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Hydra Helminths Conference 2024: Advancing Research on Parasitic 

Dr Kameni Mireille, senior postdoc at IBHI lab recently attended The Hydra Helminths Conference, held from September 1–6, 2024, in Hydra, Greece. The conference themed “Parasitic Helminths: New Perspectives in Biology and Infection,” provided a platform for leading scientists and early-career researchers to present and exchange insights on key aspects of helminth biology, host-pathogen interactions, and disease mechanisms.

The scientific program began on September 2 with a session on immunity to helminths, chaired by Prof. Rick Maizels. Notable presentations included Dr. Keke Fairfax from the University of Utah, who discussed “To Protect a Host: Unwinding Helminth Modulation of Host Immunity and Metabolism,” and Dr. Stefano Colombo from the University of Manchester, who presented on how altered amino acid metabolism is central to intestinal schistosomiasis, with links to Type 2 immunity. The day concluded with a session on disease pathogenesis, where Dr Kameni shared her research work drawing how untargeted metabolomics revealed alterations in host tyrosine metabolism associated with susceptibility to Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Subsequent days featured a wide range of thematic sessions focused on immunity to infection, infection, and inflammation, helminth immunology, helminth development, host-parasite interactions, parasite genomics, microbiome, and metabolomics—a rapidly growing field.

Cameroonian delegation and Prof Rick Maizels at Hydra Helminths Conference 2024.

The Hydra Helminths Conference 2024 offered Dr Kameni an incredible opportunity to share her findings and engage in thought-provoking discussions with world experts in parasitic helminth diseases, as well as to establish future collaborations in this exciting field.