ERC Annual Conference: Frontier research for One Health

Human, animal, and environmental health are inseparably linked - making the One Health approach vital for today’s global challenges. From antimicrobial resistance and the COVID-19 pandemic to climate-driven disease shifts and environmental degradation, tackling these threats requires bold, interdisciplinary research that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence.

This conference will bring together leading scientists, policymakers and stakeholders to showcase how ERC-funded frontier research is tackling pressing global challenges through the lens of One Health. It will highlight how cutting-edge discoveries can drive real-world solutions, shape policy and foster collaboration across disciplines - turning scientific breakthroughs into tangible impact for society and the environment.

Draft programme

All times CET

08.30 - 09.00 | Registration

09.00 - 09.30 | Welcome

• Maria Leptin, ERC President

09.30 - 10.15 |  Keynote address and Q&A

Speaker

• Ilaria Capua, Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe, IT  – 'Circular health: Advancing One Health and sustainability'

10.15 - 10.30 | Coffee break

10.30 - 12.00 | Scientific panel 1:Outsmarting outbreaks: Tackling zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics

Focus: Innovation in surveillance, diagnostics, human behaviour

Speakers

• Cassandra Koh, Institut Pasteur, FR – 'I contain multitudes: Mosquito viromes and their impact on arbovirus disease ecology'
• Giulia Giordano, Universita degli Studi di Trento, IT – 'From dynamics to decisions: Systems and control approaches against epidemics and antimicrobial resistance'
• Lukas Engelmann, University of Edinburgh, UK – 'Past, present, and future of modelling in One Health'

Chair: Liselotte Højgaard, ERC Scientific Council Member

Co-Chair: Philippe Cupers, Head of Scientific Department and acting Head of Unit
for Life Sciences, ERC Executive Agency

12.00 - 13.00 | Lunch break 

13.00 - 14.30 | Scientific Panel 2: The health of our planet; the health of us all

Focus: climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem health through the lens of
Planetary and One Health

Speakers

• Jenni Lehtimäki, Finnish Environment Institute, FI – 'Biodiversity loss and
  non-communicable diseases'
• Ana Bastos, Leipzig University, DE – 'Climate risks for the terrestrial biosphere'
• Panagiota Kotsila, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, ES – 'Drivers of vulnerability to climate-related health impacts for migrant communities in European cities: State or the art and steps towards justice-oriented adaptation.'

Chair: Giovanni Sartor, ERC Scientific Council Member

Co-chair: Lino Paula, Head of Unit, Social Sciences and Humanities, ERC Executive Agency

14.30 - 14.45  | Coffee break

14.45 - 16.15  | Scientific panel 3: Smart science: How AI is revolutionizing One Health

Focus: AI in prediction, intervention, and system integration

• Nicola Segata, Universita degli Studi di Trento, IT – 'Microbiome transmission from a one health perspective'
• Eleonora Macchia, Abo Akademi University, FI – 'AI-powered biosensors: Revolutionizing preventive medicine for a healthier planet'
• John Palmer, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, ES - 'Uses of AI in the fight against mosquito-borne disease'
• Veronika Eyring, Deutsche Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Centre), DE – 'Understanding and modelling the Earth system with machine learning'

Chair: Sylvie Lorente, ERC Scientific Council Member

Co-chair: Pablo Perez Illana, Head of Unit Physical Sciences and Engineering, ERC
Executive Agency

16.15 - 16.30 | Coffee break

16.30 - 18.00 | Roundtable: From discovery to decision: Bridging research and policy for a thriving world

• Sebastian Villasante, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lead author IPBES Second Global Assessment
• Carlos Goncalo das Neves, Chief Scientist, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
• Florika Fink Hooijer, Director-General, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA) Authority
• Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General, Climate Action (DG CLIMA)
• Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General, Research and Innovation (DG RTD)

Moderated by Eleni Zika, Head of Sector for Scientific Impact and Feedback to Policy, ERC Executive Agency

18:00 - 18.15 | Concluding remarks 

• Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General, Research and Innovation (DG RTD)
• Laurence Moreau, Director, ERC Executive Agency