Tularemia 2026: 11th International Conference on Tularemia, scheduled for 27-30 September at the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, California, will focus on fundamental, clinical, and applied research regarding any aspect of Francisella tularensis. Research uncovers not only the biology of this fascinating bacterium, but also provides the basis for future development of treatments, preventive interventions, and disease diagnosis.

Tularemia 2026 Co-Chairs: Amy Rasley, PhD, Staff Scientist, Translational Immunology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, USA and Nick Fischer, PhD, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, USA

Scientific Organizing Committee

  • Joel Bozue, USAMRIID, USA
  • Roberto De Pascalis, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA, USA
  • Nick Fischer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA (Co-Chair)
  • Carl Gelhaus, Appili Therapeutics, USA
  • Thomas Henry, INSERM, Lyon, France
  • Joseph Horzempa, West Liberty University, USA
  • Jason Huntley, Texas A&M College of Medicine USA
  • Tom Kawula, Washington State University, USA
  • Girish Kirimanjeswara, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
  • Karl Klose, University of Texas-San Antonio, USA
  • Max Maurin, University of Grenoble Alpes, France
  • Matt Meinig, USAMRIID, USA
  • Jeannine Petersen, Centers for Disease Control, USA
  • Amy Rasley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA (Co-Chair)
  • Lydia Roberts, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH; USA
  • Marina Šantić, University of Rijeka, Croatia
  • Anders Sjostedt, University of Umea, Sweden
  • Jiri Stulik, University of Defence, Czech Republic
  • Monique L van Hoek, George Mason University

Session Chairs:

  • Sandrine Boisset, Universite Grenobles Alpes, Grenoble, France
  • Catharine Bosio, NIH/RML, Hamilton, United States
  • Joel Bozue, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, United States
  • Roberto De Pascalis, CBER/FDA, Silver Spring, United States
  • Karen Elkins, CBER/FDA, Silver Spring, United States
  • Nicholas Fischer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, United States
  • Herbert Gelhaus, Appili Therapeutics, Overland Park, United States
  • Thomas Henry, CIRI, International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm U1111, CNRS, UMR5308, Lyon, France
  • Jason Huntley, Texas A&M University – Vashisht College of Medicine, Bryan, United States
  • Forrest Jessop, NIAID-RML, Hamilton, United States
  • Tom Kawula, Washington State University, USA
  • Luke Kingry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Fort Collins, United States
  • Girish Kirimanjeswara, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
  • Karl Klose, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, United States
  • Kristin Köppen, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
  • Max Maurin, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Universite Grenoble Alpes, La Tronche, France
  • J. Matthew Meinig, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, United States
  • Lara Mittereder, FDA, Silver Spring, United States
  • Amy Rasley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, United States
  • Lydia Roberts, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, United States
  • Marina Santic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
  • Monique van Hoek, George Mason University

Grants & Sponsors

Funding for this conference was made possible in part, by a grant from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the LLNL; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the LLNL.

Working session and abstract submission topics:

  1. Clinical Outcomes, Diagnostics, and Treatment

    • Clinical outcomes, guidelines, and best practices

    • Novel therapies and diagnostics

    • New diagnostic methods for tularemia

    • Innovative approaches to tularemia treatment

    • Human infections, diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment

  2. Pathogenesis, Virulence, and Host Interaction

    • Determinants of virulence and pathogenesis
    • Virulence factors
    • Pathogenesis, virulence and interactions with host cells
    • Host response to infection (including immunological mechanisms)
    • Host immunity
    • Animal models
    • Nutritional immunity
    • Metabolism (host and pathogen)

  3. Epidemiology, Ecology, and Reservoirs

    • Epidemiology and ecology
    • Epizootological studies in natural foci of tularemia
    • The association of tularemia with other natural focal infections
    • Persistence of F. tularensis in the environment
    • Environmental survival of Francisella tularensis
    • The impact of global warming on tularemia epizootics and range shifts of the pathogen, carriers, and transmitters
    • Evolution of tularemia endemic areas

  4. Taxonomy, Bacteriology, and Omics

  5. Vaccine Development and Immunological Correlates

    • Progress in vaccine development
    • Vaccine development
    • AI/ML to accelerate correlates of protection

  6. Research Funding and Outlook