel Discussion Dr Andrea Britton, Professor Catherine Bennett, Dr Megan Steain, Dr Kerry Chant AO PSM, Prof Kristine Maccartney
3.00pm	Conference Close - Summary and Reflections Dr Irene Kourtis, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases